Indian Summer
by Tami Flournoy
Summary: Charlie Swan isn’t the only one being shocked out of the world as he knows it. See how the entire Cullen Clan and the Quileute Shape Shifters discover that their supernatural world is just a little bigger than they ever realized as they find themselves
1. Chapter 1

_Charlie Swan isn't the only one being shocked out of the world as he knows it. See how the entire Cullen Clan and the Quileute Shape Shifters discover that their supernatural world is just a little bigger than they ever realized as they find themselves having an 'Indian Summer' they're not soon to forget!_

_Indian Summer: an informal expression given to a period of sunny, warm weather in __autumn__ in the __Northern Hemisphere__, typically in late October or early November, after the leaves have turned following an onset of frost but before the first snowfall_

Indian Summer

Part I: Forks

This story starts out in Forks Washington in June. 3 months before Nessie has her 2nd birthday and Bella has her 2nd Vampire Birthday (This would be the same day) and as far as Charlie knows 3 days later is Bella's human birthday when she will turn 21—he knowing nothing about any vampire birthday or her being 18(almost 19) forever.

Chapter One:  
Nessie and the Bear

Charlie POV

(Edited)

There I was, sitting on the pretty white sofa at the Cullen's house feeling as my heart sank. My daughter Bella took my hand in her cool firm grasp and looked intently at my face with her topaz gold eyes. I had accepted so much. I had ignored so much. So much had changed since she came back from her honeymoon almost two years ago. But I had dealt with it. I had been reasonable. So WHY was she leaving and taking my little granddaughter with her?

"Dad, you know I have put off college for two years and now I need to go. Edward and I are going to take extra classes so we'll only going to be gone for a few years. Then maybe we can move back out this way so we can be closer--If you would like."

"If I would like?" I asked. Wasn't that obvious? "Of course I would like. But Bells, Nessie is growing up so fast." I didn't mean that in the normal way. Nessie WAS growing up WAY to fast. She would be two in three months and I swore she looked more like a eight or nine year old. I again chanted my mantra to myself, _Need to know. Need to know. Need to know. _

Edward, who had been quietly playing his piano, came over to sit beside my beautiful daughter. He looked at me as if he knew the conflict raging inside my head. "Charlie, you know we could maybe arrange for you to come out to visit for a weekend every other month if you would like. New Hampshire is really beautiful. You would probably like the fishing out there." Bella reached over and kissed his cheek.

"We might even be able to come back here once in a while also." Bella piped up. That did sound a little better. "And we won't be leaving until after Nessie birthday in September."

"Did you forget that your birthday is in September as well Bella?" I quietly reminded her.

She half smiled and said, "I don't need to celebrate birthdays anymore Dad." Edward suddenly looked a little to still next to her. I'd noticed Bella doing that a lot too.

I sighed and shook my head. "You've got to be kidding me Bella. Now you sound like Renee. What is with you women? Oh well, I'm going to celebrate both of my girls birthdays. How about you Edward? Are you with me?"

Edward grinned at me. "Absolutely." He said then he turned a mocking glare at Bella.

"Anyway Dad, you still have a little more time. We probably won't even be leaving until late October."

"Can you wait until after thanksgiving?" I pled. "Honestly, if you're going that late, the next semester doesn't start until after the new year."

"We'll see Dad. We have to get a lot of things taken care of since everyone is going."

"Everyone?" I was more than a little surprised.

"Yes Dad. Everyone has kind of put off their college to be around Nessie and to let you have some time with her. Carlisle is going to teach some classes at the medical school there as well." That was more bad news. Dr. Cullen was such an asset to the community of Forks. I was really going to miss him too.

Just then Jake burst through the door with my granddaughter riding on his back. She would have looked too big to ride piggyback on just about anyone else-but Jacob was so huge. She laughed and the sound was like the tinkle of bells.

"Grandpa!" She exclaimed as she leapt off Jacob's back doing a somersault mid-air as she landed gracefully at my feet and was in my lap clinging to me in the next. Oh, how I would miss this. There was nothing like the feelings I had for this amazing granddaughter of mine. Yes, she wass mine. I didn't know how and actually, I didn't want to know how. I was just glad that she was. Of course I love my Bella with all of my heart but who could have guessed that there would be another little girl who I could love so much. I hugged her back fiercely. How would I get by without her? It reminded me of a time long ago when Renee took my Bella away. _'Well, this time is different.'_ I just had to keep reminding myself.

"My little Nessie! Did you have fun with Jacob?" I asked her with a smile on my face. Honestly though, I was still perplexed as to why Jacob was ALWAYS with her. I wondered what he thought about them all packing up and leaving. It would probably be pretty hard for him as well. He was ridiculously attached to Nessie.

"Yep! And now I am all ready to go and have fun with you!" She pulled back and planted a big wet kiss on my cheek. Then she was off jumping into her mom's lap. I loved watching Bella and Nessie. My daughter was such a good mother. Who would have guessed? Of course I should have guessed, she always took such good care of me.

Edward got up and picked up a small suitcase by the front door. I got up too. At least I got to have Nessie to myself for a whole weekend. I had lots of fun things planned. I hope she would have a good time. I was excited! They all followed me out to my new SUV. I guessed some perks definitely came along with my new son-in-law. My new black Cadillac Escalade being one for my last birthday. I must admit though, I was still shaking my head over that one. It certainly was the nicest transportation I'd ever had. Every time I got in it and I smelled the leather and sat in the cushy seats I swore I felt like turning on the fancy GPS system and taking me a road trip. Maybe if the gas prices kept going down I would plan one out to New Hampshire.

"Hey Jake," I said as I opened Nessie's door and helped her in, "What do you think about all of the Cullens leaving for New Hampshire?"

"I think it's great! I'm going with them!" He replied with a voice that had more excitement in it.

"What are you going to do in Hanover?" I asked shocked.

"I'm going to go to Dartmouth too. We might even talk Leah into going." Now I was the one standing there with my jaw open. I finally just shook my head. I wasn't really sure what I thought about that one. I would have to ask Sue about it when she came over later today to go with Nessie and me to the movies in Port Angeles.

*******

Saturday had been fun. Nessie seemed to enjoy the Disney movie that Sue and I took her to. More than once when she laughed at a funny part she would place her small hand on my arm and her voice would sound in my mind-telling me in detail what she thought was so funny. It was disquieting. The first time she did this, I thought she was actually speaking out loud and I bent over to remind her again to please not talk during the movie, but as I saw her face and her smiling lips, I realized that she was speaking to my MIND. I didn't want to scare her. Bella better be told about this though. To keep from panicking, I silently chanted my mantra. _Need to know. Need to know_.

We enjoyed the boardwalk and then came home and had dinner with her. I was surprised when Nessie told Sue and I a story after dinner. It was a very detailed and long story, much too mature for two year olds. Honestly, if I were really to think about it, it sounded too involved for a lot of high school kids I knew. It was one I had heard before but I couldn't remember where. When I asked her the name of it she replied, "To Kill a Mockingbird". I was a little taken aback. I thought it was a little old for her. Once again I chanted my mantra. _Need to know. Need to know. _Next she wanted me to tell her a story but after hers, I was a little intimidated. I made one up. She seemed to enjoy it. Sue and I tucked her in Bella's bed in Bella's old room. She was always excited to sleep in her mom's old bed when she stayed over. I watched the moonlight fall on her golden bronze curls as she slept. She was my little angel. How I would miss her.

*******

Sunday morning dawned bright and early. Nessie was up and excited to go fishing with her "uncle" Billy and me. We loaded up my fancy SUV and drove down to LaPush to get Billy. I was surprised to see Sam Uley on the side of the road as we entered the reservation. I pulled over and rolled my window down. I'll admit, I was a little suspicious as well. It almost looked like he knew we were coming and was waiting for us. It must be the policeman in me. "Good morning Sam. What are you doing out here so early and in the middle of nowhere?"

"Just waiting for you. I see you have your granddaughter with you. Hello Nessie." He called out to her in the back seat.

"Hi Sam!" She sang out.

"I'm sorry Sam, Did you say you were waiting for us? What in the world for?" I was even more confused.

"Well, I was out running and I got tired. Then I remembered that Billy had told me that you were picking him up for fishing this morning and I thought I'd wait till you got here and hitch a ride over to his house."

"Well, get in." I said as he loped around to the passenger side of the car.

Before he got in Nessie sang out in her sweet clear voice, "You're getting a werewolf escort because of me, Grandpa!" She laughed in delight. I was busy chanting my mantra as we drove off. _Need to know. Need to know. Need to know. _ After picking up Billy we headed out to our favorite fishing spot and quickly set up my sonar fishing system. I told myself every time I set it up that it wasn't really cheating. It was just using my Christmas present. Right!

It was shortly after lunch that trouble found us. By trouble I mean a very large grizzly bear. I thought that if we made a lot of noise and threw some of our caught fish towards the bear it would leave us alone and we could get out of there. Unfortunately the bear wasn't having any of that. He walked right passed the fish. Actually, walk wasn't quite the right word. More like a run. Yes. That bear was definitely running--running right at us. There I was with my little granddaughter and my best friend in a wheelchair. I put myself in front of them just as the bear attacked.

Four things seemed to happen within the next two minutes. First I felt pain shoot up my arm as the bear grabbed hold of me and started pulling me off. At the same time, I yelled to Renesmee and Billy to run. Renesmee looked around as if wondering why I was being hauled off by a bear.

Billy looked at Renesmee and yelled at her, "Get him Nessie! That bear is yours!"

Nessie seemed to get an excited look in her face. She turned TOWARDS me and the bear. ' _No,' _I thought frantically_. 'Run_ _AWAY_.'

My thoughts were cut short as Nessie did two things simultaneously. First I heard her voice in my head crystal clear as if she was shouting, "Don't worry Grandpa, I'm coming to save you!" She was still a good ten feet away from me. Then she let out one of the most ferocious yells I had ever heard. It chilled me to the bone. It also apparently scared the bear enough to drop my arm. I stared up at the bear just as Nessie launched herself at him. Then the darkness closed in over me.

*******


	2. Chapter 2

[ A/N: Chapter Two takes up the story told from Renesmee's Point of View. For clarification purposes, she calls Charlie-Grandpa and Carlisle-Granddad. Since Renee is out of the loop, Esme is Grandma.]

Chapter Two  
"OOPS"

Renesmee's POV

**I was not sure, but it occurred to me that I might have been in trouble. I was in Granddad's office at the hospital waiting for him to get out of surgery. "Uncle" Billy was downstairs in the ER with Grandpa, as he got stitched up good as new. Jacob, well Jacob was pacing in front of me, back and forth, back and forth. He made me nervous as he muttered to himself. No, I realized then that he was arguing with himself. When I listened very carefully, I heard him running through explanations that may or may not get me out of trouble with Mom and Dad. Jacob was my best friend. Honestly, I had to be the luckiest girl in the world. My Jacob would do anything for me.**

**I didn't really see what the big deal was. So I killed a bear. He was delicious! Now I understood what Uncle Emmitt has been going on about. All this time I had only been allowed to hunt deer and elk—boring. **

**I knew that when Grandpa saw the bear, he wanted to take him out himself, but he didn't look like he was doing it right. Maybe He should ask Uncle Emmitt for some pointers. Anyway, when Billy gave me permission, I just went for it. Billy called Jake on the cell phone while I was busy getting the bear to hold still so I could dine on him. Grandpa didn't seem mad about it later when he woke up on the way to the hospital. He was awfully quiet though. Probably he was still a little sleepy. At one point he looked back at me and asked me if I was alright. I laughed and told him he was silly.**

**After the longest 40 minutes of the whole weekend, Granddad came in his office. Jacob immediately sat in a chair and Granddad scooped me up and kissed my cheeks. He then started taking over the pacing path that Jacob had just vacated this time with me in arms.**

"**So Nessie, you killed a bear today?" Granddad said smiling as he sat with me behind his desk. I just nodded. **

'_**How did he find that out already? Wait, he doesn't look mad. So maybe I'm not in any kind of trouble from Granddad at least'.**_

"**I know you were pretty excited about it when you got to the hospital. I heard you thinking about it way up in the operating room. Your talent is growing Nessie. Just like you." Then Granddad turned to Jacob, "Have you called Bella and Edward yet?"**

"**No," Jacob said shaking his head slightly, "Charlie said that he wanted to talk to them himself about this and some…other things."**

**Carlisle shook his head. "What else happened this weekend Nessie?" He asked me with gentle eyes. I still wasn't in trouble. '**_**Good! Now if I can keep it that way by downplaying the movies.'**_

"**Nothing extra special, Grandpa and Sue took me to the movies, and after dinner we told stories. Today was the fishing trip. See, I don't know what Grandpa wants to talk about" '**_**Maybe it is about my birthday party!' **_

**Carlisle and Jacob were both hiding smiles. '**_**I don't get it. What? What am I missing?'**_

"**Nessie," Granddad said "I'll tell you what you're missing." **

'_**Wait, I didn't say that OUT LOUD. I'm getting a queasy sort of feeling. This is NOT good.'**_

"**Nessie, I don't know how this is happening. I need to think about it and talk to your parents but you are now broadcasting your thoughts away from yourself."**

'_**What? Everyone can hear everything I am thinking! Without me touching them? No! It's bad enough that Dad can always hear me. Now, everyone can! Wait, don't panic. Just think happy thoughts!'**_

"**I'm not sure yet Nessie, but I think that the more excited or agitated you are, the better and farther the broadcasting may go. You were pretty excited when you came into the ER with Grandpa weren't you?" I just nodded. "Well, take some deep breaths and try to relax.**

'_**That's easy enough for you to say**_**.' I thought furiously. They both suppressed a chuckle.**

"**Now, your Grandpa is done in the ER and will be coming up soon. What I need to know now before he gets here is exactly what happened at the movies?"**

'_**Dang it'! "**_**Well, he asked me not to talk out loud during the movie…so I didn't." I tried to make my tone casual. '**_**Oops! I forgot they can hear me thinking all this.'**_

**Now Jacob cut in. "So if you weren't talking out loud in the movies, were you using your gift to talk silently to Charlie?" **

'_**He sounds sympathetic. He wouldn't get me in trouble. Maybe he figures it will be better to tell Granddad instead of Mom and Dad. Dang, they are still both listening. I keep forgetting.'**_

"**Well, WHY you did that is going to be something for you to talk with your parents about. I need to know HOW you did it though." Granddad said with a little sigh. "Did you touch him or just think it like today?"**

"**I touched him." I said quietly.**

"**So it would seem as though the broadcasting phenomena coincided with the bear attack. Interesting."**

**There was a knock on the door and Grandpa and "Uncle" Billy came in.**

*******

**Charlie's POV**

**I was driving Nessie back to the Cullen's place. My head wouldn't stop spinning. I looked over at my now sleeping little angel. I was glad finally fallen asleep. She was so distressed when she had left Carlisle's office. Of course, I had known she was in a state. Not because it was written all over her face, but because I heard her telling me so in my head. It was just too much craziness for someone so small to process. Good thing she was so sturdy. I have been chanting my mantra so much today that it began to sound like a broken record--stuck in the same spot--playing over and over. '**_**Need to know. Need to know. Need to know.**_**..' **

**Somehow, she had saved my life today. I had no idea how. I remembered seeing her countless times from the past, launch herself at Emmitt the same way she went at that bear today. I realized that I was shuddering and I tried to take deep breaths to calm down. **_**"Get a grip Man!"**_** I told myself, **_**'I'm a police man. I've been trained to deal with strange situations.'**_** Not X-Files strange. Maybe if I studied with the FBI, I'd be able to handle all this weirdness better. **

**It would seem that once again Billy knew more than me about MY own family. That really irked the hell out of me. What would have possessed him to encourage my little Nessie to attack that bear? And I also wondered about that yell of hers. That was scarier than the bear attack. Was it some kind of wolf thing that Jacob had taught her? I'd better mention that to Bella and Edward as well. The last thing my sweet little granddaughter needed was to act like some kind of animal.**

**I'd tried to get a hold of Bella for the last hour but her phone must be turned off. Well, hopefully she took my advice and left town for a romantic getaway for the weekend. Poor kids, barely married and now parents. Plus they're starting school with overloaded schedules soon. I could tell that they needed more 'alone' time. They acted like they didn't get enough time to be just husband and wife—away from everyone else. I almost hated to give them one more problem to deal with. Well, better to deal with it now when I was here to help them through it.**

**I knew I must have been in some kind of state myself, but I sucked it up to be strong for them. I just hated seeing little Nessie so distressed. I guessed I would be too, if everything I thought was put out there for everyone to hear. And her thoughts were literally received by just about everybody. I'd have sworn that nearly the whole hospital somehow knew about that crazy bear attack. **

**I wasn't exactly sure what happened to the bear after I blacked out. I'd seen it took a swipe at my Nessie but I couldn't find even a scratch on her when I'd checked. Was my granddaughter some kind of super hero? Did she get more than her facial characteristics from Edward? What about the rest of his family? Were the Cullens aliens- like from Krypton? No, that couldn't be right. Bella was one of them now. Her eyes were even the same coloring. That wasn't alien. Maybe there was some kind of DNA changing radioactive mineral substance out on that island they went to for their honeymoon. They've all been there before. Bella was pretty sick when she got back. No, that didn't seem right either. Well, I still wanted to remain blissfully ignorant. I just wanted my little granddaughter to be alright. I wanted to know that she was safe and happy-not anxious and scared. **

**I pulled up in front of the big white house. As soon as I got out of my soundproof cab I heard thunder crashing from out in the woods. Funny, it wasn't raining. What was up with that? Weird. As I gathered Nessie, still sleeping, in my good arm, the front door opened and Rosalie was there with a giant smile on her face. **

"**Hello Charlie! You're hurt; Let me get her for you." She quickly took Nessie from me as she beamed from ear to ear. She truly was one beautiful young woman. She started crooning softly in Renesmee's ear that caused her to stir slightly in her aunt's arms. She bounded back into the house. Emmitt came out and patted me on the back. **

"**Hi Charlie, I heard about that bear attack. That's a tough break. Trust me I know how brutal they can be." He winked at me. I didn't know why but it almost seemed like that simple answer was layered with hidden meanings.**

"**You do? Have you been attacked by a bear?" I asked somewhat skeptical.**

"**Yes, you could say that. Anyway, I'm glad you're alright. Carlisle called just now looking for Edward and mentioned that our little Nessie saved you!" Strange but he was beaming like this particular statement just about had him exploding with pride. I must have read too much into his comment. I had better change the subject before I completely lost it to all the crazy.**

"**Where is that awful thunder coming from? Did Bella and Edward make it back from their trip yet?" Funny, but it seemed like the minute I mentioned the strange thunder--it stopped.**

"**Actually, Edward and Bella are making that annoying racket. It's kind of a new way to play football." He said with a chuckle. "It sounds like Edwards winning." He winked at me again. I was positive that somehow I was missing the punch line. "Not to worry. They know you're here now and will be here shortly."**

**That kind of irritated me too. I wanted them to have alone time. Not to be off playing football in the woods. I must have be on edge. Maybe I was in shock. I chanted my mantra-'**_**Need to know. Need to know. Need to know.'**_

**Just then Edward and Bella come through the front door holding hands and laughing.**

"**Dad!" Bella practically sang. "Where's Renesmee?" It was then that she noticed my arm that had been hidden by the car door all wrapped up in gauze and a sling. "Dad, what happened to your arm? Are you alright?" Her voice became genuinely alarmed. How in the world did she get over to me so fast? She must have been closer than I thought. I was SO preoccupied. **

"**Rosalie took Nessie, still sleeping, in the house just now." I told Bella. "And a bear is what happened to my arm."**

"**A BEAR ATTACKED YOU!!! Are you okay?" I nodded "What about Nessie was she with you? Is she okay?" I just nodded again.**

**Edward seeming to be deep in thought, his smile fading from his face as he just stared at me with the strangest look on his face. **

"**Why don't you come inside Charlie? We need to talk." He said quietly. Bella gave me an awkward hug and it almost seemed like she wanted to carry me inside the house. **

**To distract myself from being the focus of the attention, I turned to Bella and quipped, "Since when did you become a football enthusiast?" **

**She just gave me a strange confused look, but would not be swayed from her concern over my bear attack.**

"**What happened?" She said before we were even through the door.**

**We sat down in the living room. I didn't really know where to start. I have had to give people bad news before. I was a policeman, it came with the territory. I couldn't get the words out. I tried three times before sound came out of my mouth.**

"**Kids, there is something seriously wrong with Nessie." I watched Edward and Bella as they shared a knowing look. Huh. Maybe they already suspected something was up.**

"**Why don't you start at the beginning and tell us everything that happened." Edward said in a strained voice. It looked to me that he was preparing himself for the worst.**

"**Well it started out yesterday at the movies. Nessie was so excited about all of the funny parts and she was talking to loud. So I told her not to talk out loud." I stopped. Would they think I was crazy? Was I crazy? Maybe. "Well, she stopped talking aloud but she didn't stop talking." I barely whispered the last part. Bella swallowed hard. "Do you understand what I'm telling you? She put her words right from her head to mine."**

"**Oops" Bella breathed in a sigh. **

"**Oops? Bella, aren't you just a little alarmed about this? Or do you think I'm making it up? Because if you think I imagined the whole thing…then there's a whole hospital full of people who imagined the same thing today."**

**Now I really had their attention. "Let me tell you about this afternoon. Billy was fishing with Nessie and me. A big grizzly came out of nowhere. My gun was in the car. What was I suppose to do? He was running right at us. I barely had time to get Nessie out of the way and that Grizzly grabbed my arm and started hauling me off. Billy yelled at Nessie to get the bear. Bella! He actually was encouraging her to fight the bear! She let out the most bone-chilling yell I've ever heard." I stopped my narrative as my last comment side-tracked me. "Guys-you really need to see what Jacob is teaching her with his wolf stuff, that yell was just eerie." Then I got back to my story. "Anyway, it scared the bear. It dropped me and then Nessie jumped right at the bear. It took a swipe at her." I saw as both Bella and Edward both flinched when I said this. "I blacked out then, but when I came to Jacob was there and was driving us to the hospital I checked her out myself and I swear, there wasn't even a scratch on her." They both visibly relaxed when they heard this news.**

"**Well if all of that wasn't enough. When Billy basically gave her permission to "attack", at the same time she was having that horrific yell coming out of her little tiny mouth, she was shouting into my head, 'Don't worry Grandpa, I'm coming to save you!'" **

**Edward looked confused for a minute then he said, "She wasn't touching you when she thought that?"**

"**No," I answered. Had he missed the bigger picture here? "She was a good ten feet away."**

"**When we got to the hospital she was very excited. Everyone there heard her. Jacob took her up to Carlisle's office to get her away from everyone. When I was done in the ER, I went up there and she was with Carlisle and Jacob. She was very upset. Somehow, EVERYTHING she was thinking EVERYONE could hear".**

**Bella and Edward's faces looked as sick as mine did.**

"**My poor Nessie!" Bella moaned. Edward gave her a hug but he was struggling himself.**

"**Now, I still am working on a need to know basis here. But can we agree that maybe there are a few things going on here that I may need to know." I said solemnly.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three  
Need To Know

Charlie's POV

It was quiet for a good three or four minutes, long enough for me to start wondering if maybe they were going to pretend that I was crazy. Finally, after Edward and Bella shared a long look. A very long, loaded look I might add. Edward squared his shoulders and looked me in the eye.

"**Charlie, you are right, of course. Renesmee is a very special and a very unique little girl. There are things about her and about ourselves that we have kept from you. Partly, because of your own request to be left in the dark-so to speak, but also because it would be dangerous for you if you knew too much about what we are. The danger would not be from us but from outside forces that we have no control over."**

**Bella patted Edward on the knee and looked up at me and smiled a little ruefully. "You know what Dad; I think I would like to take you to our cottage to have this conversation. It's more private and the perfect setting to talk a little bit about some of the things that are alarming you."**

"**That's a good idea Bella. We've never even had your dad out to the cottage have we?" Bella shook her head as she stood up.**

"**What cottage?" I was mystified. "Don't you guys have a room upstairs like everyone else?"**

"**Edward has a tiny room that Jacobs pretty much taken over. Esme restored for us a beautiful cottage out in the woods." Bella replied still smiling at me. Then she turned towards the stairs and without raising her voice said, "Rose, do you mind if we leave Renesmee with you? We're taking my dad to the cottage?" **

_**Right**_**, I rolled my eyes at Bella there was no way Rosalie would have ever heard that. Then I heard an answering musical voice that I barely heard and I was really listening.**

"**Do you really think you have to ask?" **

_**Okay**_**. Then we left the big white house out the back door and stopped at a wide river.**

"**You guys live across the river?" They nodded. I tried to read their expressions. They seemed a little nervous. "Okay, where's the boat? Don't tell me you swim this every day?"**

"**No Dad," Bella said, "We are giving you a little demonstration of some of the things that you may need to know. Now, you can hop on my back and we'll be over in just a second."**

"**You know Bella that is the craziest thing you've said yet. I would squash you if I hopped on your back and I've already taken one trip to the hospital today."**

"**You won't squash me." She said when I still didn't budge. Finally she sighed, leaned forward and swept my feet out from under me before very carefully flinging me onto her back, taking care not to hurt my injured arm. **

"**What the heck," My eyes were bulging. Not that Bella could see but Edward had a wicked smile playing across his face. "Bella, when did you get so strong? I weigh more than you and I'm taller too."**

**She just laughed and said, "You may want to close your eyes Dad. Here we go"**

**I cannot tell you what happened next. I had the sensation a cannonball may have after it has just been fired. We arched up and over the river and landed in the trees across the way. It was so fast that I might have thought I was imagining it, except that I was now clinging very tightly to my daughter twenty-five feet off the ground; in a tree that was clearly on the east side of the river. Yes, I could definitely see the Cullen's roof from here on the other side of the water. She then proceeded to jump down as I screamed for my life. **_**Didn't I just tell her I wasn't interested in another trip to the hospital?**_** Her feet had barely touched the ground when she took off again. She ran so fast that I felt like we might've been inside a tornado. She casually reminded me if I felt a little sick I might need to close my eyes. Right! Like my eyes were any help to me right then. I think the phrase "**_**Seeing is believing**_**" just went out the window. As fast as we were going, I was surprised to see a blur pass us. Within mere minutes we had stopped in front of the most beautiful little cottage I had ever seen. It would have made Thomas Kinkade envious. Somehow, Edward made it there ahead of us and he carefully came up beside us and helped me loosen my vise grip on Bella and get down. My knees were shaky and my mouth was dry.**

**Bella turned around to face me, "You okay Dad?" Her voice was full of sympathy. **

**I tried to respond but no noise made it out of my mouth. I tried again--Still no good. Finally I just nodded. Even though, truth be told, the nod was a lie as well. Bella led me to their little cottage in the woods.**

**I sat down in a comfy chair while Edward started a beautiful driftwood fire. Bella brought me a big glass of water, which I drained without even acknowledging the action. My eyes were wide and shocked. At least I believe they must've been because as Edward and Bella came to set close to me, they were immediately contrite. **

"**It's okay Dad. Everything is fine. Just take deep breaths and when you are ready we'll explain a few things for you.**

"**Bella," My voice was half strangled with disbelief, "How did you…" My sentence trailed off into a whisper.**

**Bella looked at Edward who simply patted her shoulder kissed her and said, "Give him a minute."**

**Finally, I composed myself enough to try speaking again. "IS that why Renesmee can jump so high? Is it because you can too?"**

"**No," Bella said smiling. "She gets that from her father, as do I. She gets her pretty chocolate brown eyes, her curls and her rosy cheeks from me…along with a few other things."**

**Edward took my glass from me and in a matter of seconds it was back in my hand filled with fresh ice water. I barely recognized the gesture. I also barely realized that I drained that one just as quickly.**

"**Dad, why don't we start kind of at the beginning and Edward and I will tell you some things that will help you understand better without forcing too much information on you." I must have nodded because she continued. **

"**Do you remember that day when Tyler's van almost hit me in the school parking lot back when I first moved out here with you?"**

**Now I focused on her more clearly. Here was something I remembered very well. When I saw the accident scene and where she and Edward were when the van was removed, I was in shock that EITHER of them had survived the experience.**

"**Yes, I remember. I put snow chains on your tires to keep you safe. It didn't occur to me that someone else's vehicle would still put you in harm's way."**

"**Well, about that accident Dad," She paused and took a deep breath. She looked up at Edward and again, it looked as though some silent communication took place between them. Edward nodded and put his arm around Bella. "Well, I would have died in that accident. Edward, well, Edward was a true hero that day. Just like Nessie was today." She smiled up at Edward with true love. **

"**He literally flew across the parking lot and knocked me out of the way. It was so fast that no one saw him. Just like how we were running here pretty fast but Edward beat us anyway."**

**I nodded and shot a glance at Edward who was nodding his head remembering. **

"**But that wasn't all. The van was turning sideways against the back of my truck and was coming straight at us again. Edward braced his arm against the oncoming van and protected me from being crushed to death. But the van was now coming to rest right where my legs were. So then he lifted up the van, moved my legs out of the way, then let the van fall back in such a way that Tyler wasn't further injured. Dad, Edward saved me three times that day. His only request was that my story be that he was standing next to me and he pulled me out of the way. I promised him that I would not tell anyone what really happened. That promise I've kept to him until today."**

**I didn't know what to say. Edward had saved my little girl. I tried to imagine how empty my life would have been if she had died that day. I remembered being so excited for her to arrive. She'd barely gotten here when that accident happened. I was confronted with how empty my life would have become if Edward hadn't been there to protect her. I looked up at Edward. I didn't realize it but tears were swimming in my eyes. I could barely speak. **

"**Thank you, Edward." I reached over and gave him a one arm hug. It felt a little strange. As far as I could remember, that was the first time I'd ever done that and I was a little ashamed. I owed him everything. **

"**You're very welcome Charlie." Edward said very softly as he returned my hug. I was slightly embarrassed when I shuddered involuntarily. I awkwardly sat back down. **

"**That was when I began to realize that I had feelings for Bella." Edward started. "I knew that it would not be a good situation for her if we had a relationship so I tried to stay away from her. I was rude. I ignored her…well, I pretended to ignore her." He said as he squeezed Bella's hand. "But I couldn't. I didn't have the strength to stay away. So I tried to watch her from a distance. I noticed that she was always in harm's way. She was a danger magnet. I worried about her. At least I told myself it was just worry."**

"**Then there was the incident in Port Angeles." Bella chimed in. "Do you remember the day I went with Jessica and Angela to help them pick out dresses for the dance?" I nodded. **

"**Yes, is that the time you left your jacket in Jessica's car?" I was surprised that I remembered that small detail. She nodded.**

"**Well, I left them after a bit to go find a book store. I didn't find one but unfortunately some pretty creepy men found me."**

"**Creepy is a bit of an understatement, love." Edward added. He looked me carefully in the eye. "Charlie, I was in Port Angeles myself that day. I knew that Bella had gone off on her own and I had a very bad feeling about her safety. I was driving all over the place trying to find her. You see Charlie, I have a little gift of my own. I can tell what people are thinking." He stopped and let that sink in for a minute. I tried to take it all in stride. I gulped and nodded for him to continue. **

"**I finally saw her in someone's mind and could tell where she was. I was almost there when I was able to tell from this man's thoughts, that he was a very vile, lothesome man. Charlie, this man was replacing Bella's face in his mind, with the faces of other victims he had raped and murdered." **

**I was truly shaking now. **_**If anyone had ever hurt my Bella like that I would have hunted them down and probably killed them myself.**_

**Edward gave me a knowing look and simply said, "Exactly." I was a little startled to realize that he had just read my mind. He smiled a little apologetically. "I got her out of there and later, when she was safely home, Carlisle and I went back up there and knocked him out. Carlisle took him down to Portland all drugged up and left him chained to a pole next to the police station there and made an anonymous call to the feds giving his whereabouts. It was on CNN the next morning."**

**Bella looked up in surprise. "I didn't know you guys did all of that after you took me home."**

**Edward held her tightly. "I didn't want you to be afraid when you were safe."**

"**I owe you again Edward." I said quietly. My mind was wandering, "So Edward. You read minds?" I asked trying to make it sound all casual. Like this news didn't completely leave me lost in the crazy.**

"**Yes, I can read everyone's mind but Bella's. It was part of the mystery that pulled me to her in the first place."**

"**Does that have anything to do with what happened to Nessie today?" I asked, trying to relate this incredible story back to the matter at hand.**

"**Yes it does Dad. "Bella replied slowly. "Nessie has flipped Edward's gift. Edward reads other's minds, and everyone can read Nessie's. Only, until today, she had to touch you to have it happen."**

"**I suspect that she will learn how to control it more in time. I should have seen this coming. After all, I don't need physical contact to read other's minds, if she's flipping my gift, hers should do the same." He shrugged with a thoughtful look on his face.**

"**Does anyone else in your family do extra things?" I asked still struggling to assign this conversation to reality.**

"**Alice can see the future." Bella chimed in. "That is how she saw me jump off the cliff and knew to come back."**

"**Alice is psychic?" I asked. I heard the disbelief in my own voice. They both just nodded. "What about you Bells? Do you do anything?"**

"**Well Dad, actually yes, I do." She said a little sheepishly.**

"**Bella has a very powerful shield. There are others of our kind that, like me, can affect your mind-- most of them in not a very nice way. Bella has a shield that will block them. It is the very shield that has always prevented me from reading her mind. She has learned to pull it away from herself to protect others as well. Kind of like a big bubble of one way glass. It is really quite impressive." He leaned in and kissed her again. His voice was saturated with pride.**

"**Wow, my daughter is kind of an X-man!" I said shaking my head. "Did Nessie flip this gift too?"**

"**We think so." Bella said with a smile.**

"**Bella keeps everyone out and nobody keeps Nessie out. If she wants to tell you something, you're going to hear it." Edward explained.**

**I was still shaking my head. "This is a lot for me to process. But I think this ought to do it. I understand now just enough so that I can do what I can to help Nessie. I always knew she was special. I didn't really understand just HOW special she was until now." **

"**She's a true miracle Dad. We didn't think that Edward could father children. We were all in shock when we realized she was coming."**

"**Really?" That was news to me. "Well, I can't imagine not having her here. I'm glad that we got that little miracle." There were suddenly tears in my eyes again as I realized the truth of my words. I blinked trying to remove them. **_**Who would have thought that a rough old fool like me could be so completely changed by such a sweet little girl.**_

"**Bella went through a lot to make sure she got here safely." Edward added quietly, a look of unease spread across his face briefly before it was gone behind a mask of control.**

"**I'm glad you did kid. And I'm glad you're okay." I hugged them both for a long time.**

"**I love you Dad", Bella said. She was a little cold too.**

"**I love you too." I looked up at Edward like I was seeing him for the first time. "Actually, truth be told. I love you both." I added quietly.**

"**I love you too, Dad" Edward said as he clasped my hand in his.**

"**Well," I said quickly, "Let's get back to that little miracle. She should be awake by now and I need to make sure she's doing alright."**

**And with that we headed back to the big white house just as twilight settled in.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four  
Bear Warriors

Renesmee's POV

**Thank goodness Mom and Dad were back. And Grandpa was with them. I loved Granddad to pieces but he always got so excited when there was a "mystery" to solve. Apparently, lucky me, I was that mystery now. He came home from the hospital an hour ago and he began having me try so many things. It was exhausting.**

"**I'm sorry, Nessie" Granddad said, "I have been monopolizing your time since I got home. Haven't I?"**

_**Whoops!**_** I had to get a handle on this. It would drive me mad if everyone ALWAYS heard everything I said from now on. "Sorry Granddad, I know you're only trying to help and the sooner we figure this out, the sooner I can have a private head again." I looked up at dad as he came in through the back door and then amended, "Well, almost a private head." I jumped up in my Mom's arms and whispered with pleading in my voice, **_**Please shield me Mom!**_

"**Of course sweetie," She said. I immediately heard Dad sigh so I knew it was working.**

**Grandpa was next to her and he shook his head a little. An amazed smile made an appearance on his face. I wondered what was up with Grandpa. His eyes seemed to be a little wider. He looked, I didn't know. Wondering, amazed, confused? It was hard to put my finger on it. I looked up at my Mom. I knew she could hear my thoughts. I was under her shield and she was holding me anyway. **_**What's wrong with Grandpa?**_** I ask her silently.**

"**Oh, he's just dealing with learning more about you, and me and your daddy." I look over at him sympathetically.**

"**Hmm, is that your shield working now?" Grandpa asked in a quiet voice. Mom nodded. "Interesting. I heard her thoughts as she jumped into your arms. She asked you to shield her and now I don't hear anything in my head but myself." He was shaking his head. Then he held out his good arm for me. He seems different somehow. But when I looked in his eyes I knew he loved me no matter what. I went to him. It wasn't so easy for Grandpa to carry me anymore. I was pretty big and now he only had one arm available. He immediately went to the couch and sat down with me in his lap. Everyone else followed. Mom and Dad seemed very peaceful and also quiet somehow. They sat close by us. **_**Mom, please leave that shield up for a while okay?**_** She nodded once at me and smiled. **

**Grandpa hugged me to him. "You know Nessie, You are a very special little girl to me. You know I love you and I would do anything in the world for you right?"**

**I just nodded and smiled. I wasn't sure what he was going to say. He seemed so serious. **

"**Well, I understand better now about your special gifts. Jacob had told me once that you were more special than everyone else put together. He was right, of course. I want you to know two things."**

"**First, thank you for saving my life today. You were amazing kiddo! You scared that bear half to death. That was really something."**

"**It was the most fun I've ever had Grandpa. If you want, we can go hiking tomorrow and try to find another one**_**!" Wow, it almost sounded like I was getting a green light here to find me another one. And I thought I was going to get in trouble. Hah!**_** Mom looked down at me. **_**Oops, she just gave me 'the look'; maybe not then.**_

**Emmitt who was out front came in during our conversation. He laughed and said in his booming voice, "Not to worry Charlie, It's kind of a family tradition now!" Charlie looked up at Emmet in confusion. "Cullens Family Rescue Service—swooping in to save a Swan." He guffawed loudly and shot an evil smirk at my mom before laughing again. He dropped into a chair. One of the springs make a squeaky sound before it broke. "Oops. Great now I sound like Bella!" This time Mom gave Emmitt 'the look'.**

"**Well, I guess there's some truth to that." Grandpa said somewhat shakily as he turned and nodded towards Daddy. "Anyway, the second thing that I want you to know is that somehow I am going to help you get this figured out before you leaves to go to New Hampshire. I don't like seeing you so distressed." Oh, my sweet grandpa. He was worried about me. I was so lucky. I hugged him tightly.**

"**I love you Grandpa."**

**Dad patted my head as I was still hugging Grandpa and said, "Nessie we're all going to help you. I know all of this is overwhelming to you and a little scary too, but it is just going to take you a little bit of time to practice with it and it will get better."**

**I looked up at him. I wanted so much for his words to be true and I knew that he'd never lie to me. "I'm positive." He continued in his most assuring voice. "I had to learn how to deal with my mind-reading. At first it was VERY noisy in my head. I had to learn how to control and channel it to keep from going crazy. Your Mom had to practice with her shield before she was able to get it to work correctly. You'll see." I felt better at once. Daddy would know. I saw him look at Carlisle for a minute.**

**Yes," Daddy said. "Charlie knows about my mind-reading and Bella's shield and how Nessie has reversed them." **

**Carlisle nodded thoughtfully. "Are you okay with all this Charlie?" He asked with quiet concern in his voice.**

"**Well, it explains a lot. I am kind of freaking out inside a little. But well, I wouldn't be alive to freak out if it wasn't for our little Nessie here now would I?" Grandpa said a little shakily. "I mean my girls have joined a family of X-men. I'll get use to it" At this there was quiet laughter from everyone. **

"**Well, I guess X-men is close enough." Emmitt added. "It is a DNA mutation." He laughed again. Everyone but Grandpa gave him a warning look. Grandpa just looked away out the window.**

**Just then Jacob came up the front porch stairs and through the front door. He was carrying "Uncle" Billy and Seth was behind him with Billy's wheelchair. They got him all set up. I could hear more people outside. Jacob looked very excited. He came over to me right away. **

"**I'm going to leave you here with your Grandpa, your Mom and Billy. I need everyone else to come outside for a minute." I looked over to my daddy. He had a big grin on his face. Whatever had Jacob excited, apparently also had my dad's stamp of approval.**

**Before I could count to two, everyone had abandoned us in the living room and there was a lot of noise outside. **_**What is going on?**_** I thought at my mom. She just shrugged her shoulders. **

**Grandpa looked over at Billy with apologies in his eyes.**

"**Billy," he stammered. He seemed a little uncomfortable. "I'm sorry about the things I said to you in the ER today. I didn't understand about Nessie and I was a little freaked out."**

"**Not to worry Charlie, I've got tougher skin than that—as you well know." He simply smiled and Grandpa visibly relaxed. I wondered what that was about. I hoped he didn't get mad at 'Uncle' Billy for giving me permission to get the bear.**

**Suddenly, out the front window, I saw a fire start. Right out in the front yard. There were lots of noises--different kinds of noises: drums, some kind of whistle instrument, and something else. **

**After a few minutes Jacob came in and I giggled. He had painted his face and there were three feathers in his hair held in place by a bandana. He wore about four bead necklaces and under them, I could just make out a t-shirt with a grizzly bear on it. He took my hand. I slid off Grandpa's lap and he led me outside. Seth came in and got Billy. When I got outside, I was amazed. It was unbelievable. All of the wolves from both packs were there. Some of them, Leah, Embry, Sam and Paul were dressed in garb like my Jacob was. The rest of them were around the campfire with an assortment of drums and Emily and Kim were even there with little pan flutes. Then I saw the other side of the circle and I had to hide my giggle. My daddy, Granddad, Aunt Rose, Aunt Alice, Uncle Jasper and Grandma were also dressed like Jacob. The paint stood out on their pale faces but they still looked perfect as always. I took all of this in quickly because the funniest one of all was my Uncle Emmet. Uncle Emmett was wearing a full Indian headdress that went clear down to the middle of his back. He was shirtless but had some elaborate bead necklace that covered the bulk of his massive chest. He had smeared red paint all over his face, arms and chest. He had even more intricate paint patterns on his face then everyone else. At his throat was a chocker collar with a huge bear claw on it. I had to hold my breath to keep from busting out giggling.**

**As Jacob brought us forward, Uncle Emmett arose and indicated two seats on either side of him. He directed me to one and Grandpa to the other. "Welcome," He said in a strange monotone voice. It seemed like he was trying for some weird Indian accent. I saw Sam kind of roll his eyes and shake his head. At least he had a big grin on his face. I wasn't the only one finding Uncle Emmett hilarious. "Welcome honored guests. I am the Chief Emmett of the Bear Warriors. We are here tonight to honor the Bear Gods and present two new Bear Warriors for their Rite of Passage." He indicated Grandpa and me at the last comment. Everyone in the circle who was all dressed up started giving some funny Indian woops. It was so funny I had to hide my giggle again. I looked over at Grandpa and he looked embarrassed. Then he saw me winked and smiled sheepishly. **

"**Oh great Bear Gods hear us." He threw some magic powder into the flames and sparks shot up into the sky. "We give the Bear Gods thanks for our victorious battle over the big mean nasty grizzly bear." He threw something else into the fire and lots of purple smoke came out of the flames. Paul started laughing. Emmett stopped his whole performance to stare Paul down. It almost looked like Paul was going to get up and challenge him but Seth threw a rock at him from across the fire. Paul caught it just as it was about to hit him. He dropped it. Emmet cleared his throat very loudly and continued. "Oh mighty Bear Gods we are thankful that flying rocks did not bash out our fearless warrior Paul's brains for irreverence on this most special of nights. He put something else in the fire and this time green smoke came out of the flames. It immediately smelled like rotten eggs and everyone groaned. "We must make the stinky clouds to applaud the Bear Gods for making us victorious over the big mean nasty grizzly bear."**

"**We present our new fearless Bear Warriors for their initiation rites of passage. First we present Chief Charles Swan. Not to be confused with Chief Emmet of the Bear Warriors. Come forward Charles." Grandpa looked around as every eye was upon him. The drums started booming in a fast beat until Grandpa stood up next to Uncle...I mean Chief Emmet of the Bear Warriors. **

"**First we paint you our fellow warrior. Warrior Alice, who has fought at last count a modest 72 big mean nasty grizzly bears will bestow our bear warrior paint on your face."**

**Aunt Alice came forward with slow measured steps. She carried with her a painter's pallet loaded with many colored paints. She spoke up in her clear musical voice painting up Grandpa's face as she spoke. "We paint you red for the blood of the bear. We paint you blue for the Bear Gods. We paint you green for the forest home and we paint you yellow because I like yellow." She stepped back and everyone gave an Indian yelp of approval. Emmet motioned for Charlie to remain standing.**

"**We also present to you tonight another fearless new Bear Warrior Princess, Renesmee Carlie Cullen. Come forward Nessie." I was trying so hard not to laugh. The drums were beating louder and louder. I guessed Uncle Emmet decided I wasn't getting up fast enough because he yanked me up swiftly to his side. "We must not try the Bear Warrior Gods patience little Princess Mini Haha."**

_**What! Uncle Emmet was such a goof ball!**_** I thought as I rolled my eyes.**

"**We must never call Chief Emmet of the Bear Warriors a goof ball little Princess Pint-Size" I glance over at Mom mortified. She'd unshielded me. She mouthed **_**'sorry'**_** and then nodded to me so I knew it is back up. Daddy laughed. Bear Warrior Alice who has fought at last count a modest 63 big me…" **

**Uncle Emmet broke off as Aunt Alice whispered to him, "Seventy Two."**

"**Oh Warrior Alice who has fought at last count a modest 72…" He turned towards Alice and stage whispered, "You have been very busy tonight Warrior Alice! Seventy two big mean nasty grizzly bears will bestow our bear warrior paint on your face."**

**Aunt Alice came over to me now and winked at me before going back into character. "We paint you orange for the golden sun." She started smearing paint on my face. I tried not to laugh. "We paint you white for the snow of hibernation and we paint you purple because I say so." She walked very slowly back to her place around the campfire stomped her foot once and sat down. There was a loud whoop from all of the warriors around the circle.**

**Uncle Emmet continued, "Now our new warriors we will present you each with your bear claw and tooth necklace made from the very bear that had the nerve to cross your path this day."**

"**Bear Warrior Sam will please come forward and present our newest clan members with their trophies." The drums started their measured pace again as Sam came forward with two rather large necklaces with claws and teeth all over it. As he approached, Uncle Emmet said, "Bear Warrior Sam has only fought at last count two modest grizzly bears but we do not hold it against him as there is a golden arches down the road from his house." **

**Sam was truly holding back a fit of laughter now. He reached us and placed the necklaces over our heads. Then he gave us a strange salute taking his left hand and running it from the top of his head, down his face and out in front of him. He then held it out to us palm up. **

**He waited for a minute then looked at Emmet who added. "Our new Bear warriors will give Bear Warrior Sam the traditional Bear salute or risk being scalped." He waited until Grandpa and I followed Sam's example. I was starting to feel a little foolish. When we were done, Sam went back to his place at the campfire and stomping his foot sat down. Again there was a loud chorus of Indian whoops. **

"**Now our New Bear Warriors will join us in the dance of the big mean nasty grizzly bear. All warriors please arise." Everyone wearing the funny costumes got up. The drums started beating faster and faster. The pan flutes joined in and there was a sound like maracas as well. Grandpa looked like he wanted to go watch a ball game on TV. **

**I grabbed his hand laughing. "Sorry Grandpa, We're in this together." Everyone started doing a made up dance around the fire. After a few minutes Emmet and Jacob really got into the spirit and were trying to outdo each other with their antics. **

**Then Uncle Emmet got to close to the bonfire and caught the back of his headdress on fire. He immediately rolled in the dirt and said still in his fake accent, "Good thing Chief Emmet of the Bear Warriors knows how to stop, drop and roll." Everyone laughed. Then Emmet called out, "Okay, everyone dance." At that everyone who was not already at the circle which amounted to a few pack brothers, Mom and Billy came out. 'Uncle' Billy did pretty good cutting a rug with his wheel chair there.**

**After about ten minutes of this Uncle Emmet brought the ridiculous ceremony to a close by announcing, "We have been pronounced Hot Dogs by the Bear Gods tonight and in honor of this fitting title we will be blessed to dine on them." Grandma brought out hotdogs and everyone roasted some. I noticed my family quietly handed their roasted dogs to the Quileutes when Grandpa wasn't watching who gladly scarfed them down.**

**Everyone had fun fun talking and eating. I was so happy I sort of forgot how upset I had been all day. Grandpa asked Uncle Emmet what brought on the bear theatrics. Emmet just laughed and said, "Jacob wanted to do something nice for Nessie in honor of her rescue today and also to cheer her up. He made the mistake of mentioning it to Alice."**

**It made me so happy to think that Jacob would do all of this for me. All of a sudden Aunt Alice got a glazed look in her eyes for just a second.**

"**Oh, excellent" She said. "Okay, this Saturday, there is going to be a real thunderstorm. Is anyone up to a game of baseball?"**

**Emmet got very excited. "Alright come on everybody. This should be really fun. We could have huge teams! The Cullens and the Quileutes divided right down the middle. Split teams." **

**All of the Quileutes looked at Sam who in turn looked at Billy. Billy got a gleam in his eye and nodded vigorously. There was a loud roar of approval.**

**Grandpa turned to Alice and said, "Why do we have to wait for a thunderstorm to play?"**

**Billy laughed at him and said, "I guess you'll just have to wait till Saturday to find out. You'll probably be the umpire." **

**I looked up at my mom who had an anxious look on her face. My dad rubbed her shoulder and told her it would be okay. I wondered what Mom is was worried about.**

"**Grandpa leaned over to her and said, "Bella you never cease to amaze me. When you lived with me you never liked sports. Now here you are playing football and baseball too."**

"**Dad, why do you keep saying I play football? I don't even know how to throw a football."**

**Grandpa looked confused. "Emmet said you and Edward were out in the woods playing football when I got here this afternoon and asked him what all the racket was I heard."**

**As grandpa spoke everyone got quiet and mom's expression turned to mortification. Before I could process her mood, she growled incoherently at Emmet, who said, "Oops" and ran in the house. Mom was right behind him. Grandpa and I looked at each other in confusion. Then Grandpa shrugged his shoulders. He didn't get what the big deal was either.**

**Grandpa went on speaking to me now, "Well, he said, "It sounded to me like your Dad was winning. Maybe your Mom is a sore loser." At this everyone else started laughing except my dad who quietly went inside the house to find my mom. **

[A/N: Please know that I meant no disrespect for native Americans in this chapter. I grew up in Phoenix with an Indian sister and know that they refer to themselves as Indians. Also, I realize that the Quileute Indians do not have feathered headdresses that being often associated with the plains Indian Tribes. This was not meant to represent any actual Indian tribe either. It was just a made up ceremony who Jacob, an Indian, devised to cheer up Nessie. Thank you, Tami]


	5. Chapter 5

[A/N: SM never gave Collin and Brady last names, so I took the liberty of searching the internet for Quileute last names for them.] Chapter Five  
The Great American Pastime

Charlie's POV

**Well today was certainly interesting! There was a great spot I'd found just last week to go fly fishing and when I invited Billy on the phone bright and early, he just about died of laughter.**

"**You want me to forgo the baseball game of the century to catch a fish! Please, say you're pullin' my leg Charlie. Besides, Sue said that you were coming and I think Emmet said they were planning on you umpiring. Maybe you'd better bring your binoculars, just in case."**

"**Sue is going?" Well, I hadn't known that. I decided maybe it would be fun to watch some freakishly strong goof balls (to use Renesmee's words,) if I could do it with Sue. I never thought I would ever find anyone to fill the hole Renee left in my life. Harry Clearwater was one of my dearest friends for so long. Who would have thought that I could find happiness as a result of his absence? Not that I would ever have wanted his death. Sue was so wonderful and when she smiled the whole room lit up. There was a crazy fluttering in the pit of my stomach I got whenever she was near me. She had grace and elegance. She was smart and man, oh man, was she good looking. She seemed to enjoy doing things with me, but she might have just been being nice. She definitely was that. If I was reading her right she might like me too—unlikely as that seemed.**

"**Hello? Charlie, are you still there?" There was a whistle through the phone. It about broke my eardrum. "Hey! Earth to Charlie"**

"**Sorry Billy," I said shaking myself out of my thoughts of Sue. "I dropped the phone. Well, when is this game?" **

"**It's in an hour. You have just enough time to get over here with that fancy SUV of yours and pick up me and Sue and a few players and get us there. Hurry up and get over here man. Only, don't speed. It wouldn't look good. If you know what I mean!" Billy was laughing as he hung up the phone.**

**I was surprised when I got to Billy's house and not only was he and Sue ready to hop in for a ride but also Sam, Emily, Paul and Billy's daughter Rachel. My car was loaded. I always thought my car was huge. Today it looked pretty much like an overstuffed caravan. There were even two smaller cars filled with kids that followed us as we pulled out onto the main highway. Sam directed me out to the Hough Ranger station. We left the road and had a little bit of rugged off-roading. I wasn't sure how the little cars managed the terrain behind me. I could have sworn more than once as I looked through my rear-view mirror I saw some of those enormous boys hitting their heads on the roof of their car and I swore I saw one car lose a muffler. Finally, we came into a small field. I thought it was where we were playing ball. Emmett's behemoth jeep was already parked here along with Edward's Volvo. I was shocked that car had made it. I guessed Volvos were tougher than I realized. As we piled out, Bella, Edward and Alice came out of the trees.**

"**Dad!" The way Bella spoke my name sounded like music. "I'm so glad you came!" She practically sang. I mean that literally, when she spoke it SOUNDED like she was actually singing, and rather nicely too.**

**Edward and Alice approached behind her with big smiles. "Are you ready for some ball?" Alice asked enthusiastically. All of the Quileute kids agreed eagerly. **

**I started looking around. "Where is everyone else?" **

"**Well," Edward said, "They're already over at the clearing getting everything set up."**

"**How far away is the clearing?" I asked looking around and not seeing anything but trees on three sides.**

"**Oh, it's a few miles through those trees. We're here to help carry you in." Alice said still excited. "It will be so much fun!"**

"**Wait." I spluttered. "You don't mean 'carry' like Bella did last Saturday to the cottage?" Alice just nodded. Her eyes so bright they danced.**

"**I don't know about that. I don't want another trip to the hospital and I don't think Sue's nerves are up to it." Sue just looked at me and laughed. "What?" I asked her as she grinned at me.**

"**Speak for yourself, Charlie! I have been dying to run faster than a car goes. I hear it is quite the adrenaline rush." \**

**Dang! I hadn't seen that one coming. Now if I showed weakness, she'd think badly of me.**

**Bella seemed to be in a strangely teasing mood when she sang out, "Wow Dad, It seems as though we're going to have to tamper with your memory." I didn't like the sound of that. **

"**Tamper with my memory?" I stammered. **

**I didn't know why but Edward started having a fit of laughter. He hugged Bella and messed her hair up before saying, "silly." Then he kissed her. **

_**Okay, enough of that. This was supposed to be baseball**_**.**

**Before I could protest, Edward had me flung over his back. Alice had Sue on hers…which did look funny as Sue's was taller than Alice by a good foot. Bella was going to carry Billy but he insisted that Sam help him get on Bella's back properly so he could have the full experience.**

"**Billy, you may change your mind about that." He just laughed at me. "Bella, don't you dare do any jumping up into those trees. Billy isn't as tough as I am."**

"**What a great idea Dad!" Bella said sarcastically, "What do you think Billy? Do you want to take the high road or the low road?"**

**Billy laughed. The sound was full of excitement. "Well, even though I'm a little tougher than Charlie gives me credit for, why don't we start out with the low road? But I'll leave my options open for the trip back okay?"**

"**Your wish, my command!" She replied airily.**

"**Charlie, look at it this way," Billy said happily, "Neither of us have ever been to Disney land—and this is going to be better than ANY amusement park ride anyway." **

**I rolled my eyes. **_**Easy for him to say, he hadn't tried it out yet.**_** As soon as I thought my remark, Edward stifled a laugh. With a start I realized he'd read my mind.**

**Bella had him securely on her back. She stood there looking Billy was as light as a feather. For that matter Alice and Edward were quite relaxed as well! Sam gathered up Emily, Jared carried a young lady named Kim, Paul did the same with Rachel. I guessed they were dating now. Collin retrieved Sam's wheelchair and we were off.**

**I could hear laughter all around me. Well actually I heard it all behind me. "Edward, Son, You know this isn't a race." **_**Wow, I just called him son and it felt right. Huh?**_

"**Well, I'm just getting warmed up for the game." Edward said casually. "If it bothers you, it might help to close your eyes. That's what Bella use to do until she got use to it."**

_**Huh**_**. Also interesting that he wasn't even the slightest bit winded. The laughter behind me was fading in the distance. **

"**Uh, Edward," I ask, "Are you like the Flash?" I noticed that my voice had taken on a kind 'awed' tone. **

**Edward laughed. "Maybe, it seems like the nick name I mostly get for my running is "Show-Off" though." That made us both laugh. **

**And with that we were there. A few minutes later so was everyone else.**

**Sue was a little breathless as she stepped off of Alice's back. Alice being so short, all Sue had to do was stand up and she was off. She seemed to be just fine. Her face flushed with enthusiasm. Billy on the other hand was hooting like a kid who just got a Playstation III. "Bella you have just become my most favorite form of transportation!"**

"**Wow," Bella laughed quite loudly. **

_**When did she get so loud?**_** Billy was still hanging onto her back as Collin wasn't there with the wheelchair yet. **

"**Now there's a complement I never thought I'd hear. Want to go around the field once while we wait for your chair?"**

"**Absolutely!" Billy was exuberant. Jacob was in the outfield marking bases. At least, I thought he so. He was pretty far out there; and even as far away as he was he seemed to have heard everything. He looked over and laughed.**

"**Make sure you don't get a speeding ticket Dad, the laws right beside you." He barked. Strange, his voice seemed to be carrying quite well too.**

**Bella took off. It was incredible to watch her zip around the huge field. It was at least as large as two …maybe three regular sized baseball diamonds. In the middle was a deep narrow fissure. It looked to be about two and a half feet across and about fifteen feet long. I couldn't see the bottom from where I was. Billy laughed and hooted like a cowboy riding a bull. He actually was making me laugh-along with everyone else. I looked to see that all of the Cullens were already there with Jacob. Also waiting on us were Leah and Seth Clearwater, and Jacob's two friends Embry and Quill. Emmet was at the side of the clearing where a table was set up with a standing microphone and what I took to be some serious audio equipment. When he saw Brady, he spoke into the microphone and said, "Bring that chair over here Brady." The sound boomed from all points surrounding the field. Then I saw two big speakers on either side home plate about 30 feet apart. I could just make out smaller speakers up in some of the trees close by. Esme was showing Sue, Emily, Rachel and Kim a huge grill where a fire was just starting to burn. It looked like it had been made there from the rocks in the ground. There were at least five huge coolers and about seven picnic tables set up on the side. Carlisle came over and shook my hand. **

"**Charlie, I'm glad you could make it. Emmet tells me you're going to be our umpire." Renesmee was too my side in a flash.**

"**Grandpa!" she said as she grabbed my leg. I was immediately filled with HER joy at seeing me and it overwhelmed me that anyone should think so much of ME. I was stunned to be blinking tears out of my eyes.**

"**How's my little Bear Warrior Princess today?" I asked as I bent down and hugged her back.**

**She laughed and touched my nose saying, "We're in this together--you and me." We laughed and I found I was fighting tears again as I felt not just my love for her but it doubled up inside of me as her love for me was added back inside my heart. I felt like it will explode. **

'_**Wow! What a gift. Not for her—for me. I could die right now the happiest man who ever lived on the face of the earth.' **_

**She looked up at me. "I'm going to go find my Daddy now." She waved goodbye to both Carlisle and I and she is off. I shook from the aftershock of the twin love still burning within.**

**I looked out to find Bella still zooming around with Billy hee-hawing on her back. She jumped that funky little gorge. Not that she needed to but I think she used it as an excuse to jump. **_**Dang, it was high**_**. I worried about Billy's safety even if he didn't seem too. Carlisle joined as I laughed at their antics. Finally Carlisle called everyone over to the table with the microphone set up. Bella put Billy carefully in his chair as everyone huddled up.**

**I was a little surprised that Billy took charge. Since it seemed like the Cullens had set everything up, I just assumed it was their ballgame…so to speak.**

**He was still brimming with excitement as he spoke. "Welcome to the Cullens and the Quileutes and also to the Bear Warriors (he looked at me and winked at this last add-on) to the first ever joint ball games of our new alliance. Just a few points to bring out before we select teams, First, a Cullen rule that will be observed, if you do not hit the ball when it is pitched it is an automatic strike. Also for all the Wolves, you can phase whenever you want. Alice has kindly placed stacks of shorts at all edges of the field." He pointed to several places where there were little mounds of fabric. "We ask that you just please cover up right away. There will be no time-out while you get prettied up. There are ladies present so please keep your phasing to a minimum. Esme has agreed to catch and Charlie will be the Umpire. Sports casting the event will be yours truly." He said this pointing to himself. "Wolves, first, I will remind you of how you are to address the Cullens if you do not use their first names as was explained to you earlier". He looked very pointedly around at each of the Quileute players. **

_**What in the world was that about? **_

"**Also, if you get injured, you'd better hope you heal fast as the game will continue without you."**

'_**Whoa, what did he just say? They'd better heal fast? What does that mean? Plus, I wasn't counting on all that werewolf nonsense playing out in front of me. Well, I'm stuck here now. I guess I'd better just act like everything is normal and this isn't freaking' me out. Sue might be watching me at any moment.'**_** I felt someone pat my shoulder and looked over to see Edward standing next to me. He didn't say anything. He simply looked at Billy with a big smile on his face. Somehow that physical contact reassured me. **_**'Thank goodness Bella married Edward and not Jacob.'**_** I noticed Edward smile at something**_**. 'I don't think I would like it if my beautiful granddaughter had fangs and claws like an animal.**_**' Edward goy a funny almost pained look on his face. He turned and looked at me with his eyebrows raised. **_**'Oops he's reading my mind. I'm going to have to get use to that aren't I?'**_

"**Yes, I guess you will." He said under his breath and for some reason with that we both suppressed laughter. I didn't know why. It should've upset the hell out of me. But somehow in that moment it was funny.**

**Billy had two bowls in front of him that he said held the names of all the Quileute players in one and the names of all the Cullen players in the other. He started drawing names out first from the Quileute bowl and then from the Cullen bowl. **

'_**Wow that even sounds like some major sporting events…the "Quileute Bowl" and the "Cullen Bowl" as opposed to the "Super Bowl".'**_

**Edward laughed quietly again. He leans over to me and says, "The Super Bowl isn't even in the same league as us!" I joined in with a startled half chuckle of my own. **

'_**We'll see.' **_**I said on purpose in my head.**

"**I guess you will." Edward said to me under his breath. Then even quieter almost in my ear he added, "and in case you're wondering, Yes, Sue likes you more than just a little." He winked and nudged my shoulder. A shock went through me as he spoke. **

'_**Could it be true?**_**' I was soaring. Just then Billy called Edward's name as it was drawn from the bowl. He patted my back one more and started to leave. He called back to me, "Don't forget Umpire Swan, You ARE my favorite Father-in-Law. I have more presents where that SUV came from." Everyone had something to say about that. The loudest was Emmet of course, who was already picked for the other team.**

"**Hey, the umpire has to be impartial. No favorites."**

**Not to be outdone, Sam who was also on the other team added, "Edward, you didn't just bribe an officer of the law? Did you?"**

**Billy was still busily picking names out of the bowls. Emmet once again voiced rather loud objections when Leah was picked to be on the same team as Edward. Why that bothered Emmet I couldn't guess. I noticed Leah for the first time. She wore the strangest outfit. **

"**It's rigged" Emmet moaned. Sam tried to shush him as he kind of acted like a big baby. "The teams are uneven. We'll never catch either one of them." He lamented. The he seemed to snap out of it in an instant. "Then again, it will be a greater victory when we beat them with the cards stacked against us!"**

**When the teams were done being picked, they named themselves as such:**

**The Terminators: Team Captain-Sam, Emmet, Seth, Renesmee, Quil, Jasper, Embry, Alice and Jared.**

**The Slayers: Team Captain-Carlisle, Jacob, Brady, Edward, Leah, Rosalie, Paul, Bella and Collin.**

**When everything was settled, Billy said into the microphone which once again boomed across the field, "Let's play ball!"**

**I was amazed at how large an area the playing field covered. Maybe I should have taken Billy more seriously when he'd told me to bring my binoculars. Esme handed me a black and white referee shirt complete with standard protective gear and a whistle. I might have felt a little ridiculous wearing all the 'get up' but everyone else was wearing an assortment of baseball uniforms. The Cullens had baseball shirts with their names and everything on them. The Quileute players all had on caps and some had on baseball shirts as well. I was a little embarrassed when, by the time I was half way to home plate, I realized that everyone else was already out in the field ready and waiting on me to play.**

**The Slayers were up to bat first. The Terminators were in the field. As I approached the plate, Esme who was catching greeted me with her ever friendly smile.**

"**Hi Charlie! Are you excited?"**

"**Sure this should be different to say the least." I shoke my head. Just then I heard Billy coming in very loud and clear from the PA system.**

"**Now for all you fans here with us today, we are having our first joint baseball game ever. There will be no cameras for instant replay and the umpire's word is final. We will wait for the all-clear from Alice Cullen, who is playing Short-stop for the Terminators. As a side note, Alice usually plays the pitcher position, but she has trained her niece Renesmee and for this first inning, little Renesmee Cullen will be pitching in her debut game."**

**Wow, Billy really got into this sports casting thing. Everything became very quiet as everyone eyed Alice who stood perfectly still. After about one minute she said, "Time." Immediately there was a boom of thunder. It almost made me jump. It was as if Alice called the thunder to her. There was an immediate cheer in response.**

"**And the games begin. First up to bat will be Collin." Billy boomed.**

**Collin came up to the plate. I stood behind Esme and watched my little granddaughter take a wind up. It was fluid and graceful but not like any pitch I'd ever seen before. Plus in professional ball there should be 60 feet between the pitcher's mound and home plate. Here it was at least 100 feet away. **_**'Come on guys. This is a little much.' **_**Then the ball left her hand and quickly sailed across the plate. Collin didn't hit it. Collin didn't even try.**

"**Strike one" I said. I heard Billy boom out the same through the PA.**

"**Wow, I didn't think the ball would make it this far." Collin said in amazement. **

'_**Well at least I wasn't the only one astonished. Alice must be an exceptional trainer.'**_

**Nessie wound up again and the ball came sailing home. This time Collin swung but he was a little slow and did not connect.**

"**Strike two" I said. Collin shook his head.**

"**Renesmee Cullen is showing great form for her first game. We'll have to keep an eye on this one." Billy commented.**

**Nessie wound up and this time did something very different. She jumped three feet in the air and on the way down let the ball fly from behind her back. It came in so fast, I barely saw it. Poor Collin didn't make it out either.**

"**Strike Three. You're out!" I called. Everyone on the Terminators hooted and yelled. I had to laugh as Edward, Bella, Rosalie, Carlisle and Jacob also cheered from behind us. They didn't seem to mind at all that Nessie had just struck out their teammate. **

"**Did you see that wind up? It is really too bad we don't have cameras rolling. That is a move for the baseball history books."**

**The crazy thing was, he was right. It was the single most phenomenal base ball pitch I had ever seen and to think that it came from my little angel. I was dazed to find I was riding some crazy kind of giddy high. She was MY little Nessie!**

**The thunder boomed loudly again. Next up was Carlisle. He came up to the bat and winked at Nessie. "Do your worst, Nessie. I'm ready." She giggled.**

"**Next up is Dr. Carlisle Cullen, who has been up to bat so many times that it is lucky for us that no one has been keeping track."**

**Nessie wound up like she did the first time and the bat connected with the ball with a resounding boom. No, it was exactly like the thunder. It almost felt like it would shatter my ear drums. And that ball, It might as well have been a comet entering earth's atmosphere. I just stood there and watched it go.**

"**Holy Moley", was all I could get out in a strangled whisper. That ball sailed right out of sight. I didn't notice anything else. Edward was right, the Super bowl—well, okay the World Series if we're going to talk baseball, had nothing on this. Carlisle was rounding third base and was zipping around to home plate. He moved so fast, it was unnerving. I almost missed seeing Sam come out of the woods carrying the ball and now dressed in shorts that he had evidently gotten from the pile. He threw the ball from clear out in left field a good 300 feet away to Esme at the plate. Carlisle crossed over just seconds before I heard the ball hit Esme's hand. **_**'Hand? Where the hell is her glove?'**_

"**Safe" I said after gulping several times. Esme threw the ball back to Renesmee, who also wasn't wearing a glove. **_**'What the…'**_

"**Why aren't you guys wearing gloves?" I asked Esme. I noticed that the Quileute players in the field had them but none of the Cullen players did. Esme showed me her hands. They looked just fine. "Never mind, I don't really need to know that." I shook my head.**

"**And that was an amazing hit by Carlisle and the count it 1 point and 1 strike for the Slayers.**

**The rest of the first inning was going along fine. I just about died whenever players started colliding and there was such an awful crashing sound that it reminded me of the noise Emmet said Bella and Edward were making playing football the other day. But that wasn't near as loud as this. This was deafening. All the while the thunder boomed on. Of course, it had nothing on all the racket the players made.**

**There was a moment I panicked when Rosalie was up to bat and she hit a line drive to Embry who was in Right Field. It plowed him right over hitting him full in the face. I stopped the game despite the rule that said not to. After a minute, Embry got up. His nose was twisted at a funny angle and there was blood all over his face. Honestly, I thought he'd opened up his cranium and brains were going to spill out. She'd hit him so hard. That ball was a deadly weapon.**

**Carlisle was over to him in a flash and had him off the field in another. Edward had apparently brought over one of the picnic benches to the side line and had Carlisle's medical bag there at the same time. Embry looked over at Rosalie who was strangely smiling a smug little smile. That was a little disconcerting. Embry didn't seem to notice the look in her eye. **

**He said, "Wow, I was knocked out by a knock out!" Everyone laughed. Funny, he didn't seem like brains were falling out of his head. He continued joking as if this were an everyday occurrence. "I guess we can call this 'The Official Nose Bleed Section' now." Everyone else laughed. **

**I wondered how many stitches he would need and if Carlisle would do them then or wait until after the game was over. I guessed it was a good thing a doctor was present. All this hard ball was sure to crack a few skulls. **

**I was surprised yet again when Carlisle said, "Why don't you just sit out the rest of this inning and probably by the start of the next one you'll be fine."**

"**Okay Doc", Was Embry's resigned reply. It sounded like he wanted to get out there and see if he could pop out his eye next.**

**By the time Bella got up to bat I'd seen enough unbelievable skills that I was starting to consider steroid abuse. She hit the ball and it went soaring hard and fast. I thought she was going to get a run for sure but little Alice was already jumping for that ball before Bella had even hit it. It was uncanny. It was as if she were psychic or something. Oh, wait, she was. That was practically cheating. But then what could you do?**

"**Out" I said. Then I turned to her and grinned, "But it was still impressive." She smiled and winked at me.**

**Leah was up next to bat. I finally got a look at the unusual outfit she was wearing. It looked like egg cartons. It was some strange coolot outfit. The style almost reminded me of something you would swim in during the early 1900's. But Hey, what did I know about kid's fashions today. She got a base hit, as did Jacob after her. Paul was up next and he almost struck out but managed on the last pitch to send it soaring way out in the outfield and got a base hit. Honestly, he'd hit it so far that it would have been out of any normal ball field. Jasper got that ball back in play so fast I almost considered the possibility that Nessie had an extra ball in her pocket. Of course, she would never have done anything like that.**

**Edward was up and there were two outs with bases loaded. Of course Billy was going bananas on the PA.**

"**This is unbelievable." Well, he had that right anyway. "Bases are loaded and there are two outs. If Edward can pull this out it will put the Slayers in a position to start some slaying of the Terminators"**

' _**Okay Billy, give it a rest. Lay off the Dr. Pepper.'**_** I shook my head as Edward got ready for the wind up. Renesmee once again does her extra-special wind up jump and the ball zoomed towards us. Edward hit it harder than I had seen anyone hit it yet and that ball flew WAY away. **

**Emmett blurred into motion as soon as the ball was air borne. Edward was going so fast to first base that I could not make him out. Of course, my eye finally caught up to him as he rounded second and was caught behind Paul, who was going pretty fast but not anywhere close to Edward's speed. I was so intent on that piece of drama that I almost missed Leah who suddenly crossed home plate with Jacob right behind her.**

"**We better be safe Gramps!" He said as he crossed the plate. Paul was finally coming around third with Edward right on his tail. Emmet returned into sight in the far end of the clearing. How he even found the ball was beyond me. Maybe his special power was an eagle eye of some sort. He threw the ball from so far away that I was once again amazed to see it come across the field and into Esme's waiting ungloved hand. Paul made it across just in time but Edward was tagged before he could head back to third.**

"**Out" I called shaking my head, "But what a way to go!" He grinned at me. **

**Billy was really going on and on now. Honestly he was getting a little carried away.**

"**That was a great showing for the Slayers with four runs and only one injury in the game so far. Next team up to bat will be the Terminators. First up will be Team Captain, Sam Uley. Pitching for the Slayers will be Rosalie Hale."**

**Sam came up to the plate and took his stand. Rosalie's pitch was almost understated after Renesmee's but it came across with blinding speed and as it approached I saw that the ball was spinning as fast as it traveled. It almost looked like a little planet, having its own orbit while following a larger path. Sam hit it, but because of the spin it went straight up. Rosalie was there in a flash catching it effortlessly in her bare hand and just like that Sam was out. **

"**That's one up and one down for the Terminators. Sam was caught by the old spin ball trick used by Rosalie Hale. Next up will be Emmet Cullen. The Slayers may be in trouble now as Emmet is known for his brute strength. He wasn't named Chief of the Bear Warriors for nothing" Billy was definitely having WAY too much fun with that PA system.**

**Emmet came up to the plate and smiled at Rosalie. "Hey, let's have a bal, baby. I'm lookin' to score here with the best looking ball player that ever lived." He winked at her. Rosalie gave him a wink and a nod. After her subtle yet deadly pitch to Sam, I was expecting more of the same. I was perplexed to see something different. She did a jump and twist similar to what Renesmee did a few times but Rosalie raised her knees in a kind of hitch kick mid air and threw the ball out between them. It was coming in as a curve ball that was hard for me to predict how it would come across the plate. It was a good thing I wasn't hitting any balls from these crazy pitches. Emmet hit the thing and it slid along the ground to left field. Bella scooped it up and threw it to Paul who was covering first. Of course Paul was completely blocking the plate and Emmet barreled right through him. The sound was like that of a ****pyroclastic**** cloud exploding from a very angry volcano. I was concerned about Paul. He didn't move even though Emmet got off him immediately. I ran over there along with Carlisle. Paul lay moaning with the ball clearly in his glove. **

"**Did I get him out?" He asked as if this was the most important question. **

"**Yes, he's out." I confirmed.**

"**And Emmet is out at first. But it looks like he took Paul down with him. Yes folks, Paul is down for the count." Billy droned on.**

**Carlisle assessed the damage and came to the conclusion that Paul had a broken rib. I'd never had one before but I'd heard they were painful. Paul managed to get up without help and he eyed Emmet with fury. I was a little annoyed. It was just a game and he had completely blocked the plate. Where did he expect Emmett to go?**

"**Stinking, filthy Vam… *&%#$*...X-MAN." For some strange reason, Paul was, I guessed, just to mad to even get out a decent insult. He stammered over the last word like he was choking on it. It must have been the pain. **

**Emmet didn't seem too bothered by it. "Well if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."**

**Carlisle asked him if he needed to sit out for a bit. Paul practically growled back, "Of course not-I'm fine." He stood up trying to keep the wince off his face as he gingerly moved his arms back and forth.**

"**And Paul will play with injuries. Nothing keeps Paul down, even a head on collision with a Tonka Truck." Billy babbled excitedly.**

**I headed back to my position while Emmet at my side, laughed away with obvious delight.**

"**And the Terminators aren't doing so well with two batters up and two batters down. Two outs for the Terminators. Next up to bat will be Seth Clearwater."**

**Seth was already in place as we approached the plate. Emmet gave him a high five before vacating the plate area. Seth seemed to do quite well despite Rosalie pulling yet another crazy pitch out of her hat. He made it to first base being careful to not aggravate Paul's injury or Paul himself. He was followed by Quil and Alice who both also made it to bases. **

"**Now we have an exciting play coming up. The Terminators have two outs with bases loaded. The score is 4 to 0 in favor of The Slayers and it is Renesmee Cullen's turn up to bat. We'll see if her battings as good as her pitching." **

**Renesmee came over to the plate carrying her own bat. I went to move the other one out of the way and was taken aback to discover that I could barely lift it. The thing weighed a ton. I ended up dragging it off. **

**Esme saw my efforts and sang out, "Oh, that bat is solid steel. I should have got that for you sorry."**

**Uh-huh, solid steel. It looked like a regular bat. I wondered if Renesmee's was a regular one or not. I noticed everyone move in somewhat from the outfield. Everyone on both teams cheered for her. It was kind of amusing to watch. She was like a little darling that would be loved no matter what.**

**I could hear Emmet calling to her from the sideline, where he stood with the rest of their team. "Now just remember how Uncle Emmet showed you how to stand with the bat. And watch the ball."**

**Rosalie looked at Nessie with a huge smile on her face. "Are you ready Renesmee?" Nessie laughed and nodded. "Okay, swing the bat and show me just where you want it." Renesmee did. I was a little worried after seeing how Rosalie showed no mercy to Emmet. I worried she was just messing with Renesmee, but she gave the perfect pitch exactly where Renesmee showed her she wanted it. Rosalie was a push over for Nessie. Of course, it seemed like we all were.**

**Nessie hit the ball with a great deal more force than I thought that she could. Not like Edward or Emmet's but as hard as the Quileutes did for sure. Because everyone had moved in, the ball sailed over their heads. Seth came home and Quil was right behind him. I had to laugh as Edward caught the ball but let it fall out of his hand before retrieving it and throwing it to second base just as Nessie was rounding that corner. What was so funny was that in a display of the worst fielding I had ever seen, he overshot it and Jacob, who was playing second jumped up and missed it by inches. Then he couldn't find it behind himself and stepped on it falling over. Then he got it and threw it to Carlisle at third but the doctor turned around like he couldn't find the plate as Nessie rounded third. Alice danced across the home plate and Nessie came in behind her. Cheers erupted from both teams. Well a few of the slayers didn't look too happy-namely Paul and Leah.**

"**That Renesmee Cullen is really something. She completely fooled the Mighty Slayers and has terminated their lead. The score now stands at 4-4." Yep. There was no question about it. We were all pushovers for Nessie. **

**I looked behind me and saw Emmet mock punching Sam as he crowed, "I told you that would be a good play. Nessie is our secret weapon!"**

**Embry Call was up next and he managed to take care of the last out for the Terminators and so ended their first time up to bat.**

"**We are having a very exciting game so far as we close the first inning with the score all tied up 4-4." Billy announced in his booming voice.**

"**The Slayers will go up to bat and we'll see if they can pull ahead and reclaim their lead. First up to bat is Brady Buckety."**

**The game went on. I was confounded to find that with every play being unbelievable, somehow I was getting use to it. One thing was for sure, I'd never be able to sit through dull old major league baseball again! I still didn't get why their collisions sounded like thunder. **_**Oh well.**_** The next three innings went by pretty uneventful. That is if you could call the fact that there now four of the Quileute boys sat in the "nose bleed" section, uneventful. They didn't seem too concerned by their injuries, even though Jared had broken his arm. After about a half hour he was complaining to Carlisle that he wanted back in. No one could ever call those boys sissies.**

**A few times it looked as though a fight would break out over something, but Jasper of all people would go over and before I knew it, things were okay. Maybe his super X-man power was that of being a peacemaker. Whatever, it was a good thing. I knew I'd never have been able to break up a fight between any of them-umpire or not!**

**The strangest thing for me to get used to was the crazy shape shifting that went on continually. They just busted out of their skin into this furry animal three times the size of their body mass, shredding their clothes and then really tearing out to make a play. Then they shifted back while throwing the ball and grabbing shorts from the pile simultaneously. By the third inning, they were all wearing shorts on their arms just to be ready. I finally figured out what was up with the crazy outfit Leah wore, when she decided to go wolf and instead of her clothes shredding they grew with her. It was interesting to see this little grey wolf running around with clothes on. Almost like what you see on people's dogs in the Petsmart store over in Seattle.**

**I wondered what Sue thought about her kids doing this wolf thing. Actually, I wondered what Sue was thinking about at that moment. I looked around for her between pitches and found her at the grill starting what looked to be some kind of barb-e-cue. However she looked right at me. I smiled and waved. She waved back and gave me a smile that left me tingly all over. Maybe what Edward said was true.**

**It was a good three hours into the game when the fifth inning started. The score had gone back and forth. Currently, it stood at Slayers 16 and Terminators 12. **

"**And now for the fifth inning, "Billy enthused. " This will be the last inning before we take a half-time break. I believe Charlie will be providing our Half-time entertainment."**

"**What," I blurted out-frozen in shock. I spun to eye Billy who just started laughing into the PA system.**

"**Just checking to see if you're paying attention to the game and not the food," Billy continued. **

'_**Great. Now Sue will think I was just hungry when I looked over there. I'm going to have to do something to cement my relationship with Sue up a little bit. Wow, I'd better do it before Billy makes a move on her.'**_

**For some reason, the players enjoyed changing positions every time they took to the field. As a result, Emmet was pitching the fifth inning. **

"**The Slayers are starting at the top of their batting line-up with Collin Makah starting out."**

**Collin got into place and Emmet tossed the ball up in the air for a moment, taking his time. He turned to Collin and asked him in a deep rumbling voice, "Are you ready for some action?" Something was different with Emmet's eyes as he spoke. They had the single most evil, menacing look to them—I had ever seen before. Collin nodded. He didn't seem too concerned by Emmet's countenance but for some reason, it gave me the willies. I swore that look on Emmet's face made he looked like a scary monster. Honestly, kids could wear a rubber mask of Emmet with that expression and scare an entire neighborhood on Halloween.**

**Emmet wound up. His thick muscles knotted and tensed. He did some crazy spin that reminded me of the Tasmanian devil on old cartoons. He let the ball go with so much speed that I didn't see it, and I was looking! Collin didn't see it either and the ball impacted with Esme's hand. The force of it pushed both her and I backward, propelling us over five feet. I swore I was picking rocks out of my teeth. Esme helped me up apologizing for not catching it better. I didn't see how she could have possibly caught it better; you'd have to be able to see it first. I wondered what speed that pitch would have been clocked at. **

"**Strike one" I said as I spat dirt out of my mouth.**

"**And our Umpire and Catcher have bit the dust at home plate. What a pitch!" **

'_**Thank you Billy.**_**' I thought darkly. I tried to see if Sue was watching that out of the corner of my eye but I couldn't see her. Maybe I didn't want to know if she did.**

**Collin did better on the second swing. It went crazy high. Seth caught it and threw it back to Emmet.**

"**Out" I called. Next up was Carlisle again. Of course Billy kept up a constant chatter for all to hear like it or not! Carlisle played it smartly and landed himself on first base. **

**Next up was Rosalie. Emmet decided to return the favor of the kamikaze pitch that Rosalie had forced on him earlier by gracing her with one of his own. I would swear he almost looked like one of those guys from the matrix as he jumped up and seemed to almost hang in the air, then walked on air sideways, ending in a back flip while pitching the ball through a hoop he made with his left arm while still airborne. Rosalie wasn't fooled for a minute. She hit it straight out to center field. Where Embry caught it and dropped it as he hopped up and down. He took his glove off and it was easy to see the big hole in it. **

"**Wow", he yelled from too far away, "That ball was smoking hot just like its Mama."**

**Rosalie made it all the way to second and Carlisle made it around to third.**

**Next up was Bella and she gave me a big smile when she came up to bat.**

"**I bet you never thought you'd see me ENJOYING baseball did you Dad?"**

**I had to laugh. "No, that is definitely a thought I have never had."**

**Emmet took this time to try to psych Bella out.**

"**Bella, the ball is over this way. You haven't even made it third base yet have you."**

**Bella started muttering under her breath. She was truly getting mad.**

"**Poor Edward," He continued. "Maybe you better stick to football."**

**Wait a minute. Was Emmet even taking about sports when he said 'third base'? Was that why she was always so bent out of shape with him? I wondered how long that had been going on. **

"**Give me that ball Emmet," She said between clenched teeth, "I'm going to ram it down your throat!" **

'_**That's my girl.'**_** I thought dryly.**

"**Excellent" Was his intense reply. Well it looked like he was about to get what he wanted. Bella was completely focused. **

**Emmet let out a crazy fast ball. I didn't see it but apparently Bella did. It connected with the bat with the loudest boom I had heard yet. Several things happened at the same time. First, Bella was gone, presumably heading for first base. Second, the solid steel bat was broken. Third, Emmet was holding pieces of the ball that had just exploded on his chest. He was trying to gather it all up. Parts were falling on the ground. Carlisle and Rosalie were rounding home plate while Emmet was roaring in frustration.**

"**How can I catch the thing, if it's in pieces?"**

**He gathered up about two-thirds of the ball and ran to home plate just as Bella crossed over the plate.**

"**Safe" I yelled. **

**Emmet was not pleased, "I got here first with the ball."**

"**No, you left some of it back on the pitcher's mound." He walked off defeated as everyone laughed. They had to bring out a new bat.**

"**Now, there's something you don't see every day; and a new rule for baseball. You must have all the parts of the ball to tag someone out. Nice play Bella Cullen! Bella has proven that she can make it to third base and beyond. Contrary to Emmet's assumptions, Bella doesn't have to stick to football after all." Bella had a big grin on her face when she crossed home plate, but as Billy said this last bit her smile slowly changed to a look of dismay. Emmet seemed to enjoy it.**

"**The score is now 19 for the Slayers and 12 for the Terminators. The Slayers have one out. Next up is Leah Clearwater." Leah came up and gave me a quick nod. She looks a lot like Sue but she is so angry all of the time; must be a wolf thing. She hit it way out in right field and surprised me by changing into wolf half way to first base. As soon as she did, she began traveling about three times as fast as she had been before. Dang, no wonder Emmet was complaining. She got all the way to third base before the ball was back in Emmet's hand. He eyed her in a challenging way. She held her ground at third.**

**Jacob was next and he hit it out into the forest. The funny thingwas that I was distracted from the hit because I saw Alice as she turned and ran towards the tree line before the ball was even hit. That could really come in handy. Leah was across the plate. Jacob was only rounding second when Alice, showed up and threw the ball back to Emmet. Honestly, as hard as Jacob had hit it, it should have home run, but Alice was a force to be reckoned with. I wondered how that psychic stuff would work at the Forks Police Department. **

**Paul was up next up. He didn't seem to be doing any better with Emmet. "Bella missed your mouth, but I won't" He practically snarled.**

"**Oh" Emmet said tauntingly, "Is little Paul upset? How's the little poke in the ribs doing?" **

'_**Emmet, come on. Cut it out!'**_** I silently plead.**

**Emmet did his fancy hard ball spin that looked like it will have me eating dirt cakes again but Paul managed to hit it--Straight at Emmet's head. Emmet caught it a fraction of an inch before it would have replaced his nose.**

"**Out" I called.**

"**You are one lucky leech." Paul retorted as he threw the bat down. I had to shake my head at Paul's choice of insult. The last thing I would think to call Emmet Cullen was a leech. Big foot maybe, Goliath maybe, Stone Gollum maybe, leech—get out of town!**

**Edward was up next and he smacked it out into the forest as well. Of course, once again Alice was there ahead of him. He blurred around the bases. Jacob came home and so did Edward. He was faster than Leah but it was close. **

**Brady was next up and Emmet got him out with a pop fly.**

"**And now the Terminators will go up to bat and they have their work cut out for them." Billy declared. "The Slayers are up by nine points. Pitching for the Slayers this inning will be Leah Clearwater. First up to bat for The Terminators will be Jasper Hale"**

**Jasper came over to the plate and said very quietly to me, "You should watch out. Emmet is planning to try and bribe you." He grinned and took his stance. Leah wound up and let the ball fly. Jasper hit it hard. Why did I keep saying that? Everyone was hitting the ball hard. At least Bella was the only one so far to break the ball and the bat. That was really something. I wondered what Sue thought about that. **

**Jasper made it to second base. Next up was Jared. I was a little worried about him. After all he had just broken his arm about two hours ago. He didn't even act like it bothered him. Maybe Carlisle gave him some pain killer. Of course, he didn't seem to be all drugged up. In fact, as I glanced over to the 'nose bleed section', no one is there at all! **

'_**Geesh, those kids are tough as nails.'**_

**Jared hit it so far out there that he makes it to first before Edward, fast as he was, could get it back in play. It looked like Jared's arm was good as new. Jasper hovered over third base. Sam bat next and made it to first. Jasper flew like the wind and brought it home so the Terminators were only down by eight.**

**It was Emmet's turn and he looked at me rather speculatively while he approached the plate. "You know Charlie; I know a great place that sells the sweetest little fishing skiffs. Very solid…"**

"**Yes, Emmet, I know just the place you are talking about, Edward has taken me out there to look at them twice already." Emmet's expression became horrified. Where was my camera when I needed it? For such a scary man to look so scared was priceless. Actually Edward had done no such thing. I just wasn't up to playing the bribery game with Emmet. He kind of intimidated me and so I decided to turn the tables on him before it got out of hand. Edward, in the outfield was laughing. He must have heard my little bluff. **

**Emmet looked out at him and growled. "Fine then, I see how it is." It wasn't as if he couldn't get by on his own merit. And he did get by on his own. He knocked it into the trees. He rounded first, second and made it to third before it came out of the trees. Jared and Sam made it home and they then now down by only six.**

**Seth got the first out. Quil got the second. Emmet seemed very upset that no one was going to bring him home. **

"**Alice hit it between second and third. Bella scooped it up and threw it with precision to Esme at home plate. Emmet was hovering there by the plate before he finally blurred himself back to third. Alice made it to second while everyone concentrated on Emmet's theatrics.**

**Renesmee was up and she brought her own bat once again. Leah wasn't quite as accommodating a pitcher for Renesmee as Rosalie and she missed the first two swings. I should have called her out, but I didn't have the heart too.**

**Emmet from over at third was trying to encourage her but you could tell he didn't want that third out with him on stuck on third base. "You're doing great. Remember keep your eye on the ball." He practically moaned to himself. It was kind of funny to watch because Emmet was usually so unruffled and to see him get so worked up over a game.**

**Renesmee hit it out towards Bella who simply watched it drop right in front of her.**

"**Oops', she said as she scooped it up and tossed it to Jacob who was playing second. Jacob didn't tag the base as Nessie passed him by and he held on to it for a minute as if trying to decide which way to throw it. Nessie was practically home before he 'decided' to give the ball back to Leah on the pitcher's mound.**

**With Nessie's 'home run', she, Alice and Emmet all made it in and they were down by only three. Leah was rolling her eyes and Paul actually yelled at Jacob. **

**Embry was up next. He made it to first. Jasper was up again and he let it sail into the outfield. Edward was a blur and he raced backwards and let the ball land into his outstretched hand. And with that the first half was over.**

"**And now it's time for our half-time show. Featuring Lunch! Provided by the Cullens and Prepared by the Quileutes. Score stands at Slayers in the lead with 21 points and Terminators bringing it up to 18. It's a close one so stay close by for the second half. It's coming soon to a baseball diamond near you."**

**It was a good time for a break, and I knew just what I'm going to do. I was going to go find Sue.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six  
Shield

Charlie's POV

**It was a great break and I enjoyed sitting down eating. It almost felt 'normal'. Of course, the most surreal aspect of my day in lala land was that Sue was happily seated next to me. Asking me questions about the game and what I thought about it. She seemed engrossed in my views about the events of the day so far. Bella and Alice were sitting with us and were so involved in the conversation that they hardly touched their food. I was a little worried about that. I couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of energy they had expended so far. Surely they needed more nutrition than that!**

**After a few minutes another activity caught our attention. Apparently Jacob and Seth had set up a race between Edward and Leah (wolf) to see who was faster. Edward won the first two but then Jacob changed the course and added some natural obstacles. Leah was able to make up a lot of the difference by digging in her claws around the turns and climbs. That one they tied. **

**It was after that race, that an assortment of other races ensued. **_**'How did they have the stamina for this?'**_** I wondered. Granted, I was not a super hero, but still! Sam got our attention back to the table by clapping his hands and yelling, "Okay, Emily and I have an announcement. We decided we've put things off long enough and so we've set a date for our wedding. We're tying the knot three weeks from today!" Everyone was clapped and shouted. I shook their hands from across the table as did Sue. Above all the noise and din there arose a new higher squeal of excitement. We all looked up to see little Alice jump up with more enthusiasm then anyone had displayed all day—even Billy.**

"**Did someone say wedding?" Her eyes danced with ecstasy. "That doesn't give us much time. I'll be back in ten minutes. Don't go anywhere!" She jumped up and was gone so fast that I almost thought I had imagined the whole thing.**

**Bella started laughing. "Emily, a little warning to you--you are about to enter the Alice Zone. Alice lives for weddings. Just remember, it's your wedding but I will tell you this, if you let her help, it will be a day you will never forget. Everything will be perfect AND you'll make a little elf VERY happy in the process. If you don't let her help you, then prepare to hear whining and pleading for the next three weeks. You may need to turn your ringer off on your phone. Of course the choice is yours. Just know that Alice is very persistent and hard to say 'no' to."**

"**Wow," Emily said a little amused, "It sounds like you know what you're talking about."**

"**You have no idea." Bella said with a smirk, "Of course, I was surprised that I loved mine! She told me that someday I'd thank her. I had no idea it would be the very day of."**

**Everyone laughed and Esme and Rosalie brought dessert out for everyone. I was trying to work up the nerve to invite Sue over to my house to watch a video tonight. I usually used Nessie as an excuse to do something with Sue. Plus, it had already been such a long day. And we still had another half to play. I decided she'd probably be too tired and just want to go home. Edward came over and sat behind Bella, practically pulled her into his lap kissing her. **

**Then he looked right at Sue and me and said, "Bella and I rented the best video last night."**

"**Oh, yes! 'The Longest Road Home', it was really good." Bella added. **

"**I remembered hearing about that one. It has James Butler and Maria Perez in it right?" I asked.**

**Sue jumped in, "I've wanted to see that one. Is it out on DVD already?" Bella and Edward nodded.**

"**You know what; it's not due back until tomorrow night. Why don't we loan to you guys to watch tonight and then you can just drop it off tomorrow for us?" Edward suggested casually.**

**Sue was smiling wider now. I looked at her, "Would you like to watch that video with me tonight?"**

"**Very much," Sue answered; mind boggling. I nodded to Edward and thought, **_**thank you!**_** He nodded back and picked up his phone. **

"**Let me call Alice and ask her to bring it from the house if she hasn't left yet."**

"**Alice?" I asked looking around. She had been here just a minute ago before she'd whirled herself away.**

**Edward had his phone to his ear. "Alice, Where are you now? (small pause) Oh, you already left? (another small pause) great! Thank you and see you in a few." He hung up the phone and chuckled. "She already has it with her to give to you guys."**

"**She's SO psychic!" Bella laughed. I thought through the exchange between Sue and Edward, Bella and I and was amazed at how smoothly Edward fixed my date for me when I was about to bail before I had even given her a chance to accept. I looked up at Edward who was looking at my daughter with so much love in his eyes I almost felt embarrassed. I was amazed that Bella could see in him from the very start, what I was only just beginning to understand. Edward was a good man. I was glad Bella picked him. She'd known what she was doing after all.**

**Billy spoke up from across the table, "Hey, I want to see that show too. Aren't I invited?" I wanted to kick him under the table. He was going to blow it for me.**

"**Billy," Sue said gently, "You can't crash my date with Charlie. You'll just have to rent it later." Billy sighed. So did I –only I sighed with relief.**

**Then suddenly, Alice was there--her hands full. She handed me the video right off the top. "This is for you." Then she wedged herself in between Sam and Emily and put the bulk of the items in her arms on the table in front of them. "And this is for you!" She intoned with eagerness. Sam started to protest about the new seating arrangements but Alice cut him off. "You are going to have to leave to play ball in 45 seconds so don't worry about it!" **

**That gave all of us just enough time to laugh at Sam's expression before we heard Billy who had snuck off back to his beloved PA system to announce the commencement of the second half of the ball game.**

"**See," Alice said to Sam, "What did I say." Sam got up but looked at Alice in confusion. **

"**But aren't you supposed to be playing as well?" He asked.**

"**No." Alice said with conviction. "I am going to plan your wedding. Esme will take my place and there are enough players on each team to supply their own catchers." Sam laughed, Stood up and reached over to kiss Emily before he wandered off shaking his head.**

"**I have here several bridal magazines, my lap top and best of all my wedding binder that I put together for Bella. Now the first thing we need to think about…"**

"**Alice?" We were all getting ready to go out to the field and Jasper had come up from behind and looked at Alice with an expression of tender amusement on his face. "Well, aren't you just a kid in a candy store?" He looked over at Emily and added, "Congratulations to both you and Sam. Marrying your soul mate is the best day of your life. I should know." He bent down and kissed Alice lightly on the top of her head. "I'll see you after the game."**

**Jasper headed out to the field with Bella, Edward and I as we all heard booming from all around us, **

"**And now the moment you've all been waiting for, the second half of our amazing game! The score is Slayers 21 and Terminators 18. A special note, Sam Uley, team captain for the Terminators will be marrying Emily Young in three weeks. Also we will be substituting Esme Cullen for Alice Cullen playing for the Terminators as Alice is sick with 'Wedding Planning Fever'. For the second half, we will reverse the play order and the Slayers will take the field first with the Terminators up to bat. We should have an exciting remaining four innings in store so let's play ball!" I think Billy had definitely seen one too many ball games. That might have been my doing.**

**The game proceeded much as it had in the first half. The scores climbed higher and higher twice the Terminators pulled ahead of the Slayers only to have it slip through their finger the next time the Slayers came up to bat. The stacks of shorts around the field got smaller and smaller as their remains lay strewn across the playing field like discarded party streamers. I looked over occasionally to check on what Sue was doing. She was sitting with Emily and Alice going through page after page of Alice's binder. At least they seemed to be enjoying it more than Bella did. Dang that was almost two years ago. I still missed having her at home. I wondered if Sue would like living in town. As I sat there watching them, Sue looked up and met my gaze. It was as if she knew I was looking. She smiled and waved. I was doing the same before I had even realized I was.**

"**And if our love struck umpire can get his head back in the game," Billy announced for ALL to hear. He sounded irritated. "We can begin our final inning. The score stands Slayers—38 and Terminators—31. First up batting for the Slayers will be their Team Captain-Carlisle Cullen." I was mortified. I turned my head and stared at the plate unable to lift my head to follow the game. Of course, the game was completely waiting on me to be ready.**

**Carlisle, who had been ready to bat put his arm on my shoulder, "That was uncalled for." He said sympathetically. Somehow that just made it worse. Jasper even came out of the field and tried to make me feel better. Actually he did make me feel better somehow, but the minute he went back in the outfield my extreme humiliation came back. **

**Edward came close beside me and whispered, "He's jealous you know, because Sue prefers you to him." Somehow all of the attention was just making it worse. And then I sensed more people coming. Great let's stop the game so I can have a proper pity party. Everyone backed up and as I continued to look down I saw Sue's shoes in front of me.**

"**Charlie?' She asked somewhat tentatively. I couldn't answer her. I couldn't lift my gaze. I felt her hand on my cheek raising my face to meet her eyes. I finally looked into her beautiful face and was surprised at the look I saw there. It was tender and something else. "You aren't the only one a little love struck." Then she reached up with her hand still cupping my face and kissed me very lightly on the lips.**

**When she did this, my reaction caught me off guard. I wrapped my arms around her and crushed my mouth to hers refusing to let the kiss end**_**. 'Wait—what am I doing? I'm kissing Sue Clearwater. She isn't pulling away from me in disgust.'**_** She put her arms around me and kissed me back. After a minute that may as well have been an eternity, I pulled back to look at her. She was glowing but there were tears in her eyes. I realized that I could look in those eyes forever and forget everything else.**

**In fact, I had forgotten everything else. Suddenly I was aware of shouting, whooping and hollering all around me like surround sound. **_**'How long had that been going on for?' **_**Sue seemed to notice everyone else for the first time as well. We gazed at each other and became a little embarrassed.**

"**Oops." I said a little sheepishly. Sue grinned back at me.**

"**Well, that's alright officer, you can arrest me later." She backed up and walked with Alice back to the picnic tables where Emily and the wedding binder awaited them**_**. 'Hmmm, a wedding binder.'**_

"**And in another baseball first," Billy went on trying to maintain the same level of enthusiasm he'd displayed all day. "Our Umpire has made it to first base and is safe."**

'_**Well, the game can go on now. Everything can go on now! I feel so light I could fly!'**_

**Carlisle made it to second base while Jared shredded another pair of shorts to tear at inhuman speed out into the forest to get the ball. He threw it in to Embry who was pitching and the game continued. **

**Next up was Rosalie who hit the ball right into the gorge in the middle of the field. Emmet was laying flat on the ground trying to make his arm reach down far enough to get at it. He was too wide for his beefy arm to make it into the narrow gorge. They finally got Nessie down there. She grabbed it and bounded back out in one leap. Of course by then both Carlisle and Rosalie were home. **

"**You did that on purpose Rose!" Emmet moaned. Honestly, I'd never seen a grown man cry before but as he stood there for the few seconds it took Renesmee to get that ball out for him, he more than made up for it. I watched in disbelief as he stood shaking and tried to stifle dry sobs. And to think I'd thought him to be scary earlier.**

**Before I knew it, the Slayers had their third out and the Terminators came in for their last turn up to bat. **_**'Wow that was fast.'**_** Then I checked my watch and was surprised to see that the time had not sped up. I was on some strange electric high. I hadn't kissed a woman since I was married to Renee. That was eighteen years ago. I'd thought that part of my life was over. This felt like my heart had just started beating for the first time--like I just woke up from a long and dreamless sleep. When Bella walked passed me to take to the field she gave me a big hug.**

"**Looks like I'm going to have to share you now huh Dad?" She backed up and gave me a wink and then she darted so swiftly into the field that I could only see the blur of brown from her hair blowing in the wind.**

"**And now we'll see if the Terminators can pull it out and keep from being terminated by the Slayers." Billy was back to his regular manic self. "The score stands at Slayers 41 and Terminators 34. They need seven points for a tie and eight for the win. Can they do it?"**

**Sam Uley was first up to bat. Everyone always smiled at me when they came up to the plate. I didn't know why I wasn't embarrassed. **_**'Wait. I am smiling! I can feel it stuck on my face.' **_**I tried to rearrange it and it stayed stuck in place. No wonder everyone was smiling at me. They were just smiling BACK.**

**Rosalie was pitching and she threw her wicked curve ball Sam's way. Sam popped it out of the ballpark. He made it to second before I realized that Edward was gone from the outfield. He must have gone after the ball. A second later he came back with it held up high in his hand. He made no move to give it to Rosalie. He was looking at me expectantly**_**. 'Holy Toledo! What is he trying to say…that he caught it?' **_** I heard Emmet swear behind me and I knew in that moment that was exactly what had just happened.**

"**You're out!" I called. Sam came in shaking his head. "That was a tough break." I said to him as he passed. **

**Emmet was up next and he was over his little 'crying like a sissy spell'. He decided to hit it into left field away from Edward and towards Jacob--wise of him. Jacob did the most ingenious yet unsettling thing I had yet to see. He turned into wolf to get extra spring in his jump, then he started to shift back into his regular self to catch the ball and he threw it to Rosalie while still twenty feet in the air. Then he shifted back into wolf as he landed back on the ground. What made it so surreal was that he never seemed to completely shift out of being a wolf. He almost looked like some kind of mutated centaur when he grabbed the ball and threw it. I idly wondered if something like that was what got all those Greeks started with their mythology crap. Emmet was really cussing now. I gave him a stern look. It may not have been very effective with the huge grin plastered on my face that still refused to leave me.**

**"That was some play by Jacob Black, the half man-half beast; now all beast with no clothes to speak of." Billy enthused.**

**I started to look back to the field again. Billy was right. I saw Jacob, as a wolf, running around to all of the piles—well I guess there were no more piles. He was clearly looking for a pair of shorts and there were no more left unshreaded. Rosalie got a huge grin on her face and ran over to Jacob wolf and said something to him I didn't hear. He lopped off into the forest. Since the clock was still ticking, Seth came up to bat. He hit it out to where Jacob should have been and made it easily to first before Jacob, as himself, came out of the woods and threw the ball to Rosalie with a scathing look. **

**The entire game came to a standstill as everyone stared at Jacob. There was the space of about thirty seconds silence and then everyone broke out into hysterical laughter. Jacob stood in a sun dress. It didn't fit him, of course. The back of the top was ripped out so that he could pour himself into it. He was so tall that it came down only halfway to his knee. It was the single most outrageous sight I had ever seen. He looked somehow like a a ballerina in a strange looking tutu. **

**"Now baseball has taken on a whole new fashion. Jacob has some mighty hairy legs but they look very nice in his new baseball uniform." Apparently, Billy was not above taking potshots at his son.**

"**Rosalie," He said between clenched teeth. "We're supposed to be on the same team."**

"**Don't worry." She smirked. "It's an improvement."**

**Quil was up next. He yelled out to Jacob, "Hey Jake, Who's a Patsy now?" Everyone else laughed and Jake punched the ground.**

"**Yep, Quil—maybe you can give me some pointers."He retorted. Rosalie got ready to pitch again. Jacob broke into her concentration.**

"**Hey, Psycho Barbie," He yelled back. "Why did the blonde climb the glass wall?"**

**She rolled her eyes and started her wind up to pitch to Quil.**

**Jacob would not be stopped. "To see what was on the other side."**

**Rosalie threw the ball but her concentration was broken and she let it go with a pitch that any batter could hit. Quil obliged her and sent it sailing. Jacob could have caught it but he was still locked in his little confrontation with Rosalie. Quil made it to first.**

"**So Blondylocks, what do you call a blonde who dyes her hair brown? Artificial Intelligence"**

"**I've already heard that one--along with everyone else on the planet earth." Rosalie said. She was getting annoyed now. **

**Esme came up to the plate looking worriedly out to the field.**

"**How did you know I had a panic attack once about having to change into one of your stinking sundresses?" His glare turned to Edward who merely shrugged.**

"**Okay Queen of Narnia, How did the blonde die drinking milk?" Rosalie growled and pitched the ball again too easy to hit. Esme made it to first. "She died because the cow fell on top of her."**

"**That's enough! Get some new jokes, you stinking mutt! It's not my fault you guys shredded 30 pairs of shorts. Not to mention my poor sundress. You ripped the entire back out."**

"**Right," Jacob spat back, "Like you were ever going to wear it again anyway."**

**Then Renesmee came up to the plate and everything fell silent. Rosalie smiled sheepishly at her niece.**

"**Sorry Nessie." She said in a sweet tender voice. It was such a contrast from the vile spewing out of her mouth seconds ago that everyone laughed.**

"**Jacob," Nessie sang out. "I can't wait to go home and play dress up with you!" Oh no, Nessie was going to stir up a hornets' nest some more. **

**Thankfully Jacob also instantly shifted moods as one of his huge grins spread across his face. "Do you like it?" He asked doing a little curtsy and twirling around. Honestly, he looked better in that dress than some drag queens I'd had the unfortunate pleasure to see occasionally.**

**Dang, the bases were loaded again. Rosalie pitched the ball right where Nessie wanted it and it went straight into Leah's glove at short stop. **

**Jacob yelled at her and she yelled back, "NO!" Then Jacob did something weird. His voice took on the single most powerful timbre to it I had ever heard. He said, "DROP IT NOW." The ball instantly fell from Leah's hand. It happened so fast that Nessie was safe at first.**

**Now Leah was upset too. Not to mention Paul who was on third. "This sucks!" He shouted as Seth crossed the home plate and the Terminators were now only down by three.**

**Embry was up next. He winked at Rosalie when he came up to bat. "Don't worry Blondie, you're the bomb." What a flirt. He also had a lot of nerve. Emmet was on his team and I looked over to find him just grinning on. Rosalie smiled just a little in response before letting him have it. Apparently, she was over her fit. Embry wasn't worried. He took the pitch Rosalie gave him and sent it right down the crevice again. Apparently turning the table on Rosalie's earlier hit. And the Slayers didn't have anyone as small as Renesmee.**

**All four players made it in while Bella lowered Rosalie head first down the gorge to reach the ball.**

"**Another bold and exciting play, this time by Embry Call as the second ball of the day ends up in 'Benjamin's Gorge'. Now the score stands Slayers—41, Terminators—39. Two more points will tie it up for the Terminators but they have two outs. Can they keep their momentum going?"**

**Jasper was up next and he sent it out sailing Jacob's way again. Jacob turned into a wolf thus ending his reign as 'Patsy of the Day' and really tore off to get the ball. Collin met him at the forest edge and took the ball from the Jacob wolf's mouth and threw it quickly back to Rosalie. Rosalie had a look of pure disgust on her face as she lifted the ball and huge streams of slime came off of it.**

"**Eeww, a slime ball! Jacob, yuck." Rosalie had dropped the ball trying to rub the slime off her hands and onto the grass at her feet. Jasper stole home while she was preoccupied with the grossness of the moment.**

"**Jasper Hale steals home and the Terminators may not be terminated after all as they are now only one point from tying it all up. Score now stands Slayers-41 and Terminators-40. Two outs on the Terminators and Jared is now up to bat."**

**Carlisle, who has been silently watching his team fall apart bickering from the catcher's position very quietly said, "Focus Rosalie. Take a deep breath and focus." His words seemed to calm Rosalie down because she stood still and serene there on the mound, with the wind lightly blowing her hair. She could have been a statue of a baseball goddess. And then the goddess came alive and let out one of the wildest pitches I had seen yet. Honestly, she moved in her wind up with such blinding speed that it actually appeared as if the ball went through her. It had a spin on it that actually changed direction half way to the plate. I was sure some laws of Physics were broken during that pitch. Jared hit it right back into Rosalie's ready hands and just like that the game was over.**

"**And there you have it baseball fans! It was a close one! The Terminators are terminated by the Slayers but only barely. We'll be talking about that last pitch for some time to come! Final score is again Slayers-41 and Terminators-40. We'd like to thank our kind sponsors of today's games: The Cullens, for providing not just the food and the picnic tables, but also for this amazing PA system. And the Quileutes for preparing lunch. Let's all remember to not drink and drive! And THAT'S THE BALL GAME!!!"**

**I shook my head as I went over to the picnic area and found Sue. Yes, the grin was still plastered on my face. I barely noticed Emmet lamenting to Sam about the game being rigged AGAIN. Or Jacob, who, wearing a tablecloth, was himself again, and his near constant barrage of blonde jokes he threw at Rosalie. Or Leah and the murderous glares she shot at Jacob who was oblivious. Or the strange looks she shot at Sam, which also went unnoticed. No I went straight to Sue, who had a gigantic smile on her face as well, and kissed her again before I lost my nerve.**

**When I let her go, I took her hand in mine. It was great to be alive! I took in the scene around me. The players had quickly disassembled the PA system and the cooking gear and were hauling them all off into the woods, of course at lightning speed. There was only one more table left. And it looks like it might be there for a while. Alice was only half way through the wedding binder with Emily furiously taking notes on an ever growing "Things to Do" list. Jasper gently pried the binder out of Alice's hands. The way she clung to it, I was surprised it didn't snap.**

"**Jazz, I'm not done yet. I have so much to do! Oh, the game is over? Who won?" **

"**We were slain by the Slayers." Jasper said in mock sadness.**

"**Oh, that's too bad. Well, maybe you can hit a grand slam with me later."**

**He smiled and said, "I was hoping you'd say that."**

"**Just first let me see, Emily tomorrow you and I will need to go to Seattle to the Bridal shop there. We will see what they have." Her face became genuinely apologetic now. "I'm afraid that we are going to have to go with something off the rack." She said this last part in a whisper. But they have a huge selection." She looked up at Sam. "Can you have her to the treaty line by 9 a.m. for me? It could take a while." **

**Sam thought for a minute and looked into Emily's happy face. "Okay, but how much will this cost? I mean, I hate to ask, but I want to make sure I have enough…" He trailed off as Alice and now Esme started laughing.**

"**Sam," Esme said happily, "Letting Alice plan with Emily is your gift to us, so letting us pay for it is our gift back to you."**

"**That seems a little backwards." Sam said slowly.**

"**Really Sam," Bella snorted. "Have you met Alice? You guys are giving her the bigger present!"**

**Bella, Alice and Edward finally gave Billy, Sue and I rides back to the vehicles. I was actually getting use to this. Everyone was loaded into the SUV but I'd held back to talk to Bella for a minute. Edward and Alice had already headed back to the clearing to clean up shredded shorts.**

"**Now Dad, make sure you don't talk about sports or fishing ALL night. You can make some popcorn, but don't burn it. Maybe you'd better let Sue make the popcorn…" She was going on but I was suddenly not hearing her.**

**The sun had poked its head out of the thick blanket of clouds just then and encircled us with its brilliant light. Bella's skin did the most unexpected and beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was sparkling, like prisms refracting light sending rainbows everywhere. She stopped mid sentence as she saw the rainbows dance across my amazed face. We just stood there frozen. Finally the light bulb went off in my head. I understood. I was so excited to see how special my Bella was.**

"**Bella," I heard my voice barely a whisper. "Sweetie, I can see your shield!"**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven  
Practice Makes Perfect

Renesmee's POV

**It had been two weeks since our crazy ball game. Uncle Emmet was in a bad mood for three days because we lost. I thought it was fun. I wondered if I would ever get strong enough to hit the ball as far as everyone else. Well, who knows? I wish I'd known I would go crazy with all of the practicing that Dad and Granddad forced on me so I could learn to control my 'gift'. Even Grandpa got into it every time he came over. **

**It all started with a comment Mom made to me about how she couldn't shield me all of the time. I don't think anyone but my dad realized that she'd been shielding me ever since I killed that bear. That information got Granddad all focused. Nothing like a good mystery to get him excited. Why oh why did I have to be that mystery.**

"**Okay Nessie," He called from up in his office. "Think something just for me and I'll tell you if I hear it." **

**I thought of Granddad up in his office and immediately saw the light of energy for him dance behind my eyes. I was starting to get use to seeing them.**

'_**Okay, Granddad this thought is for you. When are we going to be finished already? I want to play with Jake not to mention Aunt Alice and Aunt Rose promised to take me shopping later. Please! It's been four hours of this already today.'**_

"**That was great Nessie. I heard you loud and clear." Granddad called from his office. "How about you Esme?" **

**There was a, 'No'' from Grandma upstairs.**

"**This is really good Nessie because not only can you broadcast, but you can control who gets the message now. Say something to your Grandma on the third floor."**

**I concentrated on Grandma. It was a very peculiar sensation. When I thought of the person I wanted, a special energy of light was created behind my eyes and as I thought the words, pictures, or memories I wanted to share with them, if I concentrated hard enough, I could see an 'energy of light' that was unique for that individual leave me and carry the message to that person. It went through walls, forest just about anything we'd tried so far. **

**Mom said that her shield was like that. When she had it up, anyone under it became a point of light that was also unique to them and she can recognize them by their point of light. Granddad said it was like a fingerprint or a scent that is individualized to each person.**

**I saw the energy of light form for Grandma as soon as I thought of her. '**_**Grandma, please tell Granddad I'm done for today'. **_**I thought as I sent the message off. It went straight through the ceiling in a fraction of a second.**

**I heard Grandma's gentle laugh from the third floor. "Carlisle, when are you going to set her free for today?"**

"**Give me another hour Nessie and then we'll stop for a while." I groaned. Granddad ignoring my whine continued, "Okay now, I sent Uncle Jasper out to the garage. Let's see if you can make it out there with a message for him."**

**I was getting a little impatient. I thought of Uncle Jasper and immediately his energy of light danced behind my eyes. **_**"Please, Please, Please Uncle Jasper HELP me escape!"**_** I sent out the message and watched the message take off. Almost immediately, Granddad's cell phone rang.**

"**Excellent." Granddad said with satisfaction, "Really? That is VERY interesting Jasper. Yes, do come back in."**

**Granddad came down the stairs and Uncle Jasper was there almost at the same time. They both looked so excited. Something new was up. **_**'Great--last time this happened, my 'training session' went two hours longer than promised.'**_

"**Nessie," Uncle Jasper said as he scooped me up, "Do you know that not only did I hear your message-and almost the second you though it, but you also sent your emotions that were tagged to the message as well. I felt impatient, almost trapped but resigned when you begged me to help you escape. Not only that," He continued excited. Of course, if Uncle Jasper was excited…then so was I and Granddad. "But I felt the strongest desire to come and rescue you. It felt as though coming in and helping you was the most important thing for me to do all day." He and Granddad shared a significant look.**

"**Good!" I moaned. "Is that why you came rushing in?"**

"**No," Jasper said looking at me again. "I want to try something new. I want to help you feel a certain emotion before you send out your messages and see if the intensified emotions go through with the message."**

"**Okay," I sighed. "But I am only good for fifty more minutes and then I'm free."**

"**Nessie," The next thought is going to go out to Aunt Rose." Granddad said. "Jasper, what emotion are we going to work with?"**

**Uncle Jasper thought for a minute. "Let's go with sadness."**

"**Wait," Granddad," I asked, "Where is Aunt Rose?"**

"**Well," He paused. What? Did he forget where she was waiting? "Since we are on a strict time limit here, let's see if your energy of light for Rosalie will find her itself.**

"**Alright," I said, sure that it wouldn't work. I thought about Aunt Rose and immediately saw her energy of light dance behind my eyes. I was then seized upon by the most profound sadness I had ever felt. I started crying. I tried to think through the tears. **_**Aunt Rose, where are you? Please come home!"**_** As soon as I released the thought, the energy of light left me. It hovered in front of me for a split second before taking off through the front door. Thankfully as soon as it was outside the sadness disappeared.**

"**Sorry." Jasper said as I let out a sigh of relief. **

**It was only about a minute more when Rosalie burst through the front door in a panic. She grabbed me out of Jasper's arms so fast I didn't even realize it had happened. I was in Uncle Jasper's arms and then it was suddenly Aunt Rosalie holding me. Really, I was kind of getting too big for them to keep holding all the time. Not that it seemed to concern them at all.**

"**I'm right here Renesmee. Everything is fine." She stroked my curls and kissed my forehead. "I was just out by the highway. Don't be so sad. We are going to have so much fun at the mall today. I'll stay right by your side the whole time. Don't be so sad."**

"**Actually, I'm not sad anymore Aunt Rose." I said a little startled by the intensity of her concern. **

**She looked confused until Granddad explained the new element of our little 'experiment'.**

"**Well, that's a relief. I was distraught about Nessie being so sad. I couldn't get in here fast enough." She hugged me tighter for a moment. "Well if Emmet is next why don't we see what he does with fear?" Aunt Rose added with a glint in her eyes.**

**Granddad and Jasper both nodded with smiles on their faces. Grandma came down the stairs already in on the development. Uncle Jasper looked at me and asked, "Are you ready?"**

**I nodded as I saw the light for Uncle Emmet take the now familiar spot behind my eyes. Itwas funny because seeing the light in no way obstructed my vision and after it left me, my Mom is the only one who could see it. Granddad thinks it's because it is part of the reversing of her gift and since she sees the energies of light with hers, then she can see them with mine as well. It was interesting because she could even identify them without me saying whose they were because she recognized them herself. Of course, you could just imagine how THAT had my Dad and Granddad going!**

**Uncle Jasper hit me with fear. Dang, it wasn't fear. I was suddenly gripped with sheer terror. I was shaking in Aunt Rose's arms. She held me very tightly. It didn't help. I very nearly started screaming for my life. '**_**Uncle Emmet I need you. Please come NOW!'**_** It wasn't an idle request. In that moment I meant every word intensely.**

**The light held in front of me for a second and then it took off out the back door. I watched it from the glass window as it crossed the river and disappeared. The terror left me as immediately as it came. My voice was still shaky though.**

"**Umm, Uncle Jasper, could you lay off on the level of the emotion. I'm going to have a heart attack in a second."**

**Apparently I wasn't the only one. Uncle Emmet came crashing through the big glass door. Glass shattered everywhere. "Nessie! Nessie! I'll save you!!! Where are they? I'll rip them to shreds." He grabbed me from Rosalie and crushed me to his huge chest. He was half-crouched with his eyes darting all around the room. He inhaled the scents in the room before slowly straightening his stance, a questioning look on his face. After a few minutes, he set me on my feet, still looking around wearily.**

**Aunt Rosalie burst out in laughter. The rest of us joined in. Esme looked at the jagged remains of the glass door and sighed. "I guess I'd better call the window company—again!"**

**Granddad was deep in thought. "Are you getting hungry Nessie?" **

'_**Oh, please let this mean we are done.'**_

"**Yes!" I answered eagerly. Over the last two weeks with all of this practicing, I was getting better control on the broadcasting to everyone at once. I didn't worry about all of my thoughts being picked up by everyone-- just Daddy.**

"**Good, send a message to your parents and tell them that you're hungry. When you send the message, make sure that you are thinking of being the most hungry you have ever been."**

**I thought of my parents and saw the two energies. **_**Mom, Dad, I'm starving to death. Please!!! Fix me something to eat and get me away from this torture!**_** I saw the two energies of light take off in an instant.**

**A few minutes later I heard pans banging in the kitchen. They didn't even bother to come into the living room. They went straight to the kitchen.**

"**What would you like to eat Nessie, Sweetie?" I heard Mom call out. **

"**I already know what she wants Bella Love," Dad answered for me. "She wants an omelet and hot chocolate.**

"**But it's not breakfast time." Mom answered. "Oh, well if that's what she is starving to death for" Mom answered with a sigh. There were sounds of cooking in the kitchen.**

"**Sorry Nessie," Dad sang out. "You have thirty more minutes before your hour is up with Granddad. We'll get this ready for you in the meantime."**

'_**Dang it, he must've heard from Granddad's mind what was going on.'**_** He laughed quietly and softly explained everything to mom.**

"**Okay, now I want to try one more." Granddad said with excitement. "Jacob is coming over soon. I want you to be angry with him. Jasper you can help again with this one. I want to see what kind of a reaction this has on him."**

**Jasper smiled. So did Rosalie. Suddenly I was so furious that I had to fight back a snarl. The energy of light that swam behind my eyes turned red with the fury that all but consumed me. I meant to merely say a message to Jacob, but it came out more like shouting at the top of my lungs inside my head. '**_**JACOB, YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE. GET OVER HERE NOW**_**.' The red energy of light left me and darted out the front door. I shook my head**_**. 'Wow, I almost had a headache from that one.'**_

**Dad started roaring with laughter from the kitchen. After another minute Jacob came in through the front door. He looked so worried. He came in front of me and literally threw himself at my feet.**

**He spoke to the floor in an agonized hushed whisper, "Please Nessie, you know I'm a big jerk and I'm always putting my feet in my mouth. Whatever I did, I swear I didn't mean it. Please forgive me." He actually started crying. Dang! I threw my arms around him, well over him as he was curled up in a ball on the floor.**

"**Jacob, I love you. Silly! You didn't do anything." He peeked up at me and watched me grin at him. He stood up, and hugged me for a long time.**

"**I don't understand. I was half way here when. I got a message from you." He looked at me earnestly, "I know it was from you Nessie. Don't try to tell me I imagined it. You were so angry. I've never known you to be so mad at me. I felt like I was going to die if you stayed mad at me like that"**

"**Sorry Jacob," Granddad said his voice apologetic. "You have been part of Nessie's training today." Granddad then gave Jacob the particulars of our training session. **

'_**Please let it be over.'**_

"**You hungry Jake?" Mom called from the kitchen. "We're making Omelets and Hot chocolate for Nessie." **

"**I'm always hungry." Jacob said his voice full of relief. "I don't even care if it's breakfast at 2 p.m. You know that!" I started to head for the kitchen with Jake.**

"**One more Nessie," Granddad said catching my hand. Uncle Jasper was close by when you sent him a message. Aunt Rose was further out. Emmet was past the river. Your Parents were clear to their cottage. Jacob was half way here from LaPush. I want to try one more." **

"**Try to send a message to your Grandpa Charlie. It doesn't have to be anything dramatic like we've been trying so far. Just send him something and let me see if it will go all the way to the police station. That is about fifteen miles from here. After you send it you can go eat. Okay Nessie?"**

**I nodded. I thought of Grandpa and saw his light of energy immediately. I thought the words: **_**'I love you so much Grandpa. You are so handsome and funny. You're the best Grandpa in the whole world!'**_

**After the energy of light left me I headed for the kitchen. Dad was sliding omelets onto plates for Jake and me and Mom was getting the mugs down. I heard Mom's cell phone ring and she picked it up.**

"**Hi Dad, What's up?" Mom asked happily. "Yes, she's right here. I'll get her." She handed me the phone. "You're Grandpa." She said. Granddad laughed from down stairs.**

"**Hi Grandpa, I was just thinking about you." I said.**

"**I know, I heard you—clear as a bell. Did you send me that thought clear from home?"**

"**Yes! Granddad has been working with me today again. Now I get a break to eat and play for a bit."**

"**Well," Grandpa replied; he sounded so happy. "I don't want to keep you from lunch. But I just want you to know that I love you too. You're Grandpa's special little angel! I'll see you tomorrow okay?" **

**After I gave Mom back her phone I started eating my food--slowly. I didn't want Granddad to think I was done and want to try something else. Dad was smiling. "Daddy, you are a really good omelet chef."**

**Jacob was nodding his head vigorously.**

"**Thank you. I'm glad you guys like it. So what are you going to do this afternoon?" I knew he knew what I was thinking right away but I said it out loud anyway.**

"**Well, I'm going out to play with Jake for a while…and then later, Aunt Alice and Aunt Rose are taking me shopping." I looked over at Mom. "Do you want to come?" **_**'Like I didn't know what the answer to that would be.' **_

"**Sorry Nessie, I have to do my own practicing today. Your Uncle Emmet is dying to have a wrestling match with your Dad and he wants me to practice my shielding. He says its good practice for hand-to-hand combat."**

"**Figures," I said. Mom's shield has gotten even better lately too. She can shield someone with just a "rope" connecting them. She said it looks sort of like an astronaut going out for a space walk. He's connected to the ship and the oxygen by a hose and it ends in a bubble around him. Now that her shield can do that it was much more maneuverable for hand to hand and Dad and Granddad were very excited.**

**The front door opened and we heard Alice and Emily come inside. They came right into the dining room table where Jake and I were eating at one end. Alice put down her 'supplies' and heaps of shopping bags. She pulled out a chair for Emily. The two of them sat down. Esme came in and joined them. It was clear that they were continuing a conversation from the car about wedding plans.**

"**Emily," Dad interrupted. "Would you like a one or two egg omelet?**

**She seemed to suddenly realize that Jacob and I were eating. "Wow, I was having so much fun I didn't even realize I was hungry! Umm a one egg omelet thanks."**

**Mom smiled at Emily as she set a mug of hot chocolate in front of her. "It looks like Alice is keeping you busy. Have you gone crazy yet?"**

"**Are you kidding?" Emily said with understated fervor. "Alice is keeping me from going crazy. I don't know what I would have done without all of her help." She sipped at her hot chocolate. "Yum…I haven't had hot chocolate for years." She took another sip. "Oh, and Sam has made arrangements for escorts so that your whole family can come to the beach at LaPush for the wedding. I am so excited!"**

**Dad brought over her egg omelet on a plate. "Here you go."**

"**Wow, this is like an IHOP. It looks delicious. Thanks Edward. It feels different not having to do all the cooking. Jacob said you were a good cook. I thought he was exaggerating but if this tastes as good as it looks…"**

"**Well, try it and see." Dad encouraged. He loved to show off his cooking talent.**

**Emily took a bite and the regular side of her face became very animated. "This is extremely good. I need your recipe." Dad was all over that. It was good but of course, it was still only human food.**

**Aunt Alice kept up all of the wedding plans while we ate on. I suddenly realized that Emily was getting married. Mom was married, Aunt Alice and Aunt Rose were married, and even Grandma was married. Everyone was married but me. I almost panicked. Would I be all alone when I grew up? I ran to my dad and jumped into his arms. He knew what I was thinking. He just held me and smoothed my hair and patted my back. **

"**Don't worry Nessie. When you grow up, everything will be fine. You'll see."**

"**But what if no one wants to marry me when I grow up?" I asked suddenly feeling very unsettled and alone.**

"**Somehow I don't think that will be a problem, Nessie." Dad said and he seemed slightly annoyed.**

"**Daddy," I looked up into his eyes. "Will you marry me when I grow up?"**

**He laughed and kissed my cheek. "What about your Mommy? I'm already married sweetie."**

"**We could pass her off as your sister." I said somewhat uncertainly. **_**'No, that wouldn't work.' **_**"I guess Granddad is married to. Do you think Grandpa will marry me?"**

"**Grandpa is dating Sue now." Dad pointed out gently.**

**I was so worried. "Oh, that's true. What about Jake?" I twisted in my father's arms to look over at Jacob. He looked at me with sympathy and a big smile. "Jacob, when I grow up will you marry me?" **

**I didn't understand why but my dad seemed to freeze up. Then Jacob, My Jacob, took me out of my daddy's arms and held me.**

"**Of course I will. Only let's let you grow up first okay. I'll wait forever for you. Don't you worry about it for another minute." He ruffled my hair and hugged me again and then set me down.**

**The anxiety left me just like that. I knew that no matter what Jacob would not break his promise to me. I didn't need to worry about when I grow up again. **

**Granddad came in then holding a letter. I guessed the mail had made it in. He looked very excited as he announced, "We've received a letter from Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. They want us to come and bring Nessie for a visit!"**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight  
First Beach—Part I

Charlie's POV

**It was almost nine a.m., with still hours to go before it would be time to run home to get ready for Sam and Emily's wedding. Everything looked so beautiful. Bella was right when she said that Alice was a force of nature! I had worried about having the wedding down at First Beach but Alice insisted that though it would be a little overcast, it would not rain one drop-so far, so good. Once again I wondered how I could deputize her and put her psychic talent to real work.**

**She had instructed me to take a seat and after many things like pillars and columns of flowers were in place, she asked my opinion. My job, I tooke it--was to give everything 'the nod'. I watched Alice ordering the Quileute boys around. I didn't know why I kept calling them boys. Honestly, they were just so huge, hulking over tiny little Alice as she ordered them around. Alice took a big 'concrete wall' and picked it up over her head to move to another spot. Honestly, I thought my new nick name for her should be 'Mighty Mouse'. Next, she had Seth and Embry bringing over a large Gazebo and then immediately started wrapping it in twinkle lights. Alice and her lights—well she zipped around so fast putting them up that I might re-nickname her 'The Tornado'. She plugged the lights into a generator and looked over to me for my nod. After receiving it, she smiled in satisfaction. **

"**Oh, Jared," She said as he came out carrying an Arbor full of more flowers. "We want this over here. " She directed him to a spot that overlooked the ocean. The sun will peek through those clouds close to sunset and land right there. That is where we'll want the ceremony to take place. It will make for some beautiful pictures. "Yes, just there." She clapped her hands, "That is perfect!" She looked to me for approval. I'm not sure why I was even here. Honestly she had the whole thing planned out to perfection in that busy little head of hers. **

**It was too bad that they were all leaving tomorrow to go on some expedition in the Amazon. Those Cullens do the oddest things sometimes. They'll be gone a whole month. Edward had suggested that I spend the time concentrating on Sue and that when they got back I could have Nessie to myself for a few days. Well that was a good idea at least.**

**I looked out at the waves and got lost in my own thoughts. It was so long ago when I got married. It was a sudden thing-- trip to Las Vegas. I thought Renee and I would last forever. I never thought I would get over it when she left me. I never really did get over her—not until two years ago. It would be Bella and Edward's second year anniversary next week. That was how long my marriage lasted. They seem much happier now than even when they got married. I would give anything to be as happy with someone as Bella is with Edward. As always, my thoughts returned to Sue again. **_**'Should I even dare to try again with Sue? I'd once joked with Bella about being a famous ladies man, but in truth, I wouldn't want to get hurt like that again. However I know Sue better than I knew Renee. I've known her longer as well. There is one thing I learned from my marriage to Renee, when you open up your heart like that to someone, it leaves you venerable and exposes your soul. If that trust is broken, it can shatter you. What am I doing? Am I not willing to try again or allow myself to have a future with Sue because of what Renee did to me so many years ago? How is that fair to Sue or me? Sue is not Renee. Sue is sensible, kind, she is mature and not afraid to act her age. She has poise and class. There is a grace about her that shines through her eyes. It's there in her every movement.' **_

'_**There goes my heart racing again at just the thought of her. Do I dare to ask her to share my life with me? I'm not getting any younger that's for sure. She deserves someone much better than me though. Could I make her happy?'**_** I felt assaulted by butterflies in the pit of my stomach as I realized that I wanted to try. I wanted to spend the rest of my life trying to make her happy—as happy as she was making me. **_**'Do I have the nerve to ask her to marry me?**_**'**

"**Charlie?" Alice called out. I looked up to see her gesturing to the scene now around me. "What do you think?" She had every chair, every pillar, and every flower in place. There was a carpet rolled out with a center isle between two rows of chairs. The gazebo was off to the left with pillars of flowers scattered throughout the area. The concrete wall looked to be an old crumbling cobblestone with flowers and ivies' winding their way throughout as if it were so ancient and decaying that nature had reclaimed it in a wondrous way.**

"**Alice", I started in amazement. I was at a loss for words. I finally find my voice. "You're an artist."**

"**Good, it's time for me to drop you at home so you can start getting ready. Then I'm going home to help Rosalie get Emily ready. Just remember how nice this looks for whenever you get ready to tie the knot." I felt my cheeks get red as I ducked my head a little. "I'm sorry, but Bella is now my sister and that makes us officially family so I can make this MY business. You can't fool me. I can see what will happen." She took me by the arm and started to lead me towards her Porsche while waiving 'good-bye' to the Quileutes. She leaned in closer to whisper in my ear—as if anyone else could hear, "And it's all good. You need to trust me on this. Not to mention you need to trust yourself. No one can make Sue happier than you."**

**Those words rang in my ears all afternoon while I dressed in the suit Alice got me for Bella's wedding. Thank goodness it still fit. Maybe it did make me look kind of nice. I wondered how Sue would look today. I shook my head as I remembered Alice's parting words as I climbed out of her Porsche, " Just remember," She pulled my face down to hers to better stare me in the eye. She fixed me with a glare that told me this was no idle threat. "No one runs off to Vegas on my watch. I stopped Bella and Edward and look how much better that worked out. You ARE going to do it right this time Charlie, because this time it counts!"**

"**Alice," I said startled. "I haven't even decided to ask Sue to marry me yet.**

"**Of course you have Charlie! It's the only way I can tell that everything works out so well for you." She said smugly.**

**I was picking Sue and her kids up on my way back to First Beach in an hour. Sue was concerned about Leah for today. I was a little confused about that. I knew Leah used to date Sam, but that was years ago. Surely she'd had enough time to move on and get use to this. She couldn't still have feelings for Sam, could she? Then again, how long had I harbored feelings for Renee?**

**Listen to me; there I was just thinking about how long it took me to get over Renee. How about what it did to Bella when Edward left with his entire family a while back. Maybe I should do something nice for Leah. I wondered if that had anything to do with why she was always so angry.**

**We showed up at the ceremony. Sue was stunning of course. Everyone arrived quickly. Sam was up front with Billy-his best man and a Quileute elder called Old Quil. It looked as though he would be performing the ceremony.**

**Edward started playing a portable keyboard-dang he sure could play. It sounded as though he'd spent years practicing. Jasper wasn't sitting with the rest of the Cullens; he sat right in the front row. As the procession started, I noticed Leah come down the aisle wearing a stunning peach and ivory dress beside her was Jacob. He cleaned up pretty good. I wondered how tiny Alice talked him into changing out of his ever present shorts. That was a stupid question—it's Alice I was talking about. Behind them was little Claire Young, I believed she was Emily's niece. She wore a little girl version of a dress that almost matched Leah's. She was throwing rose petals out in front of her. Everyone stood as Emily came into view. She wore a stunning yet simple wedding dress. She looked graceful walking with her father. Her hair was delicately coffered to conceal the worst of her scaring. She looked radiant as she walked to meet Sam and embrace her future.**

**I remembered doing this with my little girl and my gaze drifted over to her as she sat between Alice and Carlisle. Bella looked back at me and gave me a wistful smile. I remembered her on that day two years ago. **_**"Don't let me fall Dad,"**_** She had whispered as she pulled her arm through mine and held it tightly. Was she ever nervous walking down those stairs and the aisle--until she met Edward's gaze. Then she practically dragged me along. I remembered putting her hand in Edward's. She was so beautiful--my little girl. I remembered making all the way through my dance with her before the tears started. I'd gone off to find a quiet corner. The evening went by so fast and then they were getting ready to leave for their honeymoon. Bella was looking for me to say good bye. I remembered her parting words to me as she hugged me tightly, **_**"I love you forever Dad. Don't forget that."**_

**I was a lucky man to have my Bella for a daughter. If I was only going to get one child, I got the best. She winked at me and then turned her gaze to Edward. Even though he was playing the keyboard flawlessly, he was looking at Bella with the same expression on his face that he wore that special night she became his wife. I guessed he was remembering as well. Watching him watch Bella like that made me happy and I realized it was because I cared for Edward now. He felt like family. Well, I got something wonderful that night after all. I got Edward for a son-in-law. He was so good to Bella. Now I still had my daughter and I had an amazing son too. Edward's gaze shifted from Bella to me. His expression hadn't changed at all. His smile was just as wide. I smiled back at him. After a minute, he returned his attention to Bella. Watching the two of them, I realized that 'happily ever after' wasn't just for fairy tales. They could happen in real life if we fought for them.**

**The ceremony was beautiful. Alice was right, the sunset made its appearance right through the Arbor's arch just as Sam took Emily in his arms for their first kiss as husband and wife. As they walked down the aisle hand in hand a million twinkle lights snapped into existence. It looked like they were walking in the stars. Alice was a genius. The rest of the evening was enchanting with the gentle ocean breeze cooling the summer air. **

**The gazebo was full of life with dancing and merriment. I took a couple of turns out there with Sue myself. While she danced with Sam I took a breather with Jacob who seemed to have mixed feelings about today's events. I was about to ask him what was up when Edward came up to him and told him that if Leah wanted to go with them tomorrow to the Amazon she could. Jacob rolled his eyes.**

"**You know she would never willingly go." He said slowly. For some reason Leah strongly disliked the Cullen Family. It might have been stronger than dislike.**

"**I know, all the same, make sure she knows alright." Edward said before Bella called him back to the dance floor. **

'_**Whatever that was all about.'**_

**Sue came to claim me again. Yes, this was definitely a magical night. Looking at Sue I remembered Alice's words earlier today. When were they leaving for New Hampshire? Maybe there was time for Sue and me to tie the knot. Maybe I should work up the nerve. Where Alice's psychic powers ever wrong?**

Chapter Eight  
First Beach—Part II

Leah's POV

"**No, I will not have you of all people dressing me today. I'm going home to get ready. Just give me the freakin' dress Alice." **

**Was she out of her mind? Like I wanted her pawing all over me, trying to make me as pretty as possible for my funeral. She handed me the garment bag without another word. At least all wrapped up it wouldn't smell like vampire. Today was going to be bad enough without…**

**I let that thought run as I headed for home. I raced through the forest, sidestepped Forks--running for LaPush, to my home that would never feel like home to me again. This was the day I had dreamed of for four years of my life and then day I had dreaded for the last three. The man of my dreams, the love of my life, the only man I had ever shared my heart and my body with, the man who had promised to love me forever, the man I had trusted, who held my life in his hands was marrying someone else. No not just someone else, my cousin Emily. Emily; whom I had loved my whole life as if she were my own sister. I gasped for air and started clutching my chest. Moisture swam in my eyes. With everything in me I wanted to phase and high tail it out of here. I found my pace slowing to a walk and finally I stopped completely. I was alone in the green woods. I hung the garment bag on a convenient low-hanging branch and crumbled to the ground, letting despair wash over me. **

**I looked around and found a rotting tree stump to sit on, blankly stared at nothing and allowed myself to remember as sweet memories of Sam filled my head and heart one last time. I remembered walking in the woods with him after school and talking about everything. He was so fun to be around. He was so good looking that I would just stare at him for hours. Of course he would always stare right back at me too. I still remembered the feel of the first time he held my hand and the thrill it shot through my body. The first time he kissed my lips, the soft feel of him as he took me that first time. Knowing that I finally understood what love was. The entire next two years was the happiest of my life. Just knowing that we were meant for each other and that we would always belong to one another made me feel each day as if I were living in a dream. We talked about our future. We made plans for how our lives would proceed. We talked about going to college together. We talked about getting married and having a family. Whenever I looked at Sam and saw the tenderness and love for me there in his eyes, I knew he was the man of my dreams. That he would never let me down--that we were destined to be together.**

**Then as we graduated and made our plans to go off to college, Sam disappeared. He was gone for two weeks. Where had he gone? His family didn't know. This wasn't like Sam. No one could find him. I was scared that he'd been hurt. Sam's mom and I were on the phone calling everyone we could think of. We had the forest Rangers out searching for him. I couldn't help as panic turned to shock and shock turned to dread. There was talk of some kind of accident but no evidence of foul play. There was no evidence of anything. Well, they did find his shredded clothes in the woods by his house, but no blood. He was almost declared legally dead; with all the reports of bear sightings in the area.**

**Then one day, there he was at my window calling my name. It was the middle of the afternoon, but I was just lying across my bed crying. At first I'd thought I'd imagined his voice. I went to the window in the hope that it was him and there he stood. SAM. Sam was there, alive. I opened the window and he was in my room and in my arms in a second. I continued to cry; only now, they were tears of pure joy. He stayed with me there in my room all that day and night. No words of explanation came. I didn't care. He was there and he was mine.**

**But dawn broke and with it the questions. Questions he refused to answer. He became almost resentful at my asking them. He told me he wasn't allowed to tell me. I'd wondered in frustration what that had meant? I had shared EVERYTHING with him. He became defensive. I was outraged. Then he told me that he couldn't tell anyone that he had been with me. It had to be our secret. What? He was the love of my life. Our relationship was no secret. We were practically engaged. He begged me to trust him—and somehow, even as angry as I was, I did still trust him. He was MY Sam. I tried to content myself with the knowledge that he was alive and that apart from his terribly high fever, he appeared to be in good health. As the days went by, I noticed other changes. He was angry a lot. He disappeared early in the evening and was gone all night. When I did get some 'stolen' moments with him, he was always tired. I became suspicious. Gone all night, tired all day, and all the secrecy and the 'trust me' comments became more than irritating. But I knew he would never do anything to hurt me. So we worked it out. I became as tolerant of his 'strangeness' as was humanly possible. At least, he was back, he loved me and we were together.**

**Then my world came to an abrupt end a week later when my cousin, Emily Young, came by to visit me for the weekend. Sam and I were 'secretly' in my room and he was preparing to leave for his mysterious life. I could hear my mom open the front door and let my cousin Emily in. I heard her come down the hall to my room. We were dressed and I told Sam not to worry because Emily wouldn't tell anyone he was there. She had come in and seen the two of us. She had seen us together before as she came over quite a bit before Sam had disappeared. She gave me an embarrassed, apologetic look and then looked up at Sam to do the same. That was all it took for my happiness to crash into tiny pieces on the ground. I have never forgotten the look that came into Sam's eyes as he met Emily's. At first I thought it was some kind of twisted joke. But no, they seemed to be in some kind of trance, locked in each other's gaze.**

**Just like that, every hope, every dream, and every plan I had for the future crumbled. The next six months were a walking nightmare. Emily moved down to be closer to Sam and they were inseparable. I tried to know where they would be and what they would be doing so I could make sure I was nowhere near them. It didn't work. LaPush isn't that big a place. Emily had gotten herself all clawed up by a bear and if it were possible, they became even closer. I heard through the grapevine that he had moved in with her. If that wasn't bad enough, I still remembered the night when I turned into a wolf. If that wasn't terrifying enough, who was it that was suddenly in my head? Sam, that's who, like I wasn't having enough to deal with, suddenly I was hearing and feeling just how Sam felt about Emily. How he thought of holding her, of being with her. He never thought of me that way anymore. It was as if I'd been completely erased from his heart—except for the pity and sometimes anguish from whenever he heard my inter most thoughts and feelings..**

**I looked around me at the forest and allowed myself one parting thought of the feel of him in my arms. Then I stood up. **_**'I am a Clearwater. I am a wolf. I am a defender. I am a survivor. I will bury these feelings for Sam. I will do it. I will be strong today. What will happen tomorrow I cannot say, but for today, I will be what I must.'**_** I reached one shaky hand out to the garment bag and continued on to my home.**

*******

**I was at First Beach, all dressed up and looking down at my peach and ivory colored dress that should have been white. **_**'No, I MUST not go there! I am strong. I am a Clearwater.'**_

"**Are you okay?' Jacob whispered as he took me by the arm. All I could manage was a nod. His act of kindness was almost my undoing. I pulled away not meeting his gaze and pretended to be distracted straightening out my dress. "You look beautiful." He said as he handed me my small bouquet of flowers. I took a deep breath, steeled myself and finally looked up to meet his gaze. Jacob was dressed very nice in a tuxedo. He had a sympathetic, encouraging smile on his face. "That's my girl! I'm right here Leah and I know you can do this."**

**In that moment, I knew that he was right. I could. I would. He was my alpha and he knew how hard today was for me. He was my pack brother and he was right beside me. The music started and he held his arm out to me again. "Head up, Leah and smile." I could feel a pained smile make an appearance. "A little more…think about me wearing a sundress." That did it. Did I actually giggle? I grabbed his hand and we started our walk down the aisle.**

**My mental calm didn't last long enough. I was only halfway there when the dread started to settle back in my heart. The memories that I thought that I'd just suppressed came rushing back to my mind. It seemed that with every step I took another touch, another kiss, another tender look was remembered.**

'_**No, I must not think these things. I am a survivor. I must not show weakness.'**_** I tried to beat back each memory by sheer willpower. I was almost in a panic. It took every ounce of self control to not bolt. I could not let them have that satisfaction. When we'd reached the front, Jacob pried my hand loose from his arm**_**. 'What? Where was he going? Oh, he was going to the right and I was supposed to go to the left. Could I do this?'**_** I looked up at him and he winked at me. **

**He smiled and mouthed, '**_**That's my girl,'**_** again.**

**I turned and walked to the left by myself; making sure to not look at Sam as Jacob went to stand at his other side. **_**'Only three short steps.'**_** I turned in time to see Emily take her place beside me. I must have smiled at her because she smiled back warmly to me. **_**'She must think I'm over Sam—good! Another blessing from Jacob having a new pack; Sam doesn't know my thoughts and feelings anymore.'**_** The music stopped and Old Quil Ateara began the services. Every time the panic rose inside of me, I was somehow able to fight it down. I didn't know how. It seemed easier to get control of myself up here at the worst moment of my life than it had been all day. Really the dread had been building for the last three weeks. And now with the vows being exchanged and me, hearing Sam promise to love only Emily and keep himself only for her, I finally felt the dread settle securely in place. I was just about to lose it again when suddenly the most wonderful sense of calm settled over me. I felt peace instead. For the first time since Sam went missing, I felt so serene. I marveled at the absence of the pain and emotional anguish. I was able to give Emily a genuine smile as she hands her bouquet to me and Sam slipped a wedding ring on her finger.**

**I gazed at their kiss in the glow of the sunset and marveled at my composure. This had been the moment of **_**my**_** dreams and **_**my**_** dread and it was…over. I had made it! I gave Emily back her bouquet and turned to leave behind her. It was then that I noticed the leech. Jasper had been in the chair directly behind me the whole time. I didn't know how I felt about that but it was clear where the sense of peace had come from. Jacob escorted me back down the aisle and I felt the calm leave me as every step took me farther away from Jasper Hale.**

**The reception started right away. The cake, the garter belt, the first dance, and just to make sure that there was enough salt poured in my open gaping wounded heart, I was forced to stand in with all of the other girls when Emily threw her bouquet. Of course, I caught it. It was that or have it hit me right in the face--very funny. I knew I was supposed to smile but the best I could do was a sick approximation.**

**After people settled into chairs eating I went to find the bloodsucker responsible for averting my nervous breakdown in front of the entire tribe. I didn't like owing any of them for anything. I found him talking to Jacob.**

"**Jasper," I began in a hushed whisper, trying to not let my irritation show. How I felt was none of his business. He played me like I was some kind of a puppet. "Why? I know you didn't do that for me? Who did you do that for? Was it Alice so all her planning wouldn't go bad? Was it Sam, so I wouldn't embarrass him and ruin his wedding?"**

"**No Leah." He stated quietly but carefully. "Neither of them asked me to do that. But you are right; I didn't do it for you either. I did it for Jacob. I did it because it is the only thing he has ever asked of me and he was right to ask. Do you really not know how many people here truly love and care for you Leah?" He left me then without another word. I looked up at Jacob with questions in my eyes.**

"**Jacob?" I asked. The tears were threatening again. "What were you thinking?"**

"**I'll tell you what I was thinking." He said. "I was thinking of how strong you have been all week. Remembering that when Bella was going to marry Edward I took off and wasn't even sure if I could make it back. I was thinking that—running had been my response, and Bella and I didn't even have the same kind of a relationship that you and Sam had. I knew you were staying and it was killing you. I knew that you were always a hundred times emotionally stronger than I was in my darkest hour, but even so, you would need help. I love you like you were my own sister Leah, and I have a responsibility to you as your Alpha and I wanted to give you every tool I could to help you make it through today. So yes, I asked Jasper to sit in the front and help if you needed it. I'm not sorry I did. I would do it again."**

**I nodded once and wandered off. I wasn't sure what I was doing. I just roamed around touching things and feeling empty inside, like all of the color had washed out of everything. The twinkle lights were on and the dark had settled in. I had never been so thankful for the night. It hid my face from wandering eyes. I must have been drifting about a bit becoming more and more anxious. I felt like I had to get away but I really didn't want to leave my mother and brother. I needed an escape--an escape that would give me some space away from Forks for a while. The panic became harder and harder to control. Where was my escape? **

**I saw Jacob sitting at a table talking to Charlie. He would be leaving tomorrow with the Cullens to go to the Amazon. The Amazon—that was further away than I'd ever get by myself. I almost wished I could go instead of him. I didn't even care about being around all the vampires either. That would give me something else to keep HIM off my mind. Edward went over and said something to Jacob and left after a minute. I had just enough nerve to ask Jacob for this one favor. If he said 'No' or they said 'No', well, I didn't know what I'd do. I swallowed my pride and squared my shoulders to approach my Alpha**_**. 'Ha, what pride? I feel like a pathetic has-been. I must ask Jacob'**_**. I went to him. He was still talking to Charlie. I sat across the table and tried to meet his gaze.**

"**Maybe you should take off now Leah. You've been here long enough that no one will think anything of it." Jacob said to me quietly.**

**I nodded, "I will. But Jake will you please do me a favor?"**

"**Anything Leah, just tell me what you need." Jacob replied without hesitation.**

"**Do you think you could please ask Dr. Cullen if I could go with all of you when you leave tomorrow for the Amazon?"**

**Jacob's look turned from concern to surprise. So did Charlie's. "Are you sure you want to do that Leah?"**

"**I have to get away." I whispered staring at the tablecloth.**

**Jacob nodded. He reached across the table and placed a hand over both of mine. "Well, then I guess you'd better start packing because you were actually just invited."**

**My breath blew out of me in a sudden gasp as relief washed through me. "How did you know?"**

**Charlie and Jacob looked at each other and smiled. "Edward." They both said together.**


	9. Chapter 9

Part II: The AmazonChapter Nine  
Anaconda-Part I

Renesmee's POV

**Wow, the last two days have been something—something boring! Monday we were in the sky before the sun was. Man was I excited. I'd never been in a plane before. I got to see so many clouds, mountains, clouds, ocean, rain clouds, oh and did I mention clouds. We stopped in Atlanta, Miami and finally landed in a little town on the Amazon River named Manaus. That crazy plane trip took almost two days! I wasn't air sick but it was really getting old. I was kind of trapped up there in the friendly skies. When we got off the plane the first thing I noticed after my dad hefted me off the ground (as I had bent over to kiss the dirt)--was the hot, sticky air. Not that it bothered me but—WOW, what a difference from Forks! It was almost like breathing in a heavy warm blanket.**

**Luckily for my vampire family, it remained overcast while we were in town due to the huge dark clouds that blocked out the sun. I supposed that made some things the same as home; plus we were in the Rainforest. We secured a double-decker riverboat that Zafrina had made arrangements for and all eleven of us hopped aboard, luggage in tow. Some of the locals appeared to be a little surprised that we weren't looking for a guide when we clearly were not from around there.**

**Dad started up the engine (my Dad can do anything!) and before we knew it we were headed east on our Amazonian adventure. Almost immediately Uncle Emmett was at the front of the boat peering intently into the murky brown water. We had an hour before we reached our rendezvous spot where we were to meet up with Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. So far our only welcoming committee had been a pink porpoise and a swarm of mosquitoes. The latter of which, were happily dining on Jacob and Leah. They tried to make a snack of me but gave up when the little parasites couldn't get through my solid skin. '**_**Take that, Bloodsuckers!'**_** I'd thought smugly. Granddad handed Jacob and Leah both their own bottles of mosquito repellent which they gladly applied. After a bit, the mosquitoes gave up and left. Jacob and Leah, being the werewolves that they were, didn't even scratch once before the bites healed on their own.**

**Shortly we docked at a little pier and took on our friendly tour guides! I immediately went to Zafrina who held me with an almost shocked look. She of course, looked the same as always; tall and adventurous. She and her sisters entered the boat with their sudden jerky movements that I remembered so well.**

"**Nessie," She sang out in her beautiful accent. I loved to hear her talk. "I can't believe how much you have grown! And to think, you are not even two years old yet. If it weren't for your beautiful brown eyes, I wouldn't have believed it was you!" She immediately sat with me. Kachiri and Senna were close by. I thought I was dressed in sturdy clothes but these ladies were the real deal! Zafrina wore a skirt of skins and a home-spun cotton shirt of blue. She also wore a leather belt that had some serious symbols burned into it. Senna and Kachiri each wore pants that had some kind of reptile design on them. They also had on sturdy cotton shirts; Senna's dyed orange and Kachiri's, pink. They had on an assortment of beaded necklaces and all three had their dark hair braided down their back and sturdy looking leather sandals laced to their knees. Of course, their eyes were crimson red, as always. **

**For a while, I all but forgot the river as we caught up on news with our Amazon hosts. I must've fallen asleep because after a while my mother pointed out a large town called Santarem, that was flanked by large flat-topped hills. We docked and Dad took Jacob, Leah and I to go find some food. **_**'Thank goodness. If I have to eat human food, the stuff from the small kitchen of our boat made the airplane food taste like heaven…if that was 'humanly' possible.'**_** I thought as we ambled down the streets of town. I was impressed with the skill my dad employed as we found our way to a restaurant called,** **Mascotinho.**

**. **_**'Man, I think my Dad must be the smartest person in the whole world. He's gone from English to Portuguese, to at least 2 different Indian dialects that I caught, all while finding directions to our wonderful dinner of…fish. Oh well, still it is better than anything so far and they cook it differently than Grandpa does in Forks so it isn't exactly more of the same old same old.'**_

**When we got back to the boat, we headed south on a tributary river off the Amazon. Zafrina informed me it was named the Tapajos River. I was surprised at the traffic along the rivers so far. It reminded me of roads back home with cars traveling along it. Of course, when the sun came out, all the vampires had to head for the shade of the bottom level. Granddad was 'driving' the boat and Dad sat with me and started pointing out all the parrots, monkeys and even a Tapir that drank from the water's edge. Jasper and Alice immediately dove in the water and swam over to the strange herbivore. Somehow, I had a feeling it was about to be added to someone's menu. Dad, being the genius he was, supplied the names of each animal we encountered. Then Zafrina gave me a detailed description of what each animal could do. **

'_**Who needs science class when you can have this?' **_**I thought wryly. It was truly beautiful. In places the trees hung over the river as it narrowed to make a bridge the monkeys happily used to swing across. They chattered happily at us as we passed beneath them. The traffic had thinned considerably when Zafrina directed Granddad to slow and turned him into a much smaller river. On this river, there was NO traffic. The hum of wildlife became even more pronounced as we had the forest close in around us ever even denser. Tall trees loomed overhead.**

**Suddenly there was a terrific, "WHOOPEE!!" from Emmett at the front of the boat. He dove in and before we knew it, began wrestling with the biggest; I guessed it was an anaconda, in the world. Well, I was guessing it was the biggest. It certainly had the corner on all of the gopher snakes back home! Actually, I wasn't even sure 'wrestling' was the correct word either; more like the mammoth snake was giving Uncle Emmett a ride. His second Yelp was cut off as the snake dove with him wrapped in its muscular embrace. Taking him for an underwater adventure! **

**He came up 200 feet ahead of us spewing water out of his lungs like a fountain and yelled, "Excellent!" before being dragged under again. His next trip topside he sang out, "Rose, I gotta get me one of these!" His voice fading as he was carried forward faster than our boat's speed.**

**Every now and then we heard his delighted cries further and further away. The boat erupted in hysterical laughter. Everyone except Rose, who sighed, rolled her eyes and shook her head. She seemed kind of irritated. I sent her my thoughts of how funny Uncle Emmett was and she looked over at me and reluctantly joined in.**

**Within a few minutes, two more of the huge snakes swam alongside our boat. Dad and Jasper (who was still wet from his last swim), looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and dove in. Before we knew it, they were going the way of Uncle Emmett. Man could those snakes get cozy! It took us a good twenty minutes to catch up to them. We heard them hooting and hollering for ten minutes before we actually laid eyes on them.**

**The three of them were in a small cove off the main channel of the river in about five feet of water. They all wore their now dead anacondas as they frolicked in the water. Well, at least at first it **_**looked**_** like they were frolicking. The water had the appearance it was boiling. It actually foamed in places. They were slowly lowering their 'trophies' into the water a little bit at a time, all the while dancing and yelping. Honestly, if they weren't wearing the funniest grins I'd ever seen on them, I'd have thought they were in some kind of a vat being boiled alive; that and their squeals weren't ones of pain but of delight. Daddy was SO funny! **

"**Nessie, want to swim over here to Daddy?" He enthused. I needed no more encouragement than that.**

'_**Game on--green light!'**_** I dove in and was half way too him in a single leap before I dog paddled the rest of the way.. As I got closer, I saw what was making all the movement in the water. It was fish--hundreds of them! They bumped me all over. Daddy grabbed me laughing. **

"**Rose," Emmett called out, trying to keep from laughing. "How do you like my necklace?" His voice was flirty as he flung the end of what was left of the snake tail out of the water and draped it across him like a stole. Blood dripped out the raw end of the snake. **

**Rosalie, trying to feign disgust but still seeing humor in his attire said, "Well, it's definitely manly but it just doesn't match what you're wearing. Sorry." She shook her head.**

"**You should come in and join me, Babe," Emmett went on daring her. "Amazonian Effervescent Spa Bath—first class all the way. Come on Rosalie it's awesome!" His last word was a growl.**

"**Tempting, but no thank you," She said in a voice that was final as she tried to hide a smile.**

**Mom was peering at us as we laughed and danced around. "What is making the water all agitated like that?" She asked somewhat suspiciously. **

"**Fishies, Mommy! They are so tickly. It makes me laugh!" I could barely get the last word out before I was pummeled by fish against my stomach, sides and legs. I couldn't help it; I wiggled in my dad's arms being tickled to death. I broke out in a fit of loud laughter. I could feel my face go beat red but I couldn't stop.**

**Jacob decided to take Uncle Emmet up on his invitation and was immediately assailed by the fish. He started whispering, "Ouch! Dang it-- What the heck?" He gingerly but quickly made his way through the bay to the bank on the other end.**

'**Wait a minute," Mom began, all humor vanishing from her face. "Exactly what kind of fish are those?"**

**It was Zafrina standing next to her laughing at our antics, who turned to her and casually replied, "Piranhas. A very large school to get that whole cove…"**

**Her words were cut off as Mom dove into the water and had me out of Dad's arms with both of us standing on the bank soaked next to Jacob, who was bent in two trying to pry a few fish off his legs that had latched on and would not let go. By the time I could blink the water out of my eyes, Mom was glaring at my poor Dad—still in the water.**

"**Edward! I can't believe you knowingly just called Nessie out into a school of frenzied piranhas. What were you thinking?" She sounded pretty mad.**

"**Relax Bella," He said patiently. His face composed despite the tickling he was still getting. "Do you see even a scratch on her? (Small pause) No. If a grizzly bear can't leave a scratch on her, a little tiny fish isn't going to stand a chance." Mom's anger vanished in an instant.**

"**Oh, well that's alright then, I guess." She said as she examined every inch of my exposed skin to verify Dad's claim. She put me down and I jumped back in and let the tickle fest begin again.**

"**I guess Piranhas like werewolf blood well enough though, right Jacob?" Emmett said with his deep booming laugh. Jacob, who was finally fish-free, had several trickles of blood going down his chest and legs and arms, but of course, no wounds. Who needed Band-Aids when you were a wolf? **

**Jacob shrugged, "Well, at least it's something that doesn't happen every day."**

**Pretty soon, everyone was in the water--everyone except for Jacob and Leah that is. I was surprised when Aunt Alice and Aunt Rose, who had changed into swim suits in the bathroom of the riverboat, came out and enjoyed the tickling Piranhas. Leah even smiled from the boat's edge. Jasper was of course getting them even more worked up. The crazy fish had almost eaten all of the three massive snakes. **

**Jasper looked at me curiously. "Nessie, if I give you the feeling of the fish all frenzied, I wonder if you could broadcast it out to other Piranhas and see if they hear it. It may not work at all but it might be an interesting experiment." **

**Since the fish weren't tickling me as much as before, I decided to humor Uncle Jasper. I thought of the fish and tried to get their energy of light. It wasn't working…but there was something there. Just like a tiny flash of sporadic light. I couldn't even get a good enough hold on it to see it clearly. 'Well, Uncle Jasper, I've got something but I don't think this will do anything. All the same, let me have it." **

**Uncle Jasper hit me emotionally with such an intense blood frenzy that I almost took off hunting. I let the little flash of light leave me. It looked like it just popped out of existence. "Thanks a lot Uncle Jasper." I said as I climbed out of the water and walked soggily over to Jacob who sat on the bank. When I walked right past him everyone looked over too me in confusion.**

"**Where are you going Nessie?" Granddad asked.**

"**To hunt, of course." I looked over to Jacob who was already getting up with a grin on his face at the word 'hunt'.**

**Zafrina called out to us as we turned to leave into the jungle. "We'll be leaving the boat here in the cove and following this little side stream to the southwest by foot. You can track us in when you're done."**

"**Sure thing," I said turning to give them all a good-bye waive. Just then the water started boiling around them with a newer ferocity than we had seen yet. "Come on, quick!" I whispered to Jacob, before they make me go back and 'practice'.**

**We took off through the jungle as I hunted for a scent that would abate the memory of the blood frenzy Jasper had exposed me too. It was exhilarating in this jungle. It was so unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. Jacob, running next to me, appeared to have the same look of wonderment that must have been in my eyes. After about ten minutes, I was alerted to a scent that seemed like it would do. It was up in the trees. I climbed and scared two Bonobos (Chimp-like monkeys Dad pointed out to me earlier) out of a tree as I took to the upper canopy. After a few minutes, I saw it. A massive cat, lazily lounging, perched on a tall tree branch as if he were one of the many parrots that reside here. I sprang and took it down with me. It was NOT pleased. We landed on the jungle floor in a snarling tangle. **

'_**Dang, this cat is strong. It might be stronger than that crazy grizzly bear.'**_** By then Jacob had phased to a wolf and helped me bring it down. I knew I needed really need his help, but why should I get to have all the fun? **

**My blood-frenzied thirst abated, I looked around. Something was off. Jacob--wolf noticed it as well. The jungle had gone too quiet. Suddenly I caught a movement to my left. A funny looking man watched us from behind a large fern. He wore paint all over his face and carried a spear. I was confused. At first I'd thought it was some joke by Uncle Emmett. Some new kind of Warrior Clan initiation rite—only Uncle Emmett wasn't with these people—and I had to say people because as I looked closer, there were several people behind different trees, bushes, rocks. We were surrounded. They were apparently all native men who dressed very strangely and all carried weapons. Some had arrows notched and pointed at us, others, spears and a few even had some sort of blow darts, if my forays into National Geographic were correct. The main thing I'd noticed was that they appeared to be very unhappy with Jacob and me.**

**I gathered all the energies of light behind my eyes for everyone we had just left behind and sent them out with a flash of where we were and our predicament, letting panic color the images. I sent them out at the same time that Jacob let out the loudest howl I'd ever heard him yell. Then he toppled over. **

'_**What? What did they do?'**_** Then I saw a tiny dart with a feathered end sticking out of his wolf-neck.**

Chapter Nine  
Anaconda-Part II

Renesmee's POV

**Panic, fear and dread flooded inside me at once. I felt the broadcasting as it left me, wild and uncontrolled. All I saw was my Jacob laying unconscious on the ground. How long had it been since we'd left everyone, ten—fifteen minutes? Dad ran faster than anyone I knew. How long before he got here? I knew it would probably take him at least seven minutes. Did I have seven minutes? I saw that two of the archers had lit flames to their arrows. I knew I could run away. But I couldn't bear to leave Jacob behind. **

'_**Dad! Help me—I need you NOW.'**_** I hadn't even realized I'd sent him a message, until the energy of light left me in a flash.**

**Things seemed to happen almost at once. The trees above me were suddenly teeming with Bonobos, and they held large fruit they dropped on the natives. The first man I had seen stood up and held a hand to stop the archers. Never once did he take his eyes from mine. His look was weary. He spoke to me but I didn't have a prayer of understanding him. His language reminded me of a bird's song.**

**I spoke trembling, "I don't understand." Immediately the thought broadcast out of me for all of them to hear. My gift was out of control. Well, so were my thoughts. '**_**Jacob! Wake up. Get Up Jake**_**.' I thought as I tried to go over to him. The natives didn't seem to like that very much and made it clear I was to stand perfectly still.**

**Just then there was a sound to the North. Not the direction Dad would have tracked me from. It was growls. More than one and they sounded like those of the cat I had just hunted. No sooner did the growls sound, the Bonobos stopped their assault and stood watching. They came into view, three of the big cats, one black and two with large orange leopard spotting. They walked majestically beside a man. He was a beautiful man with rich dark brown skin, dark hair braided to his shoulders and eyes of warm teak. As he approached, the warriors all bowed themselves to the ground at once. He walked right past them and came to my side at inhuman speed.**

"**Renesmee, are you hurt?" I shook my head no. It appeared that Nahuel has come to save me at the last minute once more.**

"**Nahuel, How are you here?" I asked in bewilderment. "How did you stop them? Why are they so angry?"**

"**These are the Jaguar people and it appears that you have hunted the animal they revere. To make it worse, they have legends here of the libishomen and were-beasts. My guess is that they think they've stopped the were-beast and were getting ready to take care of you, the demon spawn of the Libishomen."**

**I quickly noticed his three pet jaguars held a defensive position around Jacob, Nahuel and I facing outward. Beyond us was now a circle of prostrate warriors and behind them, all of the Bonobos had made a circle. It was the oddest thing I had ever seen. But my main focus, since my deliverance, was for Jacob.**

"**Please Nahuel; Jacob was hit by their dart. Will he be alright?" Jacob had started moaning but was still unconscious. **

**Nahuel walked over to Jacob. He pulled the dart from his neck and smelled the tip. He sighed frowning, "Renesmee, I AM worried about your nanny. We will have to act fast to help him." Nahuel shook his head sadly. "We will need help. I was coming to meet you and your family…but where is everyone else?"**

**Just then my dad burst through the trees took the scene in around him and had me in his arms in a flash. He kissed my forehead, and looked around him once more at the strange sight.**

"**Nahuel, I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to see you again." Dad said with a tense nod. With me still in his arms, he knelt next to Jacob examining him **

"**Jacob, its Edward, Hang on buddy. Carlisle will be here in a second." Jake moaned in response.**

**Leah-wolf burst through the clearing as Nahuel explained about the dart and the reason for the attack. She took a defensive stance next to the four of us. The monkeys had become somewhat restless when Dad arrived and became very noisy when the rest of my family showed up and came straight towards us, ignoring the monkeys, warriors and Jaguars who growled in warning as they passed. Carlisle began examining Jacob at once. Nahuel recited his explanation again, this time finishing with what was needed to help Jacob.**

"**We need to get him special medicine that the Ticuna Indians make from plants here in the rain forest. I will acquire medicine from these Jaguar people that will hold it off the poison and keep him conscious for a few days until we can reach the Ticunas."**

**Nahuel stood and with the three jaguars approached the prostrate natives. He spoke to their chief in the same foreign tongue. The leader got up and replied with his eyes on the ground. He then called three of his warriors over and spoke to them in hurried whispers. They immediately bowed to Nahuel and ran off. **

**Carlisle tried to get Jacob-wolf to phase to his human form so he would be easier to treat. It wasn't going well, Jacob was moaning and still unconscious. Before long, we heard drums and saw a long procession of people carrying clay pots, kindling, full burlap sacks and a large stretcher. Nahuel motioned them forward and they set everything next to Jacob and Granddad. An older woman dressed simply but wearing paint and bones came and sat beside them. She spoke to Granddad in their chirpy tongue. Granddad didn't understand her.**

**Edward spoke quietly to Carlisle, "She says she knows what we are but that she was told in a vision to help those who the Jaguars accepted even if they were creatures of the dark. She is telling you that the price of their help is for us to leave them in peace and to do no harm."**

"**Tell her of course we will honor their request but we must act quickly. Jacob is already getting weaker." Granddad's reply was urgent.**

**Dad talked to the old lady in their tongue. I shook my head. I was still so worried about Jake but at the same time, a small part of my mind marveled at just how much my father knew. This was the third Indian dialect I'd heard him speak since we entered Brazil. Nahuel also seemed mildly surprised at my father's ability. The old lady spoke something back to him and pointed to Leah shaking her head. Edward spoke to her again and then said very quietly to Leah-wolf.**

"**Leah, she is refusing to treat Jacob until you have phased back into your human form." She looked at Dad with anger burning in her wolf-eyes and I could see she wasn't planning on complying. 'We don't have time to debate this Leah. You can hear Jacob's heart. It is growing weaker as we sit here debating this." (Another long pause) Then Leah sighed. Dad turned to Carlisle and asked if anyone had some clothes Leah could put on. It was Jasper who came up taking his shirt off and leaving it at Leah's feet before walking away. I wondered what she would do with that. Jasper was tall enough that it would go half-way to her knees, but it was just worn by a vampire. Maybe the river water smell on it would help. It was easy to see Leah battling with herself as she quickly phased and had the shirt on immediately. The old woman's eyes got big and she yelled something to the warrior leader. There was a hushed whisper among the tribesmen. We all became uneasy. Leah tensed.**

"**I knew it was a trap." She muttered through her teeth.**

"**No," Dad replied. "This is something else. There's no danger. You've surprised them and they're at a loss for words." Dad seemed to listen very intently then a slow smile spread across his face. He shook his head slowly and smiled at something. Leah looked around her and all of the tribe's people got down on their knees and prostrated themselves towards us. I didn't have enough attention to try and figure out what their problem was. Since no more fiery arrows or poisonous darts had ceased firing, I wasn't about to pay any attention to them. **

**Somehow, I knew this had been all my fault. If I hadn't gone off hunting, then Jacob would be alright. Dad shook his head. **

"**No Nessie, don't even think that." He said softly and then he turned back to the older woman who still store at Leah in fear and awe. He said something to her urgently and she shifted her attention back to Jacob. **

**Nahuel came beside the woman. She almost flinched away as he spoke up in the Jaguar language. The lady looked one more time at Leah then immediately started working furiously mixing plants and grinding them in a stone bowl. She added her own spit and stirred some more. She spoke urgently to someone behind her and they brought the kindling forward and prepared a fire. She started chanting as someone else brought a tiny blue frog. She took a piece of straw and burned its end in the fire then scraped it across the back of the frog picking up a sticky secretion that it put out. When she was done with the frog others took it away and she added the reside from the straw to the paste in the bowl.**

**Granddad said very quietly, "She's making anti-venom from the venom. The saliva activates it. Interesting." Dad and Leah both nodded. She applied the paste to Jacob's neck. It got pasty in his fur but it saturated his wolf-skin pretty well. **

"**It isn't a true anti-venom but it does slow the spread of the venom and works to block the pain somewhat. It should buy us a few days to reach the Ticunas." Nahuel said. He looked at Leah who refused to look away from Jacob. "You are quite the surprise, and a lovely one at that." His tone was friendly and polite.**

**Not surprising, Leah's reply was not. "Do not bother me. I have no patience for you and your…,"she grimaced, "hunting habits."**

**At that moment, the entire tribe began chanting with the old woman for about ten minutes. **

**Nahuel raised his voice to be heard above them. "And exactly what hunting habits would it be that you're referring too?" His voice was still calm but now curious.**

"**Humans...Nahuel. It's bad enough to be around the Amazons and their crimson eyes. Just because you hide behind your brown ones doesn't mean I don't know what you eat. Don't even try to get friendly with me." Her voice was scathing.**

"**But you are mistaken; I haven't hunted a human since our confrontation with the Volturi a year and a half ago." Nahuel spoke with earnest confidence. "I was so impressed by Carlisle and his family that I decided that I didn't have to be a monster, that I could choose to be good. It was really quite easy, especially with the added incentive of wanting to get to know Renesmee better as she matured, and knowing that my previous hunting habits were repulsive to her and her family."**

**Leah shook her head, still looking at Jacob. The chanting rose in pitch and suddenly cut off, in the next second Jacob suddenly opened his eyes and phased into his human form. **

"**Jacob!" I cried in relief. Dad held me back as he removed his own shirt to cover Jacob before I saw him. I don't know what Dad was thinking. He must've not been paying enough attention to realize that most of the natives here were not covering themselves very well; except for some red clay they'd smeared all over themselves. **_**'Maybe they use that instead of clothes.'**_** I'd silently mused.**

**Then Dad let me go and I rushed to Jacob and threw my arms around him and started crying. Leah was at his other side taking his hand. Relief showed strong on her face.**

"**There," Nahuel spoke in joy, his voice melodious. "Renesmee's nanny is waking up!" Leah had bitten back a snarl.**

"**Jacob is not her Nanny!" She spat through clenched teeth.**

**Granddad cautioned her, "Be patient Leah, he does not understand. We will have time to sort this out. Our first priority is Jacob." Thank goodness Granddad's words seemed to help Leah refocus on what was important.**

**Jacob began to wake up. "What happened?" He asked sounding confused and dazed. "Where are we? Is Nessie okay?" He started to sit up and the old woman pushed him back down. His eyes got big. "Leah? Who is this woman?"**

"**It's okay Jacob, this woman is, I guess kind of a medicine 'man'. The tribe's warriors shot you with a poisoned blow dart but Nahuel," She practically spat out the name, "came in time and stopped them from taking out Nessie."**

"**Nahuel," he asked, "Here?"**

"**Yes," Leah said somewhat put out, "they think he is some Jaguar God or something."**

"**That's not the half of it Leah." Nahuel said his voice still pleasant and full of mirth. He held his arms out expansively gesturing to the growing number of tribe's people who were continued to gather and prostrate themselves. One lady had come forward and knelt in front of Leah with her arms full of beautifully strung necklaces. There were at least six. They were of delicate gold chains and hung on them were pink topaz, blue sapphires, emeralds, and on the main one was a large diamond. "I suggest you accept these gifts from the Jaguar People, Leah." He waited until she looked up at the woman. The woman smiled warmly at Leah's gaze and carefully put the necklaces over her head, and then she bowed once more and walked backwards to the rest of the tribes people. **

"**No, Leah," The Jaguar People have more than one legend and they see your coming as a fulfillment of another legend. To the Jaguar People, you are the Wolf Goddess."**

Chapter Nine  
Anaconda-Part III

Leah's POV

**  
Well, I wanted to get my mind off of Sam and Emily. Almost two days in a plane certainly didn't help. Since I was a last minute add-on, I was stuck back in coach by myself most of the trip. Not that I minded that, the vampire smell was almost bearable back there. However, alone time wasn't helping. When we arrived in Brazil and officials were at the airport checking passports I panicked. I didn't have one and I didn't even think of needing one either. I mean heck, I never thought I would ever leave Washington State—let alone the country. Everyone else had already gotten off the plane ahead of me, being in first class, but as I approached the check point, there was Jasper waiting with my 'passport'.**

"Sorry Leah," He said apologetically, "I was holding everyone's passport for the flight and didn't see you to return yours. Here it is." He handed me a tiny blue book. He looked as though it were an innocent oversight. I was sure it took more than 5 hours notice to get a passport and I had never filled anything out. I gulped as thoughts of being hauled off to a jungle jail raced through my mind. Jasper smiled and the panic disappeared. I handed the official my passport and held my breath. He opened it up and I saw a picture of myself inside along with my name. Everything looked right. Not that I had any idea what a passport was supposed to look like. I got my first official stamp on my first official trip out of Forks and into another dimension.

I had to say, not that I liked any of the Cullen's, but if I had to pick one that didn't annoy me as much as the rest, it would be Jasper. He mostly left me alone and he was no nonsense; plus he wasn't Edward, who dissected my brain or Bella, who thanks to Jacob's past infatuation, I had actually dreamed about kissing. I cringed every time I thought about that.

Next we traveled on the Amazon River in a pretty cool older double-decker river boat. It was complete with a small kitchen, a few bathrooms, a small shower area, and there were even places you could rest. It wasn't long before we picked up our Amazonian guides, Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. I had seen them briefly before at the battle with the Volturi but this was the first time to get a better look. What I saw made me think I'd just stay clear of that lot. I spent a lot of time on the upper deck by myself, and listened to the conversations below, getting irritated by all the friendly conversations around me. I was warring with myself. I needed a distraction and that was why I had come. Now there I was as far away from everyone that I could get and my mind kept slipping so I was thinking about 'him' again. I didn't know why I was hurting so much. I always knew they would get married someday.

I thought I was getting over it. The laughter started out below and everyone clapped in delight. A crazy pink dolphin had just jumped out of the water. Wow, that was something! A little later some fishermen pulled the biggest catfish I'd ever seen out of the water. I heard Zafrina call it a 'Piraba'. It was so big I was surprised that it didn't snap the pole in two. I'd bet my dad would've loved to fish fry that beast up! It could have fed the whole tribe. Wow, I hadn't thought of my Dad for a while. I found that watching the fishermen I could remember him **without it hurting. I was smiling—remembering all of the fun he had fishing; the times he took me with him and the quiet tranquility of the experience. It must have been quite a while that I visited with my father's memories because I was suddenly brought out of my reverie when Jacob came up and told me we were stopping at a town for lunch.**

Of course, Mr. Know-it-all (Edward) had to come with Jake, Nessie and I and showed off his great linguistic skills. Well, at last we ate fish. It was almost like eating dinner with my dad after he had a big catch. It really completed the memory nicely for me. _**'I love you Dad. I miss you too.'**_** I thought as I ate my last bite. Strangely, that was the first time in the last three plus years since his death that I'd been able to think of him without being sad. It made me feel kind of warm inside. Huh?**

We went down a smaller river and I was amazed at the wildlife teaming around us. The jungle was literally alive. I got out a journal I had bought a few months ago to jot my thoughts down on, and turned to the first blank page. I started to pen a few lines about the visual symphony that played out around me. Shortly after that we turned onto an even smaller 'canal'. Emmett nearly scared me to death when he suddenly yelled and jumped into the water. He had apparently found the anaconda that he was so desperate for to make his life complete. It was hard to be annoyed at his antics; he could have been a kid on Christmas morning. Emmett would have made a good wolf. _**'Wow, did I just think that?'**_** Of course, when more showed up, Edward and Jasper couldn't let Emmett upstage them.**

By the time we caught up to them, they were busily playing pat-a-cakes with some piranhas with a bad case of the munchies. I was a little worried when Jacob jumped in, but he appeared to make it through the agitated waters and to land with not much battle damage. It was pretty funny to see the carnivorous fish as they clung to his legs by their teeth. Good thing he got them off as he made landfall, he was healing so fast, they may have otherwise needed to be surgically removed!

It was kind of funny to watch Bella. She was like a mother bear protecting her baby. As if Renesmee needed any kind of protection! I lounged on the deck, enjoying the immense heat and listening to the hum of the birds, monkeys, frogs and other assorted wild life as I watched everyone playing with the piranhas. I didn't remember how long it was after Jacob and Nessie left to go hunting that I heard a very distant howl of pain and almost in the same instant 'heard' in my thoughts Nessie's panicked plea for help. With the thought came the picture of Jacob on the ground with a feather stuck out of his neck and surrounded by some indigenous people who didn't look happy. I jumped out of the boat, swam through the biting piranhas and darted into the jungle in the space of a heartbeat. I phased to wolf and left two once-attached fish behind to take their last breaths. I pushed myself faster than I had ever done before. I felt Edward as he flew past me. Good! For once I was glad he was even faster than me. There wasn't time for me to get irritated. Time was of the essence.

When I got there my first sight was Jacob-wolf, unconscious on the jungle floor. Nothing else really registered, panicked as I was. Edward was already bent over him assessing his condition. I knew he was unconscious yet breathing. He had no coherent thoughts to share. I had to trust that Edward could assist him. I didn't know what the Jaguars were doing there ringing Jacob in a protective way or why they acted defensive. Clearly they didn't do such a good a job or Jake wouldn't have been hurt. If I wanted something done right, I knew had to do it myself. I took a defensive position and made sure nothing else bad happened. I recognized the Indian talking to Edward in English. I realized he was the half-vampire Nahuel, who had come to Forks with his aunt to prove that Nessie wasn't unique. I didn't recognize him but it wasn't like I'd met him then or even gotten a good look. What he was doing here was a question I shoved to the back of my head and I tried not to get angry while I listened to his account.

Apparently, Renesmee and Jacob took down a jaguar and these natives, being the Jaguar People, took offense to that. Well, I guessed we took offense to people who killed wolves in LaPush, but we didn't blow poisonous darts at them. Nahuel said he got there as fast as he could. Then Carlisle arrived and I let out my breath in relief at the sight of him. Now he could wave his magic wand and Jacob would wake up. Wait, next this Nahuel talked about needing some medicine to slow the poison and then some to stop it, but that medicine was DAYS away. 

'_What? Hello people! Jacob is a werewolf! Nothing can hurt him! Why isn't Carlisle explaining that to this Nahuel?'_ I started to panic again. I couldn't lose Jacob. Not now! He was the closest friend I had. He was practically the only friend I had. I couldn't handle anymore loss.

I was so overwhelmed by these thoughts of despair that I was startled by Edward's quiet voice. "Leah, she is refusing to treat Jacob until you have phased back into your human form."

'_What? Who was he talking about?'_ Then I saw her, an older tribal woman. She was very pointedly looking at me in challenge. _'Right, so they can get me without a fight.'_

Edward shook his head and continued, "We don't have time to debate this Leah. You can hear Jacob's heart. It is growing weaker as we sit here debating this."

I thought furiously at him, '_I can't. I shredded my clothes phasing and unlike these 'people' I don't want to go nude right now'._ Next thing I knew Jasper had dropped his own shirt on the ground in front of me and wandered off. Now I could have protested, except that Jacob needed help and for some reason Carlisle seemed intent on allowing these strange people to provide it. I phased back and had the shirt on in a second. It had covered me up pretty well all things considering.

Then I noticed that the old woman looked at me in shock. _'Dang, what did I do? Did I miss a button?'_ There was a gasp from the tribe's people. "I knew this was a trap." I said under my breath.

"No," Edward said as he shook his head. His face had a look of deep concentration. "This is something else. There's no danger. You have surprised them and they are at a loss for words."

_'Oh whatever!'_ You'd have thought they'd never seen a female shape shifter. I didn't have time to worry about them and what their problem was. They'd get over it.

Nahuel said something to the woman in their weird language and she looked back at me and got to business. Maybe he'd told them that I would phase back and bite her head off if she didn't start already. I wondered why she felt she had time to spit in a bowl and play with a tiny blue frog when Carlisle informed us that she was making a kind of anti-venom and then she smeared it all over Jacob's neck. The ever annoying Nahuel said that would only slow the venom _'…yes, I'd heard that already…'_ Nahuel continued as if oblivious to my mood or to the emergency around him.

I felt his eyes on me but I didn't want to talk to him about the weather or anything else for that matter so I tried to tune him out as I looked Jacob over for anything other than his moaning.

"You are quite the surprise, and a lovely one at that." Nahuel said.

'_Are you kidding me? Hello, Mr. Nahuel leave me alone you bloodsucker.'_ "Don't bother me." I raised my head in his general direction for a second before I returned my gaze to Jacob. "I have no patience for you and your eh…hunting habits." I couldn't hide my grimace. It was true, with Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri, I was at my limit for human-hunting vampires. I was startled when the tribe's people, who had grown in numbers, all began chanting.

Nahuel continued talking as if oblivious to the new noise. He seemed to be pretty dense about a lot of things; things like LEAVING ME ALONE.

"And exactly what hunting habits would it be that you are referring too?" His melodic voice unruffled and questioning.

"Humans…Nahuel. It's bad enough to be around the Amazon vampires and their crimson eyes. Just because you hide behind your brown ones doesn't mean I don't know what you eat. Don't even try to get friendly with me." _'There you idiot, I spelled it out for you. No chance for any miscommunication now.'  
_  
"But you ARE mistaken." Nahuel countered.

'_Why oh why, is he still talking to me?'_

"I haven't hunted a human since our confrontation with the Volturi a year and a half ago." His voice became more earnest as if it was somehow important for me to understand his goodness.

'_Hah! Good luck with that LOSER.'_

"I was so impressed by Carlisle and his family that I decided that I didn't have to be a monster, that I could choose to be good. It was really quite easy, especially with the added incentive of wanting to get to know Renesmee better as she matured, and I knew that my previous hunting habits were repulsive to her and her family." He went on smoothly.

I started shaking my head. It was the only thing I did that kept me from phasing and ripping his miserable head off. _'Great, so if it's not bad enough he's trying to put the moves on me, he's going to try to put the moves on Nessie too. What a player…wait until the competition is unconscious and then make your move. He probably waited until the poisoned dart was in Jake's neck to make his arrival on purpose--that filthy parasite.'_

The chanting abruptly stopped and a second later Jacob suddenly opened his eyes and phased back into his human form. I went to his side and held his hand. My only friend was awake. For the first time since his encounter with the poisoned dart I felt relief wash over me. That relief was squashed almost immediately with Nahuel's next assumption.

"There, Renesmee's nanny is waking up." Nahuel said with evident delight.

'_WHAT?'_ His tone didn't seem mocking, his voice was full of joy at Jacob's progress. _'Is this Nahuel a total MORON?'_ I bit back a snarl. "Jacob is NOT her nanny!" I spat the words at him. I was about to give him a proper Leah Clearwater tongue lashing but Carlisle stopped me before I could really get started.

"Be patient, Leah, he does not understand. We will have time to sort this out." Carlisle's calm and soft voice helped me out. Or was it Jasper. Where was he? I don't see him through the crowd of Cullen's at Jacob's feet. "Our first priority is Jacob" Dr. Cullen reminded me. He was right about that. I bit back my irritation.

Jacob started talking while sounding confused, "What happened? Where are we? Is Nessie Okay?" He started to sit up but the old lady wasn't having that. He looked at her and his eyes got huge. He saw me at his side, "Leah, who is this woman?"

"It's okay Jacob," I tried to make both my voice and myself calm. "This woman is, I guess kind of a medicine 'man'. The tribe's warriors shot you with a poisoned blow dart but Nahuel," his name twisted on my tongue almost choking me. "got here in time and stopped them from taking out Nessie."

"Nahuel, here," He asked confused?

"Yes," I said as I rolled my eyes. My voice full of sarcasm, "they think he's some kind of Jaguar God or something."

I bit back another snarl as Nahuel's unruffled voice cheerfully interrupted my report to my Alpha, "That's not the half of it Leah."

He held out his arms wide as if to present the clearing for a curtain call…and speaking of which, I followed his arms to take in the people from the village that now covered every inch of the clearing. All of them were prostrated on the ground. _'What is with these people? To think I thought we had it bad with nothing to do in LaPush. These poor people really need to get a life!'  
_  
One middle-aged woman came forward carrying necklaces. _'That's strange.'_ I thought. _'What, are they going to do, put those on Jacob for part of their healing process? That should go cute if he decides to play dress up again with one of Rosalie's dresses'._

I was surprised when the tribes' woman came and knelt right in front of me holding the necklaces out in front of her. They were spun on delicate gold chains and there were many colors of what had to be locally mined, unpolished gems. They were beautiful. The main one seemed to have a large diamond on it that was polished and cut.

Nahuel continued as if this was an everyday occurrence. "I suggest you accept these gifts from the Jaguar People, Leah."

'_What? These beautiful necklaces are a gift to ME? I missed something here. There was a huge puzzle piece missing, either that or someone is playing a huge joke on me and filming it for YouTube. Where was Emmett?'_ I mentally calculated our situation. '_Well, we could have this stalemate or I could humor these people and get Jake to his medicine. Okay, I'll play along then. Ambassador Leah Clearwater, friend to the Jaguar People. I could do this.'  
_  
I looked at the woman kneeling in front of me and she smiled at me encouragingly. Then she placed all the necklaces over my head at once, bowed and walked backwards to the rest of her people.

"No Leah, "Nahuel was talking again. I was secretly beginning to wonder if he just liked to hear the sound of his own voice. It was a nice voice, I'd give him that, but he was just SO annoying. He made me uncomfortable. He continued speaking, Mr. Oblivious, "The Jaguar People have more than one legend and they see your coming as a fulfillment of another legend. To the Jaguar People, you are the Wolf Goddess."

'_Well, I came on this trip to forget about Sam and so far this trip has at least done that.'_ I thought sarcastically.

Everyone was looking at me. _'Great, now I'm a freak side show for the natives. Well, the clock is ticking...so let's get out of here and make a hasty exit stage left.'_ I got up to leave. I looked at Carlisle and tried to act like the last five minutes were a figment of my imagination. "So, should we get that stretcher they brought for Jake and go find these Ticunan Indians?"

Carlisle, trying to hide his amusement nodded his head 'yes'. The Indians, seeing me point to the stretcher brought it forward and their leader. I guessed being an Indian myself, I could come up with the correct term, their chief, was speaking to Nahuel urgently.

Edward sighed and turned to me, "Leah, apparently there is a custom 'ritual' that must be performed before we can leave. Nahuel is trying to explain the urgency of our plight and their concession is that they will perform it now quickly instead of preparing the usual feast first.

'_No freaking WAY Edward.'_ I glared at him. He simply shrugged his shoulders. Jacob coughed accenting my frustration.

"Come on, put on your happy face, it's time to play Ambassador Leah." Edward said pleasantly.

'_Great! Edward is invading my head again.'_

Emmett pushed forward and said in his ever casual way, "You can play this one hands down. No script required. You're a great actress; I mean you're already top of the class at being a drama Queen!" I took back what I thought about Emmett being funny.

"Hah! You think you're funny, do you? I'll show you a real performance." I turned my back on all of them and went to stand next to Nahuel with my head held high. I walked as regally as I could, back straight and poised. I just had to forget that I was barefoot and wearing a man's shirt for attire.

"Just follow my lead." Nahuel whispered in my ear. It gave me the shivers.

"Whatever." I hissed back just as quietly.

The chief motioned to us to come to him. All of the natives made a path for us. Nahuel, who was still standing next to me, held his hand out to me to take in a formal stance. When I acted like I didn't see what he wanted, he nudged me and jerked his hand out to the same pose again.

"Okay," I hissed as I took his hand and he led me to the chief. I tried to ignore all the weirdness around me as I hurried Nahuel along so we could get the hell out of there. I could almost feel the minutes tick away as we wasted time on this idiocy. Everyone was chanting again. Okay. When we reached the chief, everyone stopped. It appeared that the chief began praying because he kept lifting his hands upwards in a supplicating gesture as he spoke. Nahuel nodded along and smiled at the man while I tried unsuccessfully to take my hand back. _'Man, Nahuel is strong. I'll give him that.'_ He appeared to be chuckling under his breath. _'What is it with vampires? Do they all have a perverse sense of humor? Well, at least he didn't smell bad like the other vampires. His was more bearable--same as Nessie's.'  
_  
The chief finished and clapped his hands. Nahuel bent and kissed the back of my hand that he still held firmly in front of us. _'Okay. That's it! Game over. My Leah Clearwater, Ambassador to the Jaguar People gig is now over.' _I thought as my irritation took over my head. Apparently, Nahuel agreed. He turned us around and quickly led us back down the path to Jake and the Cullens. He smiled and waved to the people, who oddly enough all had tears in their eyes despite the looks of being overjoyed_. 'Strange, funny people, what is with them?'_ We gathered up Jacob's stretcher. At least the Cullen's had prepared for our immediate departure while I attended to our little pleasantries. And we were off in a flash. I was shocked when the tribal warriors followed us, ALL THE WAY back to the boat.

"What is THEIR problem?" I called out to Nahuel who was walking behind me.

"Oh, they are just so overjoyed that I'm leaving, that they want to make sure I really have left." He said as happy as ever.

"Oh Joy for us," I said my voice full of sarcasm. I saw Edward look back at Nahuel and grin. Nahuel chuckled. That was really irritating.

When we arrived at the boat, I saw that Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri were already aboard along with who I assumed was Nahuel's aunt, Huilen. _'Great, just what I need, another full blooded vampire around.'_ When I got a closer look at her, I was surprised to see her eyes were gold. Nahuel spoke quickly to her and I heard the words "Wolf Goddess" mixed in with a bunch of other nonsense. No mistaking that conversation was about me.

After I made sure that Jacob was alright and resting comfortably. I called the shower first and didn't wait to be challenged. Now that there were better wardrobe selections, I was definitely ready to clean up a bit. I eyed the necklaces as I removed them. They were quite beautiful. Without a doubt, they were the nicest thing anyone had ever given me. Plus it was an authentic souvenir to celebrate MY heritage of being a wolf. It almost made me laugh. _'Maybe I'd wear them again after my shower.'_

I felt much better after showering, although I found out it was only filtered river water, still with soap it did nicely. I went and found Jacob, who had been having a conversation with Nahuel. Apparently Nahuel had pumped him for information on Nessie. What her favorite music was, her favorite things to do, etc. He really had some nerve. When he saw me he got up, he stood and said, "I take it this means it's my turn in the shower?"

"Whatever." I took his place beside my Alpha, concerned by the look on Jake's face. "What's wrong?" I asked tensing in an instant.

Jacob watched Nahuel's retreating back. When he felt Nahuel was out of hearing distance he whispered to me. "Leah," His eyes were frantic.

'_Was a fever attacking him?'_ I thought, in alarm at his intensity.

He clutched at my collar. "You have to help me. Please, as my friend. I'm begging you!"

"Calm down," I said back, worried at the frantic tone in his voice. "What do you need Jake. I'm right here. I'll do whatever you need. You know that." I patted his head. I was going for reassuring but it was lost on him.

"Please! Keep Nahuel AWAY from Nessie. I don't care how you do it. He doesn't know. He doesn't understand, about Nessie and me, I mean. You have to make him see, to understand, about imprinting, I mean…" I stopped breathing. No wonder he couldn't get a sentence out right. I had to fight back a hiss. "I know I'm asking a lot. I know how you feel about the bloodsuckers. I know you don't have to do this, but I'm kind of stuck here. Please, Leah, for me, will you?" His eyes were so fearful.

'_Crazy imprinted people.'_ I thought but then I remembered how desolate I'd felt the other day and I agreed with a sigh. _'Great, the Jaguar People's loss is my gain. How do I keep that irritating, and annoying man away from Renesmee when he is determined to seek her out.'_

Carlisle and Edward made it easy. Shortly after Nahuel returned all fresh and ready to get fresh…with me or Nessie it was still unclear, maybe either would do.

'_The jerk.'_

They told Nahuel and me that they needed us to take off on foot after we reached the end of the small stream we were then traveling on to get our medicine and bring it back for Jacob. Apparently, we were the only ones that would fit in and not be questioned by the Ticunas as outsiders or more importantly vampires. Since Nahuel apparently knew how to find them and also spoke their language, we were the best choice. When we reached the end of the stream and took off on foot, it was dark night. I hadn't slept since the plane but Nahuel said we should make great time even if we had to stop for a few hours to rest.

So there I was in the middle of literally, NOWHERE with 'Prince Charming'. I thought I was going to be sick. Of course, the dark didn't slow us at all and Nahuel was determined to have a conversation with me no matter how unaccommodating I tried to be.

"So, how long have you been a wolf?" He asked pleasantly. "I mean, are there many female werewolves in LaPush?"

'_Oh hell, it's going to be a long trip if I don't ever answer him. What the heck. It will break the ice for my assignment.'_ I thought as I gave in reluctantly.

"I have been a werewolf for a few years and I am the only girl werewolf." I answered curtly.

"Do you like being a wolf?" He asked in a voice that implied that there were MANY more questions where that one came from.

'_Great. Apparently this was time to play twenty questions.'_ "Sometimes I like it. What's it to you?" I asked in a scathing voice.

"I think it is fascinating. Or rather, I think you are fascinating."

'_Great, I'm the new shiny toy.'_ I glared at the moon. "I thought you were after Nessie?" I asked pointedly.

"Maybe, unless something else develops in the meantime," He said vaguely.

'_Oh joy.'  
_

This kept up for the next two or three hours as we traipsed through a brook that wound its way through the jungle mountain. Shortly after daybreak, he called a short rest stop. He told me to wait where I was and he went out into the jungle and then returned with mangos, bananas and pineapples. Not regular fare for Folks but it was really good and I was rather hungry. We sat on rocks and took a small break.

"You know Nahuel, "I started. Not sure how I was suppose to complete my assignment to Jake. "There is one thing about this werewolf business that is kind of weird."

"Really," Nahuel interjected, "Only one thing?" I had to kind of smile at that.

"Well have you ever heard about imprinting?" I asked watching the water gurgle around the rocks at our feet.

"Yes, I believe I have." Nahuel said eagerly. "That is how baby ducklings can tell who their mothers are; Fascinating."

"Right, baby ducklings," I said without realizing I had spoken. I could work with that. "Right when they first see their mother, they know who she is." _'Why is this hard?'_ I puzzled out in my mind. _'Maybe because I am afraid to have him laugh at me, at imprinting, when it was imprinting that destroyed my life.'_ "Well, this imprinting works on werewolves also. Only, we don't imprint to find our mothers but for finding our mates." I was staring at the trees across the stream from us—waiting for the laughter to begin.

"Are you talking about love at first sight?" I nodded. "That is really something!" He said excitedly.

"If you say so," I answered him darkly. My stomach suddenly felt hollow. _'Dang it, and I was doing so good, now talking about imprinting has to be the worst way to try to keep Sam off my mind.'  
_  
"I take it this imprinting thing hasn't worked out so well for you?" His voice was suddenly sympathetic. I refused to let my guard down around this infuriating half-breed.

"You could say that." I muttered. Then I remembered my assignment and decided to soldier on. Anyway, we have no control over where, when or whom we imprint on. It happens the first time we make eye contact with whoever the person is. So, you have been calling Jacob, Renesmee's nanny and he is not a nanny at all."

"She's his imprint." Nahuel finished finally understanding. He seemed to be deep in thought.

"Yes, and frankly you are freaking him out." I said. I wondered how much more there would have to be to my assignment before it was enough.

After a while Nahuel gave me a hand up and we started out again. He didn't talk so much after that. I had a terrible thought that he might take a long, roundabout way to the Ticunans just so Jake would die and he could have Nessie to himself. I wondered how much I trusted this Nahuel. I was tired and hungry when, an hour later, we finally saw signs of life up the stream from us. It was late afternoon.

"The Ticunans," Nahuel commented to me softly. "Make sure your necklaces are outside of your shirt and stay close to my side please."

I was surprised in the change that had come over Nahuel after our imprinting conversation. Whatever his thoughts were, he kept them to himself and he was quieter, more polite…distant somehow. "Before we enter their village we need to go into the jungle for a minute." I followed him into the canopy of trees, where Nahuel became very quiet and then let out a series of snarls. He waited a minute holding out his finger for me to be still. After a minute he let go his snarls again. This time, there were two answering growls coming from different directions. Two Jaguars came towards Nahuel. They snuggled right up next to him as if they were his house cats and he their loving master. He gently rubbed their backs and scratched their heads behind their ears. When he finished the big cats followed him into the village and me dumbfounded by his side.

"Ready for another stellar performance, Wolf Goddess?" he asked teasingly and he took my hand once more.

Strange, I didn't mind his hand holding my hand like I had yesterday. Maybe it was because he quit talking all afternoon and I could hear myself think.

People here acted similar to the way they did yesterday--Awe, fear and reverence. The chief came out and spoke with Nahuel. I guessed he told them of our urgent errand. The chief immediately sent out runners to locate what we required. Nahuel turned to me and explained that they had to go and get the ingredients from out in the jungle and then it would take several hours to prepare. The Ticunan people had requested that we be their honored guests for the evening and that by morning, the medicines would be ready. He assured me that we would make it back in time to help Jacob.

I decided I liked the Ticunans. They were very nice people. I could see them being my neighbors back in LaPush. They fed us a small meal of fish and tubers to hold us over until the feast that would be held in our honor later that night.

I felt much better after eating. Nahuel towed me back out to the stream, and sat me on a rock. What was that all about? He seemed pensive about something. Maybe he was going to finally talk about whatever had left him all tongue tied today.

"Leah," He began. His voice was soft and tender. "I need to know what this imprinting did to you. I can see the pain in your eyes. It's in your voice, your stance. It is permeating everything about you. What happened, lovely Leah?"

I almost got off the rock and stormed back to the boat. Then something stopped me. Was it the tone of his voice? I didn't know, but suddenly I wanted him to understand. I told him all about Sam and me and Emily. I told him all about turning into a werewolf and what I felt that meant for me. How I felt that I wasn't good enough; that I was defective. I felt my face twist and had to stop a few times to keep from crying. That I would not do in front of this man no matter how much empathy he seemed to share with me for that moment.

When I finished I looked up. His back was to me. He continued to gaze at nothing away from me for a few minutes. Then he swiftly turned around and I was shocked into silence as he gathered me in his arms. He cradled me to him and I was surprised to register tears streaming down his face. That was all it took. I started crying like I never had in my life.

It was sometime before I got control of myself enough to try to stifle the sobs. Nahuel just held me and patted my back, my hair and told me over and over again that it would be okay. Finally I took a deep breath and pulled away from him. He allowed this but kept my hands. I still couldn't look him in the eye. I was too embarrassed. _'What am I doing? I am Leah Clearwater, a survivor, a wolf…a blubbering idiot.'_

"So, I was wondering about this imprinting thing." Nahuel began quietly as if I hadn't just made a complete and utter fool of myself. "If it's just to look someone in the eye, why don't you give it a go with me?" He asked casually. "Is that why you haven't looked me in the eye since we met?" He waited for me to say something. I didn't. I felt my cheeks flame scarlet. I hadn't avoided his eyes on purpose but he was right, I hadn't looked him in the eye—not once.

"Are you afraid too?" He whispered the words. I shook my head still looking down.

"I am not afraid of you." I said with a low moan. _'Why is he taunting me like this?'_ "It won't work. It doesn't work like that. I can't control it, and I won't imprint anyway. I'm not a candidate." I winced at my choice of words.

"That's just a theory. You said so yourself. Anyway, one look won't hurt you and either way, I'm not going anywhere."

"What is that suppose to mean?" I asked confused.

"I'm not Sam, Leah. I'm not a wolf and I don't imprint. I won't leave you like that. You are the most beautiful, intriguing and complicated woman I've ever met and you have completely captivated me. I'd like to give this a go--especially if Renesmee is spoken for already, so to speak. So, what do you say Leah? Shall we give it a try?" He let go of my hands and gathered me back into his embrace before he continued. "Look at me, because frankly, I'm getting tired of only sideways glances. I don't want my wife to be afraid to look me in the eye."

"Wife," I asked rolling my eyes_? 'Is this some underhanded marriage proposal or what?'_

"Yes Wife, Leah. What do you think those crazy Jaguar People were doing before they let us leave? They married us."

I couldn't believe that he had tricked me like that. I was so furious I couldn't speak. I looked up and met his gaze for the first time and that was the end of everything; everything that made me who I was. All that there was for me now was this beautiful man in front of me. I could see the symmetry in the universe and everything became clear in that moment.

This man, Nahuel, who had just washed away every hurt and wrong I had ever suffered in my life, who stood right in front of me, larger than life, who was so much more than I had ever imagined I could have or want or love.

"Nahuel" I could barely speak his name, the emotions inside me were so strong and pure and right. He brought his lips to mine and it felt like I had never been kissed before. It felt like coming home.

[A/N: Sorry for the delay, I was out of town. Special thanks to my Son David and also to Maggie Chambers for helping me iron out some kinks in my story and letting me bounce ideas off them. Their help is invaluable! I also appreciate the three people who took the time to leave me a comment :D]


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten  
Clearwater—Part I

Leah's POV

**I don't even remember what happened after that. I think I just stood there in shock. I do know that Nahuel was sitting on the rock holding me in his arms when the Ticunans came for us. They led us to the center of their village where a wonderful feast was laid out. They even had fresh meat for the Jaguars who were always by Nahuel's side.**

Then the food came. After overeating on a wonderful roasted duck dish with a crazy sauce that left my tongue numb, corn, beans, yams and so much fresh tropical fruit that I worried about having more than one kind of 'running' tomorrow, I started getting sleepy. I opened my eyes wider to keep awake.

**The whole tribe turned out and there was singing and even some sort of a play involving hunting. It was sort of lost on me without knowing the language. Every now and then Nahuel would lean over and explain what was being said. I had a hard time taking my eyes off him but I didn't want to be rude to these nice people.**

_**'Wow, me Leah Clearwater, not wanting to be rude? That feels different and nice. It feels like I've been buried in layers of hurt and anger and betrayal and Nahuel has just dug me up from being buried alive. Now I'm seeing the sun again, breathing air again, and being free. My heart feels lighter. I hadn't realized that the weights I had hanging on me had affected my spirit. Now that I'm unburdened by them, I feel like my true self is finally reemerging, and that the past 4-5 years have been nothing but a terrible dream. IF Nahuel is serious about this, if he is really going to stay—dang, I almost feel a panic at the thought that he might not—but if he stays, I could have the strength to forgive Sam and Emily. Right now, I feel like anything is possible.'**_** I'd thought as I gazed into the fire. For once I was content—happy even with Nahuel's hand firmly clasping my own.  
**

**At the close of the evening, the chief gave us a drink that smelled somewhat familiar. Nahuel told me it was from the cocoa tree but not to get to excited about it…if I was thinking about hot chocolate (and I was),this drink wasn't sugared and it wasn't diluted with milk. He was right. Somehow I managed to gulp it down with my image of myself as Ambassador Leah Clearwater firmly in my mind.**

The chief then led us to a hut farther away from the others and said something to Nahuel, who then turned to me and said, "The chief of the Ticuna People wants to thank us for our honoring his people with our presence. They know that they will have a good harvest this year because of our visit. They wish us a good night's rest and will wake us up at dawn when the Jacob's poultices will be ready. We need to smile and wave to them now." I did this immediately. I was also starting to panic a little, we were in the doorway to a 'hut' to spend our first night together and we were-man-and-wife. This had gone WAY to fast.

He turned and pulled back the fabric draped across the door for me. I went in and he followed. There was one thin, wide mattress in the middle of the room. It was on top of a frame of wood. I was assaulted by butterflies. _**'Was I ready for this?'**_****

"Lovely Leah," Nahuel said as he enfolded me in his arms again. That helped the panic a little bit. "Is it possible that you might be as nervous about this as I am?' I looked up at him and he wore a sheepish expression. I just nodded and started to laugh. Quietly, as the walls of the hut didn't offer much sound insulation. 

'_**Wow, I'm laughing. When was the last time I laughed?'**_** Nahuel laughed as well. That helped a bit.**

"Do you mind if we wait, Nahuel?" I almost whispered. "I mean there is no question that I want you forever, I can't even imagine wanting anyone but you ever again, but can we kind of take it slow? Get to know each other a little bit first?"

Nahuel sighed in relief, "I was kind of hoping you might say something like that." He then pulled back the blanket on the bed and made a show of turning his back on me so that I could prepare for bed. 

'_**Well, he's already seen me in just a shirt; Heck, I married him in just a shirt, so I can at least take off my shoes and jeans.'**_** When I was in and covered, he did the same. **

"**Would it be alright, if I held you in my arms, while we sleep tonight, Leah?" He asked tentatively.**

"I think I can handle that." I said as I snuggled up next to him. My head rested on his chest and I breathed his scent in. It was sweet, like vampires, but also earthy, musky, and the blood in his veins tempered it so the sweet wasn't overpowering. It didn't burn my nose at all. I found the more I inhaled it, the more intoxicating it was.

"Nahuel?" I asked after a moment of silence as he ran his hands lightly down my back.

"Yes, Leah" he asked as he grazed his lips across the top of my head. It seemed like he was smelling me. I wonder if that's a vampire thing. 

'_**Maybe I'll need to just get use to that. Oh, wait; I was just doing that to him too.'**_****

I looked up at him in the darkness. "Just how married are we? I mean, there didn't appear to be any vows, or a license…" I trailed off waiting for an answer. I didn't want to be angry with Nahuel but this was something I needed to resolve with him. _**'What would my mother think if I came home married to a half-vampire?'**_** That thought had worried me a little. Okay, maybe more than a little.**

"Well, as far as the indigenous people of the Amazon are concerned. We are husband and wife. If we live here, it's a done deal." He said matter-of-factly.

"What if we don't live here?" This brought up another worry to me. I thought it was beyond beautiful there but I didn't think that I really wanted to live in the Amazon.

"Well, the Brazilian government has an agreement with Tribal People of the rainforest; they give authority to the chiefs to officiate in matters of their tribes. They are encouraged to have the marriages, births, deaths recorded with the government within three months of the event but it is a haphazard agreement as it doesn't get done very often. To keep our marriage legal, we would need to go to Porto Velho and have it recorded. So to answer your question, Lovely Leah, we are and we aren't."

'So, we're not actually legally married right now?" I asked. Not sure how I felt about that. Partly I felt relieved and partly sad. I also worried that he would change his mind and not want to marry me. It was hard for me to be imprinted. I couldn't take charge like my pack-brothers could. I concentrated on his arms around me. It calmed my unease.

"We're legally married until we leave Brazil or the three month grace period runs out, then if we want to be legal, we would need to get it recorded. But Leah…" He leaned up on his elbow to look me in the eye. "I would never trick you into marrying me if I thought it would be a permanent arrangement. I will need to explain to you about the legends of the Jaguar God and the Wolf Goddess to help you understand why I acted as I did yesterday. I truly didn't think I would fall in love with you, and I do love you Leah." At the intensity of his words, my heart caught in my throat. He said he loved me. I never thought I would ever hear those words again.

"I thought I would do what was needed to get away from the Jaguar People so we could help Jacob. Then make sure it was never recorded and when you left Brazil it would be over and you wouldn't ever need to be worried about it. Edward was going to tell you before the ceremony but I warned him not to if there was any chance you would not play along because the Jaguar People take their legends VERY seriously. Can you forgive me for that? I promise you I will never do anything like that behind your back again."

"Yes," I said feeling that he didn't need to ask and also a little ashamed to realize that his assessment was spot on. "Now that you have explained why, I can forgive you and you're right. If I had known I would never have allowed the marriage to happen--even knowing it could be fixed later. And we would probably not be here now getting Jacob the medicine he needs. It's just that…" I was almost afraid to tell him my anxiety.

"Just what," He murmured? He was brushing a wayward hair strand off my face.

"Just, that I'm a little sad that it isn't permanent. I mean, I'm relieved, but I'm sad also. How's that for conflicting emotions." I laughed half heartedly.

"I've lived 158 years and I've never had a wife before. I like having you as my wife. I could hold you hostage here." He said thoughtfully. He bent down and kissed my lips softly.

"I think I kind of like being your wife." I answered back, "But could you hold me hostage back home?"

"That might work. I'm getting an idea here. If you'll agree to be my permanent wife, then I want to give you the wedding you have always dreamed of Leah; where your home is, with your family there and your friends. What do you think of that? I mean," He paused and shifted off the bed to kneel beside me, and took my hand. "Lovely Leah, will you be my wife? Will you marry me?"

"Yes!!!." I said with joy erupting through my voice. He pulled me up in a tight embrace. "Oh, and by the way, I love you too." He kissed me again softly.

"You have made me a happy man Leah Clearwater." He tightened his arms around me. We lay back down and were silent for a minute.

"Hey, Nahuel, what is your last name?" I asked him suddenly, as I realized I didn't know. I was very proud to be a Clearwater and I wondered if my new last name would be something strange.

"Well I am from the Mapuche Tribe over the mountains and into Chile. In our tribe, I was known as Nahuel of the Mapuche. I've never really had a last name so to speak. I have shortened it to Nahuel Mapuche. My father's name is Joham—if you could even call him a father," He said his voice suddenly gone cold. "I would never consider using his name. I enjoyed seeing him squirm when the Volturi came calling on him last year. I don't think he'll be trying to make anymore hybrids for a while. They made him turn over all his notes and they also took detailed accounts from my sisters. Do you know what he did Leah?" His voice held hate and pain in it. I remembered the story from when his aunt told it to the Volturi at our confrontation. Still, sensing that he needed to tell it himself I shook my head no. "He left my mother alone, a fragile human to be ripped apart by me. I was an innocent life; I had no idea what I was doing. He tried to justify it to me later with all kinds of nonsense about humans being nothing more than animals and it didn't matter, that my mother gladly gave up her life for me, that there was no other way. I honestly believed myself to be an evil creature. I killed my own mother, Leah" A sob escaped him. I held him tightly and he regained his composure. "Sorry about that." He said quietly.

"You know what," I said kissing his bare chest. "Just tell me what you need to without worrying about crying in front of me. Don't ever be afraid to be emotional with me. You can trust me with that. I mean, as long as we're by ourselves, alright?"

"Okay," He said. "You know I haven't cried since I was six years old. Now this is twice in one day. I'm turning into...how do you say it…a girly-man?"

I almost growled at him. _**'Was he joking?'**_** "You are the farthest thing from any girly-man I ever saw. Be careful what you say about the man I love." I said asI faked a scolding. He laughed and took a deep breath before continuing.**

He went back to his story. "Honestly, when Caius asked the Cullens, 'your daughter, is she venomous?' I expected to hear a male voice respond. But when it was Bella who answered, well, I was shocked—shocked beyond belief. She was a mother who survived! And in that moment I knew that my father was a lying, immoral, monster who would justify anything. He could have saved my mother, but she was nothing to him. I have been so thankful for my Aunt Huilen for helping me to know and love my mother. If not for her, I would be as callous and self-centered as my sisters. He actually has them believing they are gods."

"Do you mean like the Jaguar God?" I asked him leaning up to rub my nose against his.

"No," He said smiling a little. "Remind me to explain that to you later. My sisters have been brainwashed into actually believing they are this super-race." He shook his head "But I digress. Edward loved Bella and stood by her side and made sure she delivered Renesmee safely and then took steps to ensure that she survived. It sounds kind of strange, because I'm older than Edward, but comparing him to my father…I feel more like Edward is the man I respect as a good father figure not Joham."

We were quiet again. '_**Maybe I need to rethink my opinion of Edward Cullen. Well, not tonight.'**_****

"You know Leah, as far as after we get married, I kind of like Clearwater and I would be honored to take your last name if you prefer? I mean many cultures in this area do that. It's a matriarchal society." He said tentatively.

"I would like that VERY much." I said a smile on my face. _**'Wow, how did I get so lucky! I get to marry a man who is tall, dark and handsome and the most wonderful man in the world AND keep my last name.'**_** I shook my head in disbelief. "I can't believe I get all of this when I only took this trip to try to forget about Sam."**

"Who are you trying to forget?" Nahuel asked between kissing the tip of my nose and my eyelids.

"I already forgot." I mumbled into his throat.

"Good. Don't forget that you forgot again!" He kissed me again longer.

Chapter Ten  
Clearwater-Part II

Renesmee's POV

**It felts like Nahuel and Leah had been gone forever. Dad and Emmett left in the middle of the night to meet them on their way back and speed up the medicine Jacob needed with a relay. Already it was early **_**afternoon of the third day. **_

'_**When oh when will someone get here with my Jake's medicine?'**_

**Granddad and I watched over Jacob. We had just relieved Mom, who then left to prepare some kind of soup for him. He was awake but not doing as well as yesterday. He kept seeing things that weren't real; Mom explained to me that he was hallucinating. I could also see Granddad was very worried. He said that after Mom fed him some broth, he was going to give him more morphine.**

"**Nessie, Nessie," Jacob's voice rose to me through his delirium. "Don't go with him. He can't love you like I do. Promise me you won't leave me." I held his hand. He wasn't looking at me. He eyes were open but it almost looked as though he were in some kind of a trance or something. His breathing was ragged. It hitched in a strange uneven rhythm. **

"**Jake, I'm right here." I cried. Couldn't he hear me? I felt the panic come over me and I was filled with a dread that quickly disappeared when Uncle Jasper put his hand on my shoulder. Next, he knelt down beside me and put his other hand on Jacob, who then started to breathe easier.**

"**Not so much that it put him to sleep, Jasper." Granddad cautioned. "Bella's almost got his broth ready. Let's get him some liquids first. Oh, how I wish I had brought my medical bag." Granddad fretted, not for the first time.**

"**Granddad, Jake is a werewolf! He should not get sick like this. What happened?" I wailed again despite Jasper's strong emotional support.**

"**I don't understand it, Nessie." Granddad shook his head. "But we WILL make sure that he is going to be alright." His words seemed as though he willed Jacob to be well by the force of his faith alone. "I kept the feathered dart that Nahuel pulled out of Jacob's neck and I scraped the inside of the jar of the poultice the old native woman made. They're in the ice cooler and I'll send them off along with a sample of the medicine we get from the Ticunans. Don't worry Nessie; we'll get to the bottom of this. When we get to a large enough town, I'm going to have it shipped to a lab in the states for analysis."**

**Just then Mom came in and I scooted over so she could feed Jacob the bowl of chicken broth. It didn't go so good. His tongue was swollen and he had a hard time swallowing it. Somehow, after a thirty minute battle, it was mostly all in. She then proceeded to lay cool wet towels all over him. Granddad got his dose of morphine ready.**

"**Alice?" Granddad asked. "Did you find the satellite uplink for our cell phone connection?"**

"**Yes," She said slowly, "Just got it." She appeared swiftly with a cell phone in hand.**

**Granddad quickly dialed a number. "Billy Black? This is Carlisle. Yes, well, there is a problem. Day before yesterday Jacob and Renesmee ran into some hostile Amazon Indians and they managed to shoot Jacob with a poisoned blow dart. (Long Pause) Well, that's just it; he isn't healing on his own. We got the Indians settled down and they made a poultice for him that has slowed the spread of the poison but it is still active. We sent Leah and Nahuel to a distant Indian tribe that knows how to make the antidote…" **

**I could hardly listen to Granddad's one-sided conversation. Jacob was looking for my hand again as he whispered my name. I went back to his side. Mom handed me a cup of ice. Whenever I could get him to open his mouth I gave him a small chip. He seemed to be coming back to himself some more. He looked over to me and a flicker of recognition lit his eyes. I sighed in relief. **

**The satellite phone conversation continued."…Yes, he is here. I wanted him to be able to talk to you before I gave him some morphine. (Away from the phone) Jacob, can you say 'hello' to your father?"**

**Granddad held the phone right up to Jacob's ear. "D—a—d," Jacob had a difficult time speaking. He listened to his dad for a long time. "O—ka—y. (Pause) I kn—o—w, I lo—ve you, too." Jacob closed the phone. He was starting trembling from the effort it took to speak those few words. He fell back to the bed completely exhausted. Granddad gave him the shot and watched as Jacob fell into unconsciousness. He then went over to the side of the boat and looked anxiously off in the direction Dad and Emmett had taken off in last night. I hoped they made it back SOON.**

**Thirty minutes later—that seemed like hours later, they did. First my Dad breezed in with the meds and Uncle Emmett shortly thereafter. Dad and Emmett relayed the instructions on how to use the medicine, they got started. Apparently it was quite a drawn out sequence. There were four different medicines. First there were leaves to be crushed up into a broth, Next was a topical suave to be applied to the infected area, the forehead, chest and the bottom of the feet. One was more leaves to be boiled in hot water and the vapors inhaled and the last was a pasty, white substance that was to be left on the tongue.**

**Apparently it wasn't a one-time dosing either. All four steps were to happen every hour for an entire twenty four hour period. It was so hard getting him to drink the broth that the first few times, it took the whole hour just to get through all of the steps. I wasn't sure for the first several hours, if he was improving at all. Aunt Rose fixed me a sandwich, which she all but had to force-feed me. I could hardly think about food. It was after the fourth dose that Leah and Nahuel raced back in the cove where our boat sat. They immediately dove in and swam to us. Leah was at my side immediately assessing Jacob's condition with a frown on her face. She seemed quite alarmed. He was much worse than he'd been when they had left. Still, he'd begun breathing better than before. Nahuel looked to see how much of the medicine was left and shook his head.**

"**They told me there would be enough here." He said in dismay. "How many doses has he had already?"**

"**Four," Granddad replied. Nahuel nodded. "He is improving. I can hear his heartbeat getting stronger and his color is better." Shortly after that, his fever broke and he came around. Mom shooed everyone away; it was time to start round five and she'd brought his boiled medicine broth over. **

**Jacob tried to spit it out. "Bells, I gotta tell ya," His voice still shaky but much stronger. "Your cooking skills have really gone to the dogs since you became a vampire." Everyone chuckled lightly. Relief was strong in the room. When his fifth treatment was done, he rested for a bit. **

**Leah convinced that he was improving, left for a shower. Nahuel asked if he could speak to Edward. They left and went to the roof of the boat. We were traveling back up the river we had come down. Granddad decided that he needed to get his samples airborne as soon as possible. Plus we could travel to our next destination in the boat and that would make it easier for Jacob to regain his strength. We decided to wait until we arrived back at Manaus, where we would decide if we'd cut short our trip based on Jacob's condition at that time.**

**It was then that I noticed Jasper, as he walked around smiling like someone just presented him with a smorgasbord of predators for an all-you-can eat buffet. Funny, but I thought he would've been exhausted after helping Jacob remain calm for the last 36 hours. Edward and Nahuel came down the stairs smiling and Dad had his arm on Nahuel's shoulder. At the look of them, Granddad, Mom and I looked up in surprise. Apparently Jacob woke up a bit and moaned when he looked in their direction. Leah came out of the bathroom with wet hair and Nahuel walked right up to her and planted a big kiss right on her lips before taking off for the showers himself. **

**If that wasn't surprising enough, she then went to Alice, "Hey, not that you need any, and this is definitely away from civilization and all," Leah's voice was sheepish. **

'_**What was going on? I've never seen Leah act this way,'**_** my thoughts were confused. I had to consciously remind myself to close my mouth.**

**Leah continued, "But, do you have any makeup on you I could use?" Of course, Leah probably already knew she'd just waved a red flag in front of a raging bull. Alice dragged her off and I wasn't sure if we'd see either of them ever again. **

**At least I wasn't the only one surprised. Everyone was quiet and seemed confused--except for Dad who grinned from ear to ear. Uncle Jasper looked funniest of all, as he smiled but also looked perplexed.**

**Before I knew it, Mom was back with the medicine broth and Jacob was begging for someone to hide him. It was a huge relief, to see him slowly come back to himself. Now that Jacob was more coherent, the process didn't take the entire hour to administer and it seemed like after each treatment, he was stronger. It was approaching evening when Alice and Leah returned. I always knew that Leah was beautiful, but with her hair done and the added definition makeup provided, the effect was dramatic. **

**Alice proudly presented her with a loud, "Tada!" As if she took full credit and show cased Leah as if she were a masterpiece. Leah rolled her eyes and went over to Nahuel who took her into his arms at once held her for—well, for longer than a regular hug normally lasted. When they broke apart, they were surprised to see my family staring in shock at them. They laughed a little nervously.**

"**Well Damn, now I've seen everything." Emmett finally broke the silence.**

**Jacob from his bed on the couch said in confusion, "Leah, just how 'into' my little assignment for you did you get?"**

**Jasper couldn't stand it any longer. He crossed to them and hugged them together. Emmett not missing a beat announced, "Group hug" and before I knew it Leah and Nahuel were nearly crushed by not just Emmett, but Alice, Esme, Mom, Dad, Huilen, Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. I was surprised when Aunt Rose came and got me and the two of us joined the huddle, leaving Jacob and Granddad sitting on the bed, mouths open in astonishment.**

"**Leah," Jasper said with a happy note in his voice. His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "What is going on? You're exploding with a joy so intense it is consuming and contagious. What has happened?" Leah and Nahuel just looked at each other grinning and finally Leah spoke. "Jasper, we'll tell everyone, but first, do you have a cell phone that works out here?"**

**Jasper handed her his phone with a grin plastered on his face. Leah, with her hand still in Nahuel's walked over by Jacob as she dialed a number. Everyone was close by.**

**We could hear the phone ring. After a minute we heard Seth's faint answer on the other end.**

"**Seth, its Leah I have great news. Is Mom there? (Pause) Where is she? (Another pause) Okay, I'll call her there. (Pause) Yes, Jake is starting to get better; I'll have him call Billy as soon as I get a hold of Mom."**

"**She's with Charlie." Leah said to us as she quickly dialed Grandpa's number. "Hi Charlie, its Leah, (Pause) Yes, it is beautiful here. (Pause) Yes, I'm taking pictures. Hey, Charlie, Is my Mom there? (Pause), "Mom!" Leah could no longer contain her excitement. She practically exploded with her news. "Mom, I'm bringing home another Clearwater. I imprinted on Nahuel and we're getting married!" There were startled but delighted yells of delight. Clapping sounded and Emmett took this time to start some rather pointed cat calls.**

"**Well, Dog-on-it! Nahuel's going to the dog house and it don't look like he's gonna ever get out! I think they call it Puppy-love. It's all going to the dogs." Of course Aunt Rose put him in his place with one look. **

"**Holy Cow," Jacob stated, to stunned to comment further.**

**I was confused. I turned to Jacob and asked him, "What does 'imprinted' mean?"**

**He looked suddenly uncomfortable. **

'_**Poor Jake, he must need more morphine.'**_** My heart went out to him.**

**He whispered back, "I'll tell you…later."**

**Most of this was lost because at the mention of an upcoming wedding Alice's squeal of delight was so loud it startled a flock of parrots, who took off and painted the sky green in their wake and some monkeys were startled into a banter to rival Uncle Emmet's. **

"**Oh YES, a wedding! How much time do I have?" Alice was suddenly in a frenzy of her own. "I didn't think to bring my suitcase full of samples and magazines or my binder." She looked at Leah who was staring at her. Alice became alarmed, "You are practically family Leah, don't you dare cross me. We're in this together." Her look was one of no nonsense. **

**Leah and Nahuel burst into laughter and everyone joined in. It was Nahuel who spoke, "we're already married. Well, for three months anyway. We could get it recorded here and it would be official but we decided to be married close to Leah's family so she can have the wedding SHE wants, Alice." Nahuel looked at Leah and they both smiled. Leah shrugged her shoulders.**

**Alice saw her opening, "I can do a Leah wedding--exactly like she wants." Aunt Alice's expression looked hurt and I knew what was to follow—I'd seen it before.**

'_**And now for the begging.'**_** I thought wryly. My Aunt Alice was a master at begging. The face contorted and pulled into an exquisite look of intense longing. I'd taken to practicing it in the mirror myself. It really works well when you really want something. That was unless Dad 'heard' my plans first.**

"**Please, Please, Please, Leah, Let me do your wedding. You will be so happy. You won't regret it. I swear, it will be perfect"**

**Leah looked at her and then turned to Nahuel, "She's kind of hard to say no to isn't she?"**

**Nahuel kissed her softly, "If you want, I'll tell her 'no'; whatever you want." He had the most intense look on his face. Alice was practically jumping up and down, to get Leah's attention away from Nahuel and his promise of annihilating all her fun. He continued, ignoring Alice, "If you aren't going to get it exactly like you want it, we can always just go and get recorded when we stop in Manaus." Alice tensed at the possibility of seeing her plans slip through her fingers. She moaned in agony.**

**Leah sighed then smiled and turned to Alice, "Of course I need your help Alice. I don't have a clue how to do a wedding. First two restrictions though…"**

**Alice whooped and hollered so much that Leah had to wait for her to calm down. "Okay, I'm ready now, what are they?" Honestly, I didn't know who looked happier, Leah, Nahuel, Alice, Jasper or Nahuel's Aunt Huilen.**

"**Okay," Jacob said eyeing Leah from where he still lay on his make-shift bed. "Who are you and what did you do with Leah?" Everyone laughed again.**

**Leah ignored Jacob and turned back to Alice, "First, I want to have it within the next three months." She turned to Nahuel, "I don't want to give this first wedding a chance to expire in the meantime, just in case you might think of escaping." She said this in a teasing voice. I decided Jacob was right, this wasn't really Leah. I'd NEVER seen her act this way.**

"**Not a chance," Nahuel said to her holding her tightly again. Leah laughed and the sound was bright and happy. **

"**What is the second condition," Alice demanded, not to be side tracked.**

"**Well, I don't want it in any way to resemble the… a… wedding you did last week."**

**Alice understood at once. "No problem there. We can start thinking about exactly what you want. What is your schedule for the next three months—because you're going to need to clear it?"**

"**Hello, Leah?" We could all hear the tinny sound that faintly came from the phone. Leah was startled to look at the cell phone still turned on and in her hand. She mouthed, "Oops," as she brought the phone back to her ear. "Sorry Mom, I guess you heard the little ruckus over here! (Pause) Yes I will do that, here he is."**

**Leah handed the phone to Nahuel, who looked suddenly a little nervous. "Yes, Hello Mrs. Clearwater," (Short Pause) Thank you very much. (Pause) Yes, ma'am, I am excited to meet you too. (A laugh) Here is Leah back." He handed Leah back the phone very quickly.**

"**Mom! (Pause) We're not sure yet. It depends on how fast Jacob gets better. Did you hear? (Pause) He is doing much better but he's still weak. (Pause) Yes, we're going to call Billy again in a minute. (Pause) I love you Mom! (Pause) Okay, we'll call you when we know we're coming home. What? (a longer pause) Oh, you heard that did you? (Pause) Well yes, that is a great story for me to tell you when we get back… but we're sort of married already for three months but don't worry it wasn't really real. I gotta go. Bye Mom" She got off that phone call pretty fast there at the end. She handed the phone to Jacob. "Call Billy," She ordered.**

"**Yes ma'am" Jacob said grinning. He gave her a military salute.**

"**And make it quick, your next treatment starts in ten minutes," Mom added.**

**Jacob gave her a salute as well, "Yes ma'am to you too." He sounded happy, relieved and much, much better.**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
Legends and Theories—Part I

Esme's POV

**We made it to back to Manaus the next day. I was so relieved to see Jacob's rapid improvement. Even though his weakened state left me worried he might have a relapse. Zafrina told us that from Manaus, if we continued, we'd have another day of boat travel to make it to their 'home base'. Upon hearing the news, Jacob announced that after another day of boat travel he would be as good as new and wanted to soldier on with our trip. We were delighted to hear that his health was improving so much. Because it was overcast, everyone went with us into the city for supplies, except for Zafrina, Senna and** **Kachiri, who were content to stay aboard our riverboat. I suspect that they didn't want to call any undue attention to themselves with their red eyes. **

**Manaus was a rather large, built up city for being out in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest and we were quickly able to find the things we needed to continue our journey. We took Jacob, Nessie, Leah and Nahuel out for lunch and it was pleasant to see everyone getting along so well. **

**I was delighted to see the relationships developing around Leah now that she was opening up. When we'd left the city just four days ago to begin our excursion, she was moody, withdrawn and clearly wanted nothing more than to be left alone. My heart just ached for her, but I knew that any sympathy from me would be the opposite of helpful in alleviating her distress. But oh, how I ached to, somehow ease her burdens. Perhaps there might have been some way I could have reached out to her as I had memories of a similar betrayal of my own so very long ago before Carlisle brought love and meaning back into my existence.**

**I looked over and saw Leah smiling, hand in hand with Nahuel as we walked down the street to the Post Office. Nahuel couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. Alice tagged along on her other side, trying desperately to engage her in a discussion of wedding plans. Truthfully, if I knew Alice—and I knew Alice—She'd probably try to keep their attention diverted from the beautiful courthouse building situated one block over, where Nahuel had threatened to go and get their marriage recorded. Alice was quite astute; surely she could tell he was teasing her. Perhaps she just didn't want any chances taken. I laughed at her enthusiasm and complete focus in her project. She was so much fun to have around. **

**We reached our destination, where Carlisle prepared and mailed all of his samples to a special lab back in the United States for analysis. If I knew Carlisle—and I knew Carlisle—he was preoccupied with whatever those samples would tell him, despite the fact that Jacob did appear to be improving with better health by the minute. We'd made it to the market area and agreed to meet up an hour later for departure. I had so much fun just wandering through the streets next to my sweetheart that before I knew it, the hour was up and soon we met everyone else as our paths converged back to the boat.**

**Alice had at least seven large bags in her hands. It was almost conspicuous to see her so tiny, carrying so much, smiling from ear to ear with a euphoric look in her eyes. Yes, Alice definitely loved to shop—no matter where it was. Jasper was by her side, dutifully carrying quite a few boxes. I was surprised that one of them said, "Dell" on it. Apparently, Alice had acquired a new laptop. I shook my head as I smiled at her and looked over at Leah who was walking close by, "It would appear that the wedding planner is going aboard." I said to her, nodding in Alice's direction, "Where there's a will, there's a way."**

**Leah smiled at me for the first time ever. Oh, how it made my day. She quietly whispered to me, "Is it possible to will her away?" That brought about a round of chuckles. I again marveled at the change love had brought to her in such a profound way. That comment, if made on our previous visit to Manaus, would have been full of scorn, with a biting edge meant to inflict hurt. Now those words, spoken quietly and gently, brought an entire different feeling with them. They were only a play on words, with perhaps, a hint of longing for alone time with Nahuel, without Alice shadowing them.**

**Alice turned around feigning an innocent expression, "Don't worry Leah," She sang brightly, "I'll help you plan your wedding ALL the way."**

**Before we knew it we were back in our boat and heading west this time up the Amazon River. Zafrina navigated us North, onto another tributary, the Negro River, informing us that we were going to the ancient ruins of Akahim, sister city to Akakor—better known to most as El Dorado. Before long, she had us all engrossed in her story of a lost civilization that pre-dated the Incas--The legends of a people known as Ugha Mongulala. **

**That was all it took for all of us to be lost in her tale. Everyone edged closer and as she spoke, it was almost as if we could see the events play out around us.**

**Her story unfolded in her rich accent, "Akakor lay in ruins to the south, between Brazil and Peru. The three of us have been there many times, but besides us, only isolated Indian tribes--descendents of the Ugha Mongulala know of its whereabouts. The legends surrounding these and other ancient cities date back over 10,000 BC, when six Gods appeared from the sky in a great flying disc and constructed the great cities and underground tunnels connecting them. The Gods appeared to be a family of sorts, with two older 'parents' and four sibling gods. After some time they left. The civilizations they helped create eventually fell into chaos and after a few centuries, two of the four sibling gods returned to restore order. Lhasa, called 'The Sun God', stayed at Akakor, but Samon, 'The Jaguar God', flew to the east and eventually retreated into the Amazon Rainforest with his people, making his headquarters in Akahim, our destination." **

**I looked around at my family as they listened with rapt attention.**

**All of a sudden, Emmett leaped up and started banging on his chest and doing a Tarzan yell.**

"**Aweeeeaeeeaayeeeaaaeeeyaaa"**

**We all just stared at him dumbfounded. **

'_**What had gotten into him this time?'**_

**After a minute he seemed to collect himself and looked around at everyone as if confused by our reaction.**

"**What?" He asked hotly.**

"**You idiot," Rose chided him, "Tarzan isn't from the Amazon, he's from Africa."**

"**Well, maybe so if you're going to get all technical. I was just getting into the spirit of things." He scratched his head and suddenly looked over at Jasper who had a wicked grin on his face. If I knew Jasper—and I knew Jasper—he'd just gotten Emmett extra excited so he would make a spectacle of himself. In an effort to shift the focus off his latest antics, Emmett soldiered on as if nothing had happened, "And speaking of Jaguar Gods, where have I heard that before?"**

**Nahuel didn't miss a beat in picking up Zafrina's tale. "The tribes of the rainforest eventually called all four of the original sibling gods, Jaguar Gods. I'd been studying plant and animal species here in the rainforest and was walking about the tribes and making them nervous, they knew something was different about me but they couldn't decide what it was. One day, I came across a Jaguar. I, of course, had started hunting animals and at first considered making a meal of him. Suddenly, I felt an overwhelming desire to make his acquaintance instead." He was shaking his head at the memory. "You may know that all vampire hybrids have an affinity to animals."**

**I was startled by this new insight. Apparently I wasn't the only one.**

**Carlisle interrupted him, "No! We did not know that. I'm sorry I do not mean to interrupt your tale, but just what do you mean by 'an affinity to animals'," Carlisle interjected. I could see the wheels turning in that fascinating, ever-learning mind of my husband.**

"**Well, it works with your gift. Whatever you can do with humans and vampires, works equally with any species of animal. My father, Joham," Nahuel's expression twisted as he spoke his father's name. Perhaps it was because of his father's callousness. "…believes it is because we span different species, and therefore have a broader base. I have one sister who swears it works in the plant kingdom as well. Honestly, I don't think it's unique to hybrids. I've seen vampires do a similar thing. It is just more intense with us half-breeds."**

"**That's right." Emmett jumped in, "No one can get a grizzly more worked up for me than Jasper can. Hmmm, I may need to take Nessie with me next time to try it out." He rubbed his chin with his hand. A huge grin spread across his face and his eyes got wide with the excitement his thoughts conjured up. Looking over at my precious granddaughter it was easy to see she was eager to make it a date with her Uncle Emmett, 'the Bear Warrior Chief'.**

"**Well, Renesmee sure used it and rather well back at that clearing when Jacob was shot." Nahuel added remembering. "When I heard the message she broadcasted, I brought the jaguars, but I didn't call the bonobos. That was all you Nessie."**

"**And she called the piranhas too." Jasper added quietly.**

"**That is so very interesting. I may pick your brain another time." Carlisle said in earnest, ready to return to Nahuel's tale of the Jaguar God. "Sorry again for the interruption. Please, continue with your tale…you felt an overwhelming desire to make the Jaguar's acquaintance..."**

"**Yes," Nahuel said back to his story. "I've noticed over the years, that I had a way of drawing out animals and almost taming them. Huilen says I'm an animal whisperer." He said smiling over at his Aunt.**

"**It's true." She stated matter-of-factly. This was the first time I had heard her speak all day. "He can literally sing the birds out of the trees." She added proudly.**

"**Well, I got to know this Jaguar. We sort of became friends. I could see how the Jaguar thinks; and I learned to think like I'm one of them. One day, my aunt and I were searching for a rare plant, and my friendly jaguar was there beside me. The Jaguar People happened upon us and were startled, believing that I was one of the Jaguar Gods that was prophesied to return to the land in search of the Wolf Goddess to be his wife. The legend gave a warning to the tribes in the area that if they did not help the Jaguar God in his quest or hinder him in his search, catastrophic consequences would follow because they'd be cursed by the Jaguar God. Well, I of course, knew I was no Jaguar God but as I seemed to attract Jaguars ever since that first encounter, and the natives knew I was no mere mortal—they had seen me jump, run and hunt—it was just easier to let them believe what they wanted. It also made it easier for me to help people around here; to practice my gift on humans. I have really learned a lot."**

"**Really?" Leah asked. "Catastrophic curses?"**

"**Sure," Nahuel went on with a sudden grin. He stifled a laugh. "Why do you think they were so happy to see me leave? They were practically crying for joy."**

"**So that's what the deal was with them taking us all the way to the boat!" Emmett boomed.**

**We were all laughing as we remembered our 'warrior' escort back to our boat the other day, as we now understood the meaning of the gesture. **

"**Oh, yes, they wanted to make sure I was gone for good and no curses would come on them." He shook his head grinning again. I had not really had a chance to become familiar with Nahuel when he'd shown up in Forks during our Volturi confrontation. Now as I watched him, I thought Nahuel was a kind and likeable man. He was exactly the kind of person that Leah needed.**

"**So as I was saying, I was in the area, I knew Zafrina had promised to bring you all by for a visit. I was excited to meet all of you again and to see how Renesmee was getting along." **

**Leah tensed for a fraction of a second and Nahuel, as if sensing her distress automatically leaned in and kissed her cheek. Her face broke out in a breathtaking smile. I always knew Leah was beautiful, but add a smile on top and it was truly a sight to behold. **

"**That was when I heard the panic broadcasting from Renesmee. I knew at once it was her and where she was. I sent a call out for any jaguars in the area to help me play my part and secure her release. When I got there, Jacob was lying unconscious, as a wolf; they were ringed by Jaguar Warriors, who were in turn being pelted by infuriated bonobos. When they saw me, they immediately stopped their assault, assuming me to be the Jaguar God returned."**

**He stopped and looked around at everyone's intent faces, finally resting on Leah's. "When you showed up as a werewolf, I was quite surprised. Of course I saw the wolves that day in Forks, but I wasn't expecting to see one here…let alone two. The tribes' people were even more surprised. Other than the maned wolves, which are few in number, there really aren't any wolves around here. But when you phased to human form and they saw you were a beautiful woman. Well, they immediately thought you to be the Wolf Goddess that I was supposed to be searching for. I knew right away that they would, one: give us any assistance we required to help Jacob and two: not let us leave until we were married, so as to not incur the wrath and curse of the Jaguar God."**

**Everyone was laughing—especially Leah. "It's a very good thing you warned Edward not to tell me then." She said lightly. "Who knows what they would have done if I refused to marry the Jaguar God. I'll bet their legends didn't have contingencies for incurring the wrath of the Wolf Goddess."**

"**No, they certainly don't." Nahuel added hugging her to his side. "I stood there looking at you in that clearing and thinking to myself…what are the odds that these people would have this legend, that I would be here in the company of Jaguars, that you would show up in wolf form and phase into a beautiful woman and be taken for this Wolf Goddess that I am supposedly searching for, and end up married in minutes and on our way." **

"**I pondered that possibility all that night and the next day as we ran to the Ticunans. '…**_**what if it's true?..' .**_**I didn't mean the god part of course, but what if someone had seen us in a vision from the past, they might well have thought, just as the people did now, that we were gods? I wondered, '...**_**What if Leah was what I was looking for without me even knowing it?'**_** The more I thought about it, the stronger my belief became that it was possible."**

"**When you started to explain about imprinting to me, I knew you had to try it with me. I had the strongest feeling by then that it was all true. I would have been quite surprised if you did NOT imprint on me. Finally, I goaded you into looking me in the eye. What I wasn't expecting, although I was falling for you rather quickly, was what I would feel, when you finally did look me in the eye." **

**It was clear that Nahuel and Leah had both forgotten that the rest of us were sitting here listening to Nahuel's narrative. He turned to her as she sat next to him and looked at her with so much joy on his face that there could be no denying the love he felt for her. Leah looked staggered and completely lost in his teak colored eyes. "Lovely Leah, it was like someone had just returned my heart and soul to me, but I didn't know they had been missing until that moment. It felt like I was finally a complete person. Then I knew…the legend was true." He leaned in and kissed her. **

**Everyone was moved by the story. My children all started clapping, but I was a little startled when Emmett of all people started wailing, "Oooh, that is the most beautiful story I've ever heard." I looked over to him, almost getting irritated thinking he was teasing them, but he was seriously moved by the story. "I don't even care that the Wolf Goddess turned out to be Leah. That's just the coolest love story I've ever heard." Rosalie elbowed him in the ribs. "What? I mean it." After that everyone wandered off to take in the sites of the Negro River as it wound its way to the north. **

**I was up on the top deck with Carlisle enjoying the sun, as there was no other traffic on the river. Seeing the look of love in Leah and Nahuel's eyes reminded me of the look in Carlisle's eyes when he looks at me and I was reminded once again, just how very lucky I was to have found him and to have his love. He had seen in me what I had forgotten in my despair and he wanted to keep me in his life when my life had been destroyed so completely that I felt empty and hollow. He had hope and faith for both of us. Now I felt overwhelmed by how rich my life had become. I had become a mother after all, and my family just kept growing and growing.**

"**What are you thinking about Esme?" Carlisle eyes twinkled with curiosity. "You have had the prettiest smile on your face all day." He took my hand in his as we gazed into the passing jungle to our left.**

"**Oh, I was just thinking about you, and how lucky I am that you love me."**

"**Oh and here I thought, after never knowing true love for over 200 years, that I was the lucky one that you love me." **

**I wrapped my arms around him. **_**'I could do this for a million years and never get tired of it.'**_

"**You know Carlisle," While we were downstairs listening to Zafrina and Nahuel, I couldn't help but look around me and just marvel at how blessed we truly are. I mean look at our family. Two years ago there was only the seven of us. I was so happy when Edward found Bella and they got married. It felt like our family was finally complete--that we were all set. Then we got Renesmee and Jacob added to our family in the same day. We went from seven to eight to ten! Then with Jacob's pack, well I don't think of them as my own children, but still as family, perhaps like nephews and nieces, and finally now with Leah opening up and we get Nahuel too. It is almost staggering."**

"**I see what you mean…and you're right of course, we are truly lucky indeed." He looked at me wistfully. After a minute he added right into my ear so no one else could hear, "You know I suspect that there may be more than imprinting responsible for Leah's complete change of heart."**

**I looked at him questioningly. He smiled and added just as quietly, "Nahuel may 'whisper' more than just animals." **

"**Oh, I'd not considered that." I said as he held a finger to his lips. After a minute or two of comfortable silence, I continued. "Leah isn't the only one who has done a lot of maturing. Since Renesmee's birth, the new experiences have helped each one of us grow in new directions. Look at Rosalie."**

**Carlisle nodded his head and I knew I needed to say no more.**

**Our whispered conversation was cut short by Emmett's loud voice.**

"**Woohoo, Way to go Nessie!" He splashed in the water and made so much of a ruckus that the jungle erupted into a cacophony of sound. "Okay, bring me in some more and make them mad while you're at it!" We crossed to the other side of the boat to find Emmett treading water and wrestling three anacondas at once. Two more were approaching quickly. "Excellent," He said in his somewhat breathless and booming voice, "And now ladies and gentlemen, for round two of your WWCF Tournament. In the red corner we have—yours truly- Emmett Hale and in the blue corner we have the challengers--five little angry anacon…"**

**His words were cut off as the snakes had their way with him. He came up a few minutes later continuing with his narration as if he were not interrupted. "das. There will be a penalty on the snakes as they did not stay in their corner until the bell sounded." He was gone under water again. After a minute, a large crocodile entered the fray. Emmett came up again and spying the giant reptile added, "Oh, where's the referee? Edward, you're the referee, Come on now, you got to keep the spectators out of the arena." **

**He was pushed under again as the five snakes tried to strangle and drown him at the same time. Edward dove in and took on the crock. We all heard Zafrina below us on the first deck casually say. "That scaling is just beautiful; we can use some fine looking crocodile skin boots, right?"**

**Before long, we watched as Emmett was once again carried away from the boat. If I knew Emmett—and I knew Emmett—we wouldn't be seeing him again for some time, but we'd certainly hear him.**

**It was Zafrina who called after him. "Hey now, don't get to far down the river, we are going to be ready to dock and hike into the mountains in three miles."**

"**I'll meet you there…" his fading voice replied. Well, most of us had matured since Renesmee's birth.**

**We started looking around for Edward. That crocodile had somersaulted him down under the water and then we heard them splashing around from the other side of the boat. Everyone ran across the deck to see Edward, soaking wet, wrestling the crocodile onto the bank, where he quickly strangled him and struck a pose by putting his foot on the crocs back and pulling back the head with a look of triumph on his face.**

**Renesmee clapped her hands from the first floor deck and called out, "And the winner is 'Daddy'!"**

"**Bring that croc back with you Edward. We have plans for it. Boots for us and crocodile stew for all of you who eat food." Zafrina ordered from the first floor.**

**Edward had the dead beast on board in no time and Zafrina took it out on the deck and deftly had it gutted and the meat hanging from one railing and the skin hanging from another. I just looked at the three Amazon women and marveled at them. Gutting a crocodile was certainly nothing I ever thought I'd see.**

**Shortly afterwards, I was happy to see Leah and Nahuel approach us hand in hand. Carlisle and I looked over at them and smiled.**

"**Um, Could we talk to you for a moment?" Leah asked somewhat hesitantly.**

"**Of course," I said at once. Whatever was on Leah's mind had her feeling uncomfortable and I hoped to be able to finally build a good relationship with her. "You know, I haven't had a chance yet to tell you how happy I am for both of you." I hoped she could see how very much I meant my words. I held my free hand out to her and gave hers a little squeeze. I was a little surprised when she didn't release it, but held it tightly in her own. Her eyes filled with tears that she blinked away. When she spoke it was very quiet and full of regret.**

"**I am so very sorry." She began. She stopped to collect herself. "You and your family have been nothing but nice to me and my behavior towards you has been reprehensible. Please, can you forgive me?" She looked down at the deck boards. I knew how hard this was for Leah and I wanted so much to put her at ease. I hugged her for a minute, patting her back.**

"**Of course, we forgive you. Don't give it another thought. I am just so happy that you can put that chapter of your life behind you now." I said still hugging her. I felt her nod her head as a few sobs escaped now and then. I looked up at Nahuel who was standing beside us. "You have a wonderful future with this fine man to look forward to now. **

"**Thank you," She whispered pulling away. I'm not quite ready to make all of my apologies yet, but I thought that the two of you would be a good place to start."**

"**We're so glad you were able to come with us, and we could all share this exciting event with you." Carlisle said, clapping Nahuel on the back. **

"**Carlisle," Nahuel began, "Would you mind if we asked you some medical questions?" **

'_**Oh, that would be my cue to leave.'**_

"**I was just going downstairs to check on dinner." I said, quickly excusing myself to allow them some privacy. My heart was light as I descended to the main deck. First, I went to check on Jacob and was relieved when he declared himself to be out of the woods. Of course, we were in a jungle at the time. I was glad to see his appetite had returned, so I made him a sandwich and a tall glass of lemonade. **

**Edward, now all cleaned up from his croc encounter, was quite absorbed in his beautiful wife, Bella, who was administering to him a new world's record longest victor's kiss. If I knew Bella—and I knew Bella—she'd opened her shield all the way so Edward was completely lost in the moment. I had never seen him happier. To think when he'd met Bella over four years ago, he'd thought there would be no happy ending for him. I told him fate owed him happiness. Well, it looked like fate had delivered.**

**Rosalie was brushing Renesmee's hair—while drilling her on the identification of all the lovely parrots surrounding us. She was so patient with our little Nessie. I adored seeing this new side of Rosalie emerging. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri checked Nessie's answers and pointed out differences between the various species when she'd miss one. **

**Alice and Jasper were still trying to install the operating system in English instead of Portuguese on Alice's new laptop. Of course, they both know Portuguese rather well but Alice insists on English. I guessed that explained why she hadn't been after Leah yet for wedding planning. We had been so fortunate to have Alice and Jasper come to our family. Honestly, looking back, it was hard to remember what it was like without them. They were simply a part of us.**

**Huilen cut up the alligator meat to help make the Alligator stew that Zafrina had promised, and of course, Emmett was out in la-la land wrestling as many anacondas as possible. I decided it was time for me to get to know Huilen better by learning the finer points of Alligator Stew preparation. We had another hour and a half before we would dock the boat and start our trek into the jungle and with Jacob's illness; I hadn't given her the proper attention to make her feel comfortable around us. A situation I would remedy now.**

Chapter Eleven  
Legends and Theories-Part II

Carlisle's POV

**I had wondered when these two would work up the nerve to come and talk to me. Edward gave me a heads up yesterday about their concerns and especially Leah's feelings of awkward hesitation. His assistance was once again invaluable. With it, I had been able to ponder their medical questions and think through my answers ahead of time My darling Esme was talking with me when Leah and Nahuel came up to voice their concerns.**

"**Carlisle," Nahuel began, "Would you mind if we asked you some medical questions?"**

**Esme, always sensitive to other's need for privacy, excused herself. "I was just going downstairs to check on dinner." I watched her leave us, savoring her gentle manner and graceful movements. Then I turned to Leah and Nahuel with a smile to help reduce their anxiety. If working in the medical field for over three hundred years had helped me perfect anything, it was be the ability to put others at ease during difficult times.**

"**Certainly," I said motioning for them to take a seat. "What is on your mind?"**

"**Well a couple of things." Leah said with n uncomfortable expression on her face. After a minute, she continued, "Well, first of all, I'm kind of worried about what my imprinting means and whether I'll be able to have children."**

**Thanks to Edward, I'd been aware of this concern of Leah's for some time, but with her pending marriage, her fears were brought to center stage. **

"**Why would you think that?" I asked trying to make her at ease discussing these things with me as a medical doctor. And Surprisingly, Leah did open up quite a bit.**

**She proceeded to explain to me about the theories in LaPush surrounding imprinting, and how she had been sure she was a genetic dead end because if one imprinted to keep the wolf genes strong, then why hadn't Sam imprinted on her? Then when she became a wolf and her cycles completely stopped, she came to believe this had meant she was 'stuck' in a menopausal state. Leah even shared her feelings of how she felt defective and believing herself to be a genetic dead end. As she talked I began to have a better understanding of what had made Leah so bitter in the first place. Now with her finally imprinting herself, she wondered what all of this means for her and her future with Nahuel.**

**I was deep in thought for several minutes--determining the best way to alleviate their fears. When I spoke, I took care to order my ideas and speak so they understood my theories.**

"**Leah, when you became a wolf, it was when Victoria was creating an army of newborn vampires in Seattle. Since, to be a wolf, you have to be descended from one of the original wolves, is it possible, that all other candidates that were male and old enough to transform had already done so, and the 'magic', if you will, that makes sure there are enough wolves to protect your tribe, saw you as the only other person eligible on the reservation, who had the 'werewolf' gene that could be transformed?"**

**Leah was surprised. "I had never thought about it that way before." She admitted.**

**I continued. "So then, when you transformed, were there any more male descendants who were over the age of, oh, say twelve, who had not transformed yet?"**

"**No, they were already changed." She said slowly shaking her head.**

"**So, what if," I said becoming excited. Her answer made my theory plausible. "Sam imprinted on Emily, either because you were already selected by the 'magic' to become the next wolf, or, and I believe this next one myself, Sam imprinted on Emily, because he was meant to be with her, and you were being held in reserve for someone extra special." I winked at Nahuel. "Someone, who when mated with your 'stellar bloodline' would make for a much stronger wolf."**

"**Like Jacob and Nessie." She whispered.**

"**Yes" I said smiling. "Now about your thinking you are menopausal, you said that your cycles were regular before you became a wolf?" She nodded. She also stopped breathing. It was as if she were waiting for me to deliver a verdict of her worst fears. "Well, we'll have to run some tests when we get back, I can't say one way or the other whether that is true or not until then, but can I throw another possibility out there?" She nodded again. "Think back and try to remember how far into your cycle you were when you turned into a wolf. I realize that according to what you've told me, it has been about four years ago."**

**I could tell she was somewhat reluctant to speak about this but I also saw great strength and determination in her bearing. I knew she was grateful that I would take the time to discuss her fears mediacally and help her sort them out. I knew that, from when Jacob got injured from the Newborn Vampires and when Bella became pregnant with Renesmee, I was in a unique position to give Leah medical advice that she would not otherwise receive and I was relieved that she finally trusted me enough to assist her in this capacity. It truly was a rather unusual quirky dilemma she presented and it definitely had peaked my curiosity. **

"**Well," she sighed and thought for a while. "I think my last period was about two weeks before I changed. But I can't remember for sure because it was so long ago."**

**I nodded my head. My theory was becoming more likely with this information. "I think we might want to consider the possibility that you are not 'stuck' in a menopausal state, but 'stuck' in the most fertile part of your cycle. Again, I don't want to say anything for sure until we can check some things out, but this possibility seems more likely to me than you suddenly becoming menopausal when you were 19 years of age." **

**I saw relief in her face as she looked at Nahuel who just smiled at her as if to say, '**_**I told you not to worry.' **_

**Of course, if Leah was stuck in her highest fertility portion of her cycle, that may be a pretty tricky catch twenty-two as well, but they seem to be happy with the news of this possibility, so we'd cross that bridge when we came to it. Certainly a worry over having too many children might seem like less of a concern than a worry over never having any.**

"**Was that everything, or did you have any other questions?" I asked patiently. I knew there was the venom issue still to be addressed. Leah and Nahuel looked at each other. **

"**Well," Nahuel began quietly, "As you know, I am, like yourself, venomous and Leah is deathly allergic to vampire venom. How do I keep her safe around me?" His forehead creased as he spoke showing that he was genuinely worried. **

"**Okay," I said. "This is similar to the problems that Edward faced when he and Bella dated. They pulled it off for two years and it required a great amount of self-control on Edward's part. Now, I say there are similarities but there are differences as well. First of all, you're only a half-vampire and Leah is a great deal stronger than Bella was. Also as vampires, the blood of the wolves doesn't cause the same venom reaction to us as it does with humans. How about you Nahuel, I realize that you haven't been around Leah that much yet, but so far, has your throat burned, or venom welled up in your mouth when you've kissed her?"**

"**No, I haven't had those reactions at all."**

**Carlisle was nodding his head and smiling, "Well, that's a very good thing. Still, I think you should be very careful with how you kiss her. Did you talk with Edward?" he asked Nahuel.**

"**Yes, he said French kissing was out. If Leah ever had a sore in her mouth or digestive system, the venom from my mouth could be deadly to her" Nahuel said casually. "But I wanted to make sure that was all I needed to be careful of." He shrugged.**

"**Well, I don't know how much of your system fluids are venom and how much are blood related. We can check that out back home too. I do think that since only the venom in your mouth is poisonous, that there is a good chance there is nothing to worry about. More importantly, I think we should trust the 'magic' of the imprinting. Leah, if having children with Nahuel was deadly to you—I honestly don't believe that you would have imprinted on him." I watched as they both visibly relaxed. Leah's eyes took on an even brighter sparkle. Nahuel's forehead smoothed out.**

**I went on voicing yet another one of my theories. "You know I've been thinking about this half-vampire/wolf combination since Jacob imprinted on Nessie and it seems to me that it could make for a very strong wolf indeed, if it made them immune to vampire venom."**

**Leah looked pleasantly surprised by that.**

**Now, there's one more important conversation we need to have with everyone before we dock in thirty minutes. I stood and led them downstairs. As soon as we reached the main level I called everyone over as I went to stand by Jacob, who was resting on a bench. **

"**We need to discuss something with everyone." I looked into the eyes of my dear family, who look to me for guidance and I was reminded of Esme's earlier words of how lucky we were. I saw each of them in turn. Their eyes showed with trust, respect and most of all, their love for me. They were all there ready to solve any dilemma that came our way, together as a team. I could not have been more proud of their goodness and…my thoughts were interrupted when I realized…, "Where's Emmett?" **

"**He's still upstream teaching the anacondas how to do the ****Macarena." Bella said with a hint of sarcasm.**

"**Well Edward, I'll let you to catch him up to speed later then." Edward nodded. **

"**I wanted to make sure that Jacob was out of the woods first, before bringing this up, as it affects not only him and Leah, but all of the werewolves in LaPush as well." **

**I paused for a moment before I began.**** "Does it occur to anyone else that Jacob may very well have died if we were unable to get the anti-venom treatment for his attack?" I looked at everyone and saw them nod in understanding. "We also know that the only thing that is supposed to be lethal to werewolves is vampire venom. Anything else, his system should have been able to combat. Now, I don't know what kind of venom was used in those blow darts, and I don't know yet whether it's related to vampire venom or not, but can you see how, this information in the wrong hands could be VERY dangerous for the Quileutes?"**

**I watched as comprehension settled on everyone in an instant--except for Edward, who had spoken with me about this dilemma a few times since he'd heard them in my puzzling thoughts. **

**Jasper shook his head as he said solemnly, "All of those natives saw him go down, it seems unlikely, but it is possible that someone, somehow, someday will get that information into Aro's hands."**

**Jacob and Leah shared a look of alarm. I continued, "I will be figuring it out, if we can synthesize the antidote, I'll make some to be kept on the reservation just in case. I'll also look into a possibility of maybe some kind of vaccine. Mostly, I'll want to check your blood when we get back Jacob and see if by some miracle you've developed some antibodies to the toxin. I don't mean to worry anyone unduly, but I think there is cause for some concern here. And let's definitely be careful to not encounter anymore angry Jaguar People."**

"**Definitely," Jacob said. "That is not an experience I ever want to have again!"**

**Shortly after my meeting broke up, there was activity on the boat as we prepared to dock and divide supplies to be back packed into Akahim. I heard Emmet long before we turned the bend in the river that brought him into view. He had clearly worked himself into such an excited state that it bordered on agitation. One thing was for sure, there was never a dull moment with him around! Just what was that 'boy' doing now? I'd say this for him; Emmett certainly knew how to live—to seize the day. He'd find humor in any situation and was the epitome of positive thinking.**

**As we approached, I saw that he was still in the water being thrashed about by anacondas. I had no idea how many there were, but they were so enraged by whatever Nessie had done to them earlier and whatever Emmett was doing to them just then, that they were truly out of control. If I hadn't known better, I'd have said they looked like the tentacles of a giant squid that had Emmett in all wrapped up while trying to knock him senseless. He grinned at us. **

"**Hey Rose," He called out, "Take a picture. Please hon."**

**Rosalie shook her head at him. Alice handed Rosalie her camera and said, "You should, I have a feeling it'll be good for blackmail some day."**

**Well, on Alice's recommendation, Rosalie shot quite a few pictures of Emmett who posed and smiled while the anacondas tried futilely to mangle and strangle him. After she shot the thirteenth picture, the anacondas slammed him against the bottom hull of the ship. There was an immediate groan and a shutter beneath us.**

"**Oops," He said. When he came up again, Emmett was suddenly all business as he quickly dispatched the reptiles; who'd began floating belly-side up in the water. "It's only a little hole. I don't see much water going in. Really, I think it will be okay."**

**Just then our little river boat listed sharply to the starboard side. **

"**Dang it," Emmet said as if this latest development were a mere annoyance. "Davy Jones locker…here we come!"**

**We immediately ran to the other side. Jasper, Edward and I dove into the water to help Emmett pull our boat to shore. We heard a splash off the starboard side followed by a high pitched wail from Alice.**

"**Noooo, my laptop," She moaned. It looked like Alice's wedding planning wasn't going so well, unless Leah and Nahuel wanted an underwater one. Just this once, I wished that Emmett hadn't seized the day quite so completely.**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve  
Akahim—Part I

Jacob's POV

**Well, so far this trip had certainly been an adventure I was not likely to forget! Attacked by crazed piranhas, not to mention cave men from 'The Land Time Forgot', and their ever friendly poisonous blow darts, having the wonderful experience of almost dying and wishing I had, and then there was getting to help haul a double-decker river boat out to dry dock.**

**Emmett kept going on and on about what a small hole it was. His definition of 'small hole' apparently included one that was four feet across. He'd spent the last three hours literally felling trees and ripping boards from them all with his bare hands. He was determined to 'fix' his mistake before our return trip**_**. 'I swear he reminds me of Bam Bam on steroids.' **_

**Zafrina had told us that with our increased speed, even carrying in all the supplies, it would only take us a few hours to reach Akahim. So we'd been unloading supplies from the boat, while Emmett single-handedly deforested the Amazonian jungle. It was a good thing there hadn't been any river traffic for a while, it would have been quite the sight for anyone to have seen six guys in the river lift a two-story riverboat over their heads, carry it out of the water and set it down exactly level on dry land. We had it camouflaged with ferns and brush and began our land trek into the foothills of the Andes Mountains and to the ancient ruins of Akahim that lay within. I said dry land, but it really wasn't. I believed the correct term was 'bog'. Swamp water lay all over the place. Zafrina said this area flooded for half the year. Good thing I'd worn tall hiking boots!**

**As we sloshed along through the swamp, I saw all kinds of monkeys scrambling around in the tree canopy. That was kind of cool. I had also seen my first real Toucan Bird. That was kind of cool too. I'd have sworn, after seeing two more of the birds with the crazy beaks, I'd started wanting a bowl of Fruit Loops; talk about the power of suggestion! I'd gotten Nessie swung up high on my shoulders, giving her the highest view of everyone; nothing but the best for my girl. **

**We were walking behind Leah and Nahuel. It felt like some freakin' 'Twilight Zone' episode seeing her with her bloodsucker--or maybe 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. She just looked at him with such a love struck expression that I began to think maybe 'The Stepford Wolves'. **

'_**Gee, I guess if I was going to play that one, I would have to include myself along with all the other imprinted wolves from the tribe!**_**' I'd thought.**

**I was actually extremely happy for Leah. I wanted her to be happy, she deserved it. It was just too ironic that it happened with a vampire hybrid. I guessed I shouldn't talk…I remembered wanting to kill all the vampires myself once, because they were all bad to me. Edward looked over at me with his accompanying smirk…'**_**Yes, Nothing personal Edward, just taking a trip down memory lane here.'**_** He came over and transferred Nessie from my shoulders to his.**

"**Hey, I was not finished holding her." I protested.**

"**She's still my little girl, Jacob. I want a turn too. I don't want you overdoing it." He added smoothly.**

"**Giving Nessie a piggyback ride is NOT overdoing it." I complained. "Lifting a six ton boat out of the water with five other people might have qualified…but you didn't seem to mind too much then." I muttered.**

"**Relax Jacob. I just want a turn. Don't forget, I'm leaving with Bella tomorrow and we're leaving you in charge of her then." Edward said. Well, I guessed he had a point--time for the lovebirds to find romance for their second anniversary.**

"**Did you tell Bella you're taking her to Isle Esme early for your anniversary?" I asked him in a whisper as he walked beside me.**

"**Nope! But I think she's starting to figure it out. It's driving her nuts. She's already tried to trick it out of me three times today." He leaned up to look at Renesmee towering over his head. "She's going to want you after me, kiddo" He added reaching up with one hand tickling Renesmee's side. "She's missing you already." Nessie giggled in response.**

"**So Bella's already doing the 'worried mommy can't leave her baby' panic attack then?" I asked shaking my head. Bella cracked me up. She hadn't really been away from Renesmee for more than two days at a time and then Nessie was still in town, just at Charlie's. This was only for two days extra and she was flipping out.**

"**Yes she is." Edward added chuckling. "Bella is so adorable when she gets like this."**

"**Are you guys talking about me behind my back again?" Bella said TRYING to sneak up behind us and nudging me.**

"**Oh, no" Edward and I said at the same time**_**—'creepy.'**_

"**Nessie, you're my little spy…what were they saying? Don't forget who your favorite Mommy is. Spill it—what were they saying?"**

"**They said that you are an adorable panic attack." Nessie said. **

'_**You know Edward she's going to get us both in trouble.' **_** I thought his way.**__

"**Excellent work Sweetie!" Bella beamed up at her. Did you find out the big one for your Mommy?" She asked with amusement.**

"**Yes ma'am." Nessie said proudly. "The secret location is Isle Esme." **

'_**We have just been outmaneuvered buddy**_**.' **

"**That's so exciting!" Bella jumped up and down and threw herself at Edward, who deftly passed Nessie back to me and had Bella on his back in the same swift movement. That suited me just fine. That way we both got our girls.**

"**She's still my little girl." Edward said quietly with a slightly pained expression on his face.**

"**I know that…and it sounds so familiar. Is Daddy having a panic attack too?" I teased.**

"**Okay, that's it." Edward said mischievously, "Bella love, are you ready for the Chicken Tickle Fight of the century?"**

"**Yeah," Renesmee exclaimed! She leaned her head down to my ear and added, "This time make sure I win okay."**

"**No prob-le-mo Kiddo." I said like a soldier getting my marching orders. Before I knew it Nessie had burst into a fit of convulsive laughter as Bella, securely on Edward's back had reached across and had her in a tight tickle lock-down.**

"**Excellent…Come on Rose," Hollered Emmett, "We've gotta save Nessie from the deranged momma vampire." Before I knew it…most of the supply packs had been discarded and not only had Emmett—piggybacking Rose, entered the fray, but also Jasper, carrying Alice, and I was surprised to see Nahuel and Leah joining in. It was a five team tickle pile-up. Laughter bounced all around us. Carlisle and Esme looked on with amused indulgence, and maybe with a hint of embarrassment. Huilen looked stunned and Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri stood on the side lines cheering Nessie and me on. It looked like we had the home court advantage!**

**We were winning too, until Emmett ruined all our fun by stepping backwards onto the crocodile.**

**The beast had been patiently waiting for us in ambush—hiding under the knee-deep marsh, covered in vegetation. And a beast it was! Still Emmett's foot planted squarely on his back startled the crock into action. He jerked sideways and his massive jaw clamped down hard on Emmett's leg. His head was as big as—well, bigger than mine as a werewolf. I still couldn't see how big the body was to go with that head. Poor fellow, he'd lost three of his crooked yellow teeth as they'd met Emmett's stone leg. Then immediately he yanked Emmett—still piggybacking Rosalie—sideways and into the rest of us. We all went down like bowling pins on a strike. Suddenly there were more snapping sounds as five somewhat smaller-looking crocks heard the dinner bell. I said smaller, but these guys were all impressive. Dang, what was with these animals? Didn't they know that they were supposed to be afraid of vampires? We were surrounded by confusion as the water erupted with movement.**

**I noticed several things happen all at once:**

**Emmett, of course, was laughing maniacally, "Mwa ha ha ha ha…Come to Daddy! It's dinner time!" Just then the huge beast opened its massive jaw and tried to swallow Emmett down its long throat. The crazy thing was that Emmett fit. It was so fast, that he succeeded. Emmett was literally inside the giant monster up to his waist and holding the jaws apart with his hands, saying, "Take that you beast!" I was surprised he hadn't asked Rosalie to snap another picture.**

**Rosalie, who had managed to get herself dislodged from Emmett's 'fun', slowly rose from the water. She looked like a furious water-sodden goldilocks of some kind. She was soaked, of course, her hair matted to the side of her face. "You… are… so… DEAD." **

**I wasn't sure if she meant Emmett or the croc but the threat was definitely not idle. Apparently, she meant the croc and she flung herself on its back and somehow managed to bite through the tough scales and skin as it was attempting to digest the stone that was Emmett. It wasn't until she was lying on this monster's back and he reared himself out of the vegetation, that I got a real appreciation for the mammoth proportions of its size. Rosalie was about 5'5'', and this monster's body was three times her size…and that didn't include its head. It looked to weigh over a ton.**

**Edward and Bella acted crazier than Emmett. They had a second one, not quite as big as the first—but still over sixteen feet-- being held vertically by both of them. Yes, they were still in the high piggyback position and holding it out length-wise from them in this manner, it looking Bella in the eye, snapping furiously. It's somewhat smaller legs touched the ground and its massive scaled tail was smacking Edward around his back side.**

"**What's the plan here Edward," Bella said, half laughing and half screaming? "Are we dancing with 'Allie' here, or are we tickling him, or are we going hunting a day early?"**

**Edward laughed and called back, "Whichever you want Love."**

"**How about all three"? She asked. **

**Well, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. "We should get to taste some crocodile too!" **

**Could vampires catch malaria? I thought they may have contracted some crazy jungle fever.**

**Jasper and Alice fought with two separate ones that came at them from the left. They were somewhat calmer despite the chaos surrounding them.**

**My immediate concern was to make sure Nessie is safe. She, of course went down with me and sat in the water with her hair plastered to her face on the right side. One of the crocs, seeing her as the 'easiest' prey, silently approached her. Upon seeing him, she jumped at once. This croc was about ten feet from head to tail and he immediately rolled to drown her. I dove for him. I picked him up, grabbed Nessie off his back, and threw him fifteen feet. She appeared to be no worse for the wear. Edward apparently caught the action from the other side of 'Allie' and gave me a nod of thanks.**

"**Jake, My hero"! Nessie said and hugged me. I flung her on my back, just in case some other crocodile needed an attitude adjustment.**

**All at once, the crocs stop their attack and I thought at first it was because they had all been dispatched. Then I saw Nahuel. He had 'called' them to him. Well, most of them. The behemoth giant and Emmet were not to be swayed and Bella and Edward had apparently gotten to the third course of their dinner plans and 'Allie' was a goner. All the rest of the crazy crocs were staring at Nahuel who snapped at them and jerked his head sharply to the right, away from our apparent path. The crocodiles immediately left. Just then, Emmett tore his way out of the monster and was all grins.**

'**Ta da!" He sang out with both arms extended in a grandiose pose of triumph.**

**Nahuel smiled, "Well, it looks like you got Old Ezra, Emmett." He shook his head. "Those crocodiles were Black Caiman. They're the largest predator in the Amazonian Rainforest. They're also on the endangered species list."**

"**Especially with Emmett around," I added. Emmett was busily having quite the liquid feast on his kill. Rosalie apparently had decided crocodile blood wasn't much to her liking.**

"**Old Ezra has been around for years. He's bigger than the biggest one the humans have on record of 25.2 feet. This fellow has gotten to over 28 feet and weighing over one and a half tons. Of course, he's killed lots of humans in his day. There have been tales of his exploits that have been handed down for generations."**

"**Well, I guess there'll be crocodile skinned boots for everyone now and more meat for our food eaters." Zafrina said.**

**We wrapped them in a tarp and brought them along.**

**After an hour of (thankfully) uneventful travel, I noticed the canopy of the rainforest seemed to swallow up the sun for a while. It was kind of creepy despite the fact that we could all see just fine. Soon there was a new sound and I saw what looked like a swarm of some kind of birds heading straight for us. Soon they surrounded us—encased us. Some flew practically in my face. They were bats. I'd thought they were nocturnal animals. Then again, they might have thought it was night, as dark as the jungle floor had become.**

"**Vampire Bats," I heard Nahuel say. "They've come by to check us out. They are curious about us."**

**These were super creepy, but, wait a minute; I had seen this before on a Batman flick. I'd thought it had just been some Hollywood stunt--maybe it had been as real then as it was now. Heck, I'd half expected the Caped Crusader to jump from the trees. Well the over-excited bats didn't seem to be any danger to us. Good thing too, I hadn't had my rabies shot yet. **

**Leah leaned over to me and grinned, "Jake, we're surrounded by vampires." **

**I had to laugh. I hadn't seen that one coming. If she hadn't imprinted on Nahuel, that comment would have been a scream at the top of her lungs. **

'_**Heck…the same goes for me.'**_** I'd mused as I realized I was just going to have to get used to having the 'new Leah' before we both phased to wolf again. I didn't want her to see the hard time I had adjusting to her new attitude.**

"**Our perspective has definitely changed, hasn't it"? I said shaking my head. She bursted out laughing before everyone joined in. **

'_**Glad to provide comic relief.'**_

**After another twenty minutes of climbing, we started to see rays of sun shining through again. There was a waterfall with a beautiful pool of water at its base. Apparently the girls wanted to wash off the smelly stagnant bog water. They immediately dove into the fresh clean water, clothes and all. We all guys joined in. The small lake was crystal clear and refreshing. It looked like a cavern that the roof had caved in and filled it in with water. I dove down with Nessie to see how far it went. I saw side passageways that went off in different directions but I needed air and so did Nessie so we abandoned that exploration and settled for one of the tubes closer to the surface. We came up in a part of the cave that wasn't submersed.**

"**Cool," was all that Nessie said her high voice rang and echoed throughout the chamber. We exited the water and walked on the dry cave floor. There were stalagmites and stalactites all over the place. I could make out crystal formations embedded in the walls. It would have looked spectacular with some sunlight trained on it. **

"**This is our secret hide-out." I told her. She grinned at me. "We'll come back here later and bring some flashlights."**

"**That would be so cool." He voice was filled with enthusiasm.**

"**Yes, but can't it be my secret hide-out too"? Rosalie said coming out of the water. **

**Dang it, I should have known she wouldn't be far away. She gave me a slightly annoyed look which I'm sure I returned. Nessie was oblivious to the exchange.**

"**Of course, it can be everybody's secret hide-out" My girl announced. Well that made me and Rosalie both roll our eyes and laugh.**

**After exploring the cave and seeing it wind its way down the main passageway for miles, the three of us eventually made our way back into the water and dove under the rocky floor and back to the main lake. Edward and Bella were gone. Jasper and Alice, now wet, were climbing the rocky side to the top of the valley. Carlisle and Esme were enjoying the company of Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri as they all lounged on rocks at the lake's edge with their feet in the water. Huilen was in the water swimming with Nahuel and Leah. Emmett was in the process of jumping from the top of the waterfall as though it were a water slide of some sort and cannon-balling into our water hall. After he resurfaced, he shook the water from his head and spied us. He came at me ready for a water fight of some kind. It was an activity that never got old to him apparently. Then again, he was kind of fun in a weird way.**

"**Come on Jacob…I'll go easy on you…seeing how you're still sort of recovering and all." He said with mock seriousness. That was it.**

"**Game on," I yelled as I dove for him.**

**About forty minutes later Edward and Bella dove up from underneath the water basin. **_**'Huh, I'd just had another swim along the bottom and they weren't there then. They must have gone off down one of those underwater cave tunnels; must be nice to not need air.'**_

**Then I noticed that they had some kind of box between them and their expressions were beyond excited. They quickly swam towards Carlisle and company on the banks with their 'loot' in tow.**

"**Esme!" Bella exclaimed as soon as she had caught a breath, "You have GOT to see this."**

**Well, apparently all of our names were Esme because we all swam over before Bella and Edward had the box out of the water.**

**The box was a chest, and it was about three and a half feet across and almost as tall. It looked like it was crafted out of solid gold! Bella pulled back the lid like it was a piece of tissue paper adorning a gift. Inside was enough eye candy to almost make me drool. I take that back, I WAS drooling. What was most amazing was the way it glimmered in the sunlight. Sure the vampires glittered as well, but this was just so…colorful. Everyone reached in to touch the rainbow of colored stones. It wasn't out of greed, it was an involuntary response. There were 'Oooh's' and 'Ahhh's' of delight. Most of them came from me. I kind of felt in that moment like I knew how a pirate must've felt when he happened upon the 'X' of a treasure map.**

**The three Amazonian vampires were startled and a little unsettled. They gazed at each other with wide eyes. They then cast glances at Huilen and Nahuel, who were equally stunned; their mouths hanging open.**

"**The Lost Treasure of Akahim" the five of them said in quiet reverence, almost in unison.**

Chapter Twelve  
Akahim—Part II

Emmett's POV

"**I'm in charge of the treasure" I stated, knocking everyone's hands out of the way and hefting it onto my shoulder.**

"**Hey, Edward and I found it"! Bella complained. "What makes you think you can just 'put' yourself in charge anyway?"**

"**Simple" I said. "I AM the Family Protector." When Bella met my explanation with a raised eyebrow of skepticism, I continued, "I protect the family interests. Therefore, I also protect what interests the family. Besides, you and Edward already had to haul it all the way up from its watery grave…" Inspiration hit me at once. If there was any way to get Bella to give up an argument all I had to do is turn the tables on her by mentioning her sex life. "…plus any other activities of exploration you were exerting yourself with down there for OVER THREE HOURS, I'm just giving you guys a little rest."**

"**Fine," Bella said, rolling her eyes. It was only slightly harder to tell when she was embarrassed since she'd become a vampire, because she just SO gave herself away by her body language. The lowered head, the breath expelled in a mighty yet silent huff, her shoulders shrunk in on herself ever so slightly. Funniest of all was that even though her head was lowered, you could still see the funniest expressions of horror on her face. The eyes got wide, she bite on half of her lip, and her ever ready crease made an appearance between her eyebrows. All I had to do was insert her outrageous blush from my vast stores of memory and 'woolah', the picture was completed. I grinned in satisfaction—mission accomplished!**

**There were a lot of things I liked about Bella. True, in the beginning I was at a loss to see what Edward found so fascinating about her. But what could I say, he was my Bro, so I kept an open mind. I even ran interference between her and Rose countless times in the past, when I could tell Rose was in a particularly bad humor. Now I got it. Bella was very unique. She was not so worried about pretenses. She was a good judge of character—the reason I'm sure she liked me so much. Plus, you could guilt her into just about anything. I mean, look at what Alice got away with at their wedding! Plus, of all the women in our family, she was the only one fearless enough to take me on in 'battle practice' without worrying about getting dirty, or breaking a nail, or getting a tiny little bug in her hair. I had to say, even though her newborn strength had ebbed, she had made up for it in skill. She was as good as Rose or Alice and they'd been at it far longer. Plus, now that she was practicing her shield more to block me from Edward, I had actually won more of my wrestling matches with him then I lost.**

**Edward Huffed**_**. 'You're counting wrong!'**_** I thought to him**_**. 'You can't count the times I said 'stop'.'**_** Edward shook his head**_**. 'Touchy.'**_

**Now where was I…Oh yes, things I liked about Bella. The best thing I liked about Bella was how enjoyable it is to tease her. I had always wanted to be a big brother and thanks to all the things that made Bella who she was, she was the perfect little sister. It was almost as if Edward went and found his soul mate with me in mind.**

**Edward shook his head, trying to fight a grin. **

'_**Sorry, but it's the truth. You know I can't get away with anything with Alice.'**_** I explained mentally to him. Who would have thought that there could be so much enjoyment from pushing Bella's 'mortification' buttons?**

"**Just don't think your name is written on it." She stammered, speaking of the treasure, as she tried unsuccessfully to hide her embarrassment.**

**I adjusted the large chest already on my back, bending slightly to steady it. Of course, there was more than one reason I wanted to be in charge of the treasure. Earlier I had snuck three of the beautiful fist sized gems in my pocket, but with everyone's hands in the trunk at the same time, it was hard to really examine them and make sure that those were the three I wanted to keep. This way, I could exchange them later, if I wanted. Edward gave me a pointed look, his eyebrow raised**_**. **_

' _**What? It's just a little Amazonian souvenir for my collection. Hey, it's just our little secret, right Edward?'**_

**He smiled slyly and looked over at Bella. A little sigh escaped from him. Bella grabbed him and kissed him fiercely right in front of all of us. **

**Okay, maybe she wasn't quite so shy anymore. '**_**Come on guys...again?' **_** I cleared my throat. **

"**Okay, Zafrina, where is this lost city of yours?" I asked. **

**Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri smiled warmly. Zafrina pointed to the top of the waterfall and announced, "We're here already." **

'_**What?'**_** I thought as I followed her gaze. I focused and saw a small ledge that came in from the left side of the fall; perfectly camouflaged from the natural eye. It went directly into the fall. **_**'How cool is that.'**_

"**Excellent" I half yelled unable to hide my excitement. **

**We picked our way up the steep slope. After getting half way, the slope butted up to a cliff wall. Sheer physics demanded that we rig up a pulley system to get the supplies up to the higher path with us. No problem. Edward, Jasper and I had it figured out in no time at all. The girl's scaled the cliff face ahead of us, secured the top of our lines, and unloaded all our gear as we sent it topside, while we waited with more below. With the last load of supplies we hopped aboard and let them haul us up too. When we got to the top, it was my beautiful Rose who held the rope.**

"**Hello Darlin', Thanks for the lift." She got a sly look on her face and just about let go of the rope. I, of course, expected this. "Uh, I wouldn't do that Sweetie…I have your make-up in this load." **_**'As if my divine Rosalie needed any!'**_** I got the classic Rose look--almost mad…but not really. Of course, I loved all of Rose's looks. She was just the hottest, sexiest, best looking babe in existence, and I happened to be the luckiest man in the world to have scored her! It made me giddy just thinking about it. **

**I jumped off and grabbed the rope from her, gathering her in my embrace in the same movement. I kissed her like the grand-prize winner that I was—just to show Edward and Bella how it was done properly of course. When she pulled away from me, she smacked me on my backside. **_**'Oh, that woman! Life is great!'**_

**With the last of the supplies unloaded, we headed off towards the curtain of water. I had to say, I was impressed. Who would have thought to make their front door a waterfall? It was the perfect camouflage! As we approached, the roar of the water cascading down became deafening and exhilarating! The vibrations of its passage were felt underfoot. I heard Alice talking excitedly to Esme and I was somewhat surprised to hear it was about something other than weddings!**

"**Oh Esme," She said with a look of excited creativity, "Do you think we could turn the back window of the house into a waterfall?" Now, there was an idea I could get into. Esme seemed to be giving it some serious thought. Carlisle looked surprised. Alice needed my help.**

"**That would be SO amazing!" I began. "We could look through a waterfall from our bedrooms and when we jumped out the windows, it would be like going through a real waterfall!"**

"**But we'd get all wet." Rose said in exasperation. "Plus we wouldn't be able to see outside, it would be through water all the time."**

"**Maybe we could rig some kind of … 'flow diverters'…that you could switch on or off depending on what your mood was." I said to placate her. She rolled her eyes. I wondered if I could make her do that again. "Either that or you could start using waterproof make-up." **_**'Yep! She rolled them again.'**_

**Well, we didn't exactly get wet at the waterfall door to Akahim. There was a slight curve in the rock at the side of the falls and the path curved around it, we got just a slight spray as we rounded the corner. Of course, not wanting anyone to feel like they were not getting the full experience, I stuck my free arm into the massive water spout at the most advantageous moment possible, turning myself into a 'flow diverter'. Everyone in front of me got completely soaked in seconds. I thought it was pretty funny. Rose and Leah were apparently of a different persuasion. Leah actually attacked me. I didn't see that one coming. I almost dropped the treasure chest into the giant water spike. Nahuel got her off me quick enough but, geez, touchy.**

"**Sorry," I said sheepishly, "You all looked a little 'hot'; just trying to be helpful." Rose gave me a withering look. Maybe I overdid it. She gave me a big hug that left me wetter than she was. **_**'That sneaky woman--Man oh man how I love her.' **_

**We were then past the falls and in a large cavern. The sounds of everyone's excited voices echoed off the walls. The room was huge. Not too many crystal formations there. It looked like it had once housed the river flow that now flowed outside. Zafrina motioned us on. The path was fairly well lit as tiny shafts of light burst through every ten feet or so—not that we needed it anyway. After another five minutes of walking at near human speeds, we finally arrived at another large cavern; this one was wide open to the outside, giving us a grand view of the lost city of Akahim.**

"**Hello World." I said without even realizing it. "Come to Daddy." Before I knew it, I was walking down earthen hewn steps into my own personal wonderland. **

'_**Indiana Jones—eat your heart out!'**_** Akahim was a great walled city nestled in a valley. It was shaped like an extended thumb; almost reminded me of a miniature state of Florida. There were ten foot high stone blocks of varying shades of tan and white. There was a large pyramid in the center with a second somewhat smaller one to the west of it. Smaller stone buildings set out in blocks around the pyramids and fountains of running water throughout the main square that seemed to also supply an aqueduct system to each of the smaller buildings as well. There were an assortment of tropical flowers and ferns that had been manicured with care. This place was not the ruins I had expected to see. It was a thriving city. It felt as if I had just stepped back in time. I made out a leather netting that ran across the top of the entire city, and through this net, the jungle had been allowed to inter-weave itself, thus giving to anyone who flew overhead, a canopy of greenery with only the top fourth of the triangle of the center pyramid showing its shape. But even that was covered in green. It was the perfect cover. The Amazonians had placed mirrors and shafts throughout the city, to keep sunlight and fresh air circulating. **

**That had to be without a doubt the absolute coolest place I'd ever seen before in my existence! After I'd taken a full ten minutes to catalog every inch of the city I could see from my vantage point, I finally remembered I wasn't there alone. I looked around me and saw that everyone was having the same breath-taking experience as me. Nahuel, who had clearly been there before was busy watching Leah's shocked expression with anticipation. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri are eagerly awaiting our approval. It was clear that they were the ones responsible for the upkeep and preservation of this great ancient city. **

"**This is the most freaking awesome place in the world!" I exclaimed, once again unable to hide my intense excitement. This seemed to pull everyone out of their trance-like state of wonder and there was a collection of sighs and gasps. Everyone nodded their heads in approval. Zafrina told us to set down our supplies and come see their palace. She gestured to the second largest building in the city. It was down the carved rock steps from the cave mouth and to our right.**

**The palace had electricity. Another development I had not expected! Zafrina explained that in diverting the stream a small, well-concealed hydro-electric power supply was created and from there, underground cables supplied the entire city. There was even indoor plumbing. It was like living in history from the comfort of your own modern amenities castle. The front room had tasteful yet elegant couches and a huge fireplace. They even had a small grand piano. **

'_**Gee, I wonder how they got that through the waterfall. Maybe there's a back entrance. I'll have to check that out later.'**_

**As the three amazons lead us from the front room, I noticed a telephone sitting on a beautiful wood sofa table. There were at least a half a dozen bedrooms, each complete with their own little bath area. The smooth stone tubs had constant steaming water circulating through them. Zafrina explained there were geo-thermal hot springs diverted to the palace from not too far away. There were also large walk-in showers and large well-lit mirrors. The girls were all ecstatic at this little revelation…of course. They really didn't get the whole 'roughing it' concept at all. Another modern convenience in each room was a modest-sized flat-screen television set with satellite. SWEEEEET! The finest five-star Hiltons had nothing on this place. Of course, even sports couldn't pull me away from the mysteries of Akahim.**

**It had been quite a day. The sun was setting and I could tell that our 24-chromosone traveling companions appeared to be a little spent. Especially Jacob—maybe he **_**was**_** still recovering just a bit. Zafrina divvied up the guest rooms and told us they'd give everyone a few hours to themselves to 'freshen up' and that they were going to prepare some roasted crocodile for those who needed 'food'. We headed back out to get our supplies and carried them up to our rooms. I, of course, had the chest full of the 'Lost Treasure of Akahim'. It was the perfect time to make any exchanges undisturbed. I was euphoric at the thought of opening that chest again. **

**After a nice 'soaking' in my own personal hot springs tub with my own personal hottie—Rose, I left her to her blow dryer and snuck back into the bedroom and my 'geology' studies. First I dug out the three gems from my pants pocket and examining them…one was a beautiful emerald-cut emerald. The deep greens sparkled dimly when held up to the light. It was flawless of course. I imagined how it would look around Rosalie's neck. It would take something exquisite, like the gem in my hand, to be worthy to adorn her perfection. **

**Next was a delicate rose-colored topaz. I knew that these were very rare as I had considered getting a smaller one for Rosalie for Christmas last year. This one was at least twenty times larger than that one. It had been cut to reflect light from every angle and at today's market value would be priceless—and that didn't even take into consideration the historical significance. I laid it out next to the emerald. **

**The third one was a rich blood-red ruby. This one was also an emerald-cut and it looked like the inspiration behind the creation of the reddest roses ever to grace the planet. I placed it next to the other two.**

**I next opened the chest on the floor next to our bed. I was again dazzled by the intensity of the sparkle that came off the numerous gems all cut to reflect the light. They sent their lights dancing around the room. Hey, it kind of reminded me of ME on a sunny day. Well, Rose always calls me a 'gem' of a man…so naturally. I started studying each piece for a fraction of a second and making two piles; one to double check and one to put back. When my pile to double check started getting larger than my 'put back' pile, I decided I needed more stringent guidelines. My eyes were getting a little greedy**_**. 'Would there be any real harm in taking more than three? I mean…it was all just sitting underwater doing NOTHING for NOBODY before anyway.'**_

**After ten minutes, I had selected twenty precious gems to decide on and put the rest carefully back in their proper place.**

**In the end, I decided, I would keep a total of five gems. First, I would keep the emerald because the more I thought of it on Rosalie, the more excited I became. I would also keep the rose topaz because it just said 'treasure' all over it. I put back the ruby but kept a beautiful blue diamond that was cut in a large trillion. It was as big as the 'hope diamond' and I just couldn't pass it up. I also kept a black pearl that was the size of a golf ball. I could just make out small hints of midnight blue streaks throughout it. I wondered how big the clam was that made that baby. The last was by far the most spectacular one of all. It was an enormous baseball sized yellow semi-transparent stone, which I could not put a name to. On it was engraved a symbol that looked like ones Zafrina had pointed out that represented the Sun God. When I held it up to the light, the most incredible thing happened. Light shot out through it and onto all of the walls. It was like holding a small piece of the sun. When I looked at the walls in shocked wonder, I saw that there were symbols cast on the walls where the light rays shown through the stone. It was like some ancient text or something. I dimmed the lights slightly to better see it. I felt as though I had just discovered the mysteries of the universe…only I had no idea how to read them. I didn't know how long I stood there fascinated into stillness. **

"**What the….."Rose started when she came out of the bathroom. That was as far as she got before she, like me, became still as stone.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen  
Amazon Warriors

Jasper's POV

**I enjoyed my few brief hours of 'free-time' with my beautiful Alice going over the architectural structures and unique decorating styles of the Palace of Akahim. I could just see the wheels turning in that fascinating mind of hers. When she started asking me how we could replicate some of these stone sculptures back in Forks, I just laughed to myself.**

"**Alice, what are you up too?" I prodded her playfully. I could sense her excitement level rising.**

**In response she just raised her eyebrow and looked innocently at me. "Who, me"? She could fool just about anyone but me…well with the exception of Edward…but he cheated so that didn't count.**

**Alice was my polar opposite. I could see now just how lopsided my life had been before without her influence to 'round' me out. My existence was bleak before she'd brought hope and love to my battle-scarred heart. Every vampire I had known before her and plenty since have seen my legacy from my time with Maria. It was literally written all over my face. It had always made them weary, as they assessed me as dangerous. Except for Peter and later, Charlotte—I had no friends. I didn't dare have any. I could afford to trust no one. It was kill or be killed. I had no humanity in me. Then Alice came into my life and actually gave me one. She loved me—not my battle scars. It was such an incredible feeling that coursed through me that I had to take a stool there in that tavern. It rocked me to my very core. I could feel the depth of her feelings, her longing for my companionship, her trust and her commitment to me. I looked in her eyes and knew love for the first time.**

"**What do you want to replicate these stone figures for?" I asked trying unsuccessfully to hide my smile and return my thoughts to the conversation at hand. "You know they wouldn't go with the décor of our bedroom."**

"**Of course not" She said in shock…as if I were actually suggesting mixing them in. She was still thinking; her hands trailed over the carvings with an artisan's hand.**

"**Well, if it's not for us, then what would you want to do this for…"? I trailed off. It clicked into place just then. If the laptop had not been dumped into the river during our boat wreak, I would have already figured it out. "This is about Leah's wedding isn't it"? I said as I gathered her into my embrace. My little Alice was so single-minded when she started one of her projects.**

"**Well, Leah said it needed to be completely different than Sam's. If I turned the house into the Amazon, well, that would be completely different—Right?"**

**My smile widened in surprise and I fought a laugh as another puzzle piece falls into place. "This is what wanting to turn the back window into a waterfall was all about also." I stated it as the fact that I knew it was.**

"**Well, of course, if we're going to do it, we want to do it authentically. You know, I think that Leah will really like this idea. The Amazon is where she is creating so many good memories now." She suddenly got a worried look on her face. "Gee, I don't know Leah very well. I can't see her future—I'm getting better with Jacob and Renesmee but I've not been close enough to Leah to see her at all! Do you think she'll like my idea?"**

"**I think she would be a fool not to. Also, you've got me sold. Whatever you need me to do to create the latest masterpiece in that busy little brain of yours--I am your slave." I mocked bowed to her. She laughed and jumped up to kiss me. I held her there to make the moment last longer. Maybe I'll wait until tomorrow to mention that earlier, Zafrina showed me her rather large 'computer room' on the top floor of the palace that Alice was free to use.**

"**Well, time to go meet with the others." I sighed, releasing her and taking her hand as we walked out of the palace and into the main square in front of the temple. **

**The evening was approaching and the plaza was illuminated by small lights embedded in the columns that surrounded the courtyard. Kachiri and Huilen were grilling meat on a make shift barbeque pit. They made faces at the smell of the cooking flesh. Jacob and Leah were eagerly awaiting some hot food-- Renesmee and Nahuel, not so enthusiastically. It would appear that Nahuel would rather hunt as much as my sweet little niece would, but Jacob wasn't about to let her back out anywhere near those crocodiles. His emotional state had become somewhat shaky since his run in with the blow dart. Bella and Edward were leaving in a few hours for their third wedding anniversary to Isle Esme and they planned to officially leave Jacob in charge of Nessie. This decision had not set to well with Rosalie, but she had relented when Jacob asked her to please help him. Maybe I'd spell him for a few hours tomorrow and take Nessie hunting with me and Alice. I just didn't seem to get as much time with her as I would like. There was always a line for her attention. I looked at her reluctant face and felt her disgust as Jacob handed her a steaming plate full of croc meat. That decided me. Tomorrow, I will take her hunting. She was usually so full of joy that it was pure bliss being around her.**

**Senna and Zafrina had started a campfire and I lead Alice over to sit beside Carlisle and Esme, who leaned over to me and hugged my shoulder. The love I felt for her and from her was beyond words. I couldn't believe how my life had changed. I looked at my 'parents' and was overcome with profound emotions. They had, like Alice, accepted me and lovingly welcomed me into their home and their hearts. It was actually scary when I put Maria alongside of Carlisle and compared the two as the heads of the two covens I had been a part of. **_**'Talk about polar opposites!'**_** He was a man who had earned my most profound respect and love. I did not remember my mortal father, but I could not imagine anyone who would ever have made a better one. He sat with Esme and held her gently in his embrace. She was the true mother of our family. Again if I were to put her next to Maria in a comparison as a 'mother' figure; the thought actually made me shudder. Esme looked over at me and gave me a wink and a warm smile.**

"**What are you thinking about Jasper?" She asked leaning closer to me.**

"**Actually, I was thinking about how lucky I am to be considered your son." I said honestly.**

"**You ARE my son Jasper and I am so very proud of you and the challenges you have overcome in your life." She grasped my hand and looked into my eyes. "Carlisle and I both love you." I already knew it. I felt it intensify from both of them as Carlisle looked my way now with the same loving expression on his face. Alice snuggled deeper into my arms and Esme's eyes dropped to meet hers. Her loving expression was the same. Alice and I were both lucky. **

**Esme's hand went from mine to Alice's. "Alice, I've been collecting plant seedlings like you asked me too. Tomorrow, you're going to have to tell me what your plan is." She said quietly. I had to laugh. Of course Alice would involve Esme in turning our home into the Amazon for Leah and Nahuel. Alice nudged me playfully.**

"**Esme," I said conspiratorially, "You may want to get Leah in on this before you try to replant the entire Amazon in our living room…just to make sure she's on board before Alice here goes overboard!" Now Carlisle laughed with me. I reached down and mussed up my sweet Alice's hair.**

**By then I had noted that we had been joined by everyone and the night had deepened. I was a little weary when I sensed some strange feelings coming from Emmett and Rosalie. I concentrated on them, but couldn't quite identify the feelings. They seemed to be a mixture of awe, excitement, nervousness, trepidation, guilt. There were so many and changed so abruptly it was really hard to grasp. It felt a bit uncomfortable. I was sure I had never felt anything like this coming off them before. **

**I needed to keep an eye on that to make sure everything was alright. Across the fire from me, Edward looked my way before he turned his gaze in the direction of Emmett and Rosalie with the same puzzled look that must have been on my face. Then he shrugged. Before I could further decipher the emotion, Zafrina stood up across the campfire from me and clapped her hands, Senna and Kachiri started and stopped in unison with her.**

"**On behalf of my sisters, Senna, Kachiri and myself, welcome to the city of Akahim. It has been over 500 years since we lived our human lives here with our family and friends, and apart from Huilen and Nahuel, you Carlisle, and your beautiful family are the first visitors we have ever invited to our home. We hope you will enjoy your stay. Because we know that Edward and Bella will be leaving us shortly for some romance, and since they are the ones who found and returned to us the 'Lost Treasure of Akahim', we would like to share with you now, before they leave the legend of the Amazon Warriors—of which we were a part."**

**There was a murmur of approval around the fire. I felt anticipation from on the entire gathering as everyone settled in to listen to Zafrina as she began her tale. Her eyes had a faraway look in them and her emotions were wistful and rich with melancholy. **

"**We are the Ugha Mongulala. Senna, Kachiri and I lived in this great city with our families when it was teeming with life. We were a proud people and we honored the Gods by obeying their laws as written in the Chronicle of Akakor. We were the great sister City to Akakor. We lived in harmony with the Gods, our Families, and our neighbors and with the great jungle."**

**Zafrina paused and bowed her head for a minute and I felt her pain echo through Senna and Kachiri as they each remembered their lost home. After a few minutes, the silence brought out a melody of jungle sounds she raised her head, gazing into the fire and spoke abruptly and proudly, "Amazon Warriors." Her voice then took on a measured cadence as she began to sing the tale of her sisters in arms in her rich contra-alto voice.**

**  
**_**"In ancient days the white man came  
with swords of flame and gleaming eyes  
to burn the sacred village home  
to send brave warriors to the skies**_

And steal the gold of Akakor  
a treasure lost forevermore

When no man stood against the foe  
the women took up fallen arms  
and praying to the river gods  
they chanted long forgotten charms

To guard their sacred Akakor  
a treasure lost forevermore

Their power felled the gleaming men  
like deadly jaguars of the night  
and still it's whispered that they wait;  
dark beauties of eternal might

To guard their sacred Akakor  
a treasure lost forevermore"

**Everyone was silent and deep in thought, thinking through this legend of the Amazon Warriors and realizing that Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri were themselves some of these legendary warriors for which the entire rainforest had been named.**

**After a few moments, Carlisle broke the silence by asking quietly, "How long ago did this happen and what were the circumstances surrounding the creation of the Amazons?"**

**Zafrina smiled answering, "In the year 570 AD, we were in our late teens and each betrothed. We were out doing our 'Pelazon' or rite-of-passage for the Gods before entering into matrimony. As part of our Pelazon we had to leave the city for two weeks. That was when the outside world came to destroy our people. We came back to our beloved homes to find them bursting at the seams with refugees from many other tribes. The white men with beards had come to make slaves of us and kill us for the knowledge of the location of our City of Gold and the Treasure of Akahim. Already some of the traveling women were with the white men's child, their own husbands killed in the attempt to spare them. Our elders met with all males in our great city and their plan of action was to run. Run to Akakor to the south. We could make it through our underground tunnels, but Akakor was very far away and would be a hard journey for those with child and small ones. Also the number of people had grown so much that it would take much preparation for the journey and take a long time to evacuate everyone."**

"**A fellow Akahim sister to us, named Conori stood up in front of all the elders and the congregation of males and called them all fools. All the women in the city heard her as well. She said that running away would only make more refugees and would only make them hunt us down and lead the white man to our beloved Akakor. The only way to save our homes and families was to stand and fight for them. The men did not like being spoken to in such a manner from a woman and were ready to kill her for insolence. The three of us, coming fresh from our Pelazon, rushed to her cause. We saw the truth in her words and had courage to stand our ground with her. Because of our recent ritual, we were considered holy and the elders withdrew their plans."**

**Conori called for all to join her in battle for our homes, our families, and our Gods; the men walked away. There were twenty two of us women left in the square ready to fight. We sent four away because of their poor health. The eighteen of us left, went that very night armed with our blow darts, our arrows, our spears, our knives and clubs and we snuck upon the encampment of conquistadors and slew two-thirds of them in their sleep. The other third had us out-numbered four to one, but we were strong and they were caught by surprise. We slew all but six men and they escaped in their boats. Of our eighteen women warriors, Senna, Kachiri and I were the only ones fallen. We were weak from our fasting in the jungle and so our sister warriors took us back to Akahim and into the Temple of the Sun." **

**Zafrina stopped and gestured to the large pyramid behind her. "We were mostly dead. Our pulses was very faint. Conori carried us to the inner chambers of the Sun God's domain and prayed for us. It was here that Samon, the brother God, who had founded Akahim and helped to build the tunnel to Akakor (where his brother Llasa once ruled), appeared that night for the first time in over two millennia. **

"**Samon told Conori that because of the courage and faith of the Women Warriors of the Ugha Mongulala, that they would be given charge over the city of Akakor and were to keep it from the white man's hand. He promised to give them strength to match their courage and valor, and he charged them to hand down their skills to their daughters throughout the ages until the gods returned again. Samon said that he would seal up the underground roads that went between villages to keep the path safe from the evil white men who were only here for greed and power. He said that some day when the time was right, the gems would be restored that would re-align the tunnels and restore balance to the Amazons and the tribes they protect. Conori accepted Samon's charge and led the citizens of Akahim through the underground tunnels to the safety of Akakor. Our defeat of the Spaniard's bought us time to safely plan and execute the departure of the city without the threat of emanate war." **

"**Then Samon turned to the three of us, as we lay dying and unconscious before him. Our lives were mostly gone. The best that he could do to preserve our lives, was to turn the three of us into a special and unique creation. The remaining parts of our three souls were fused into one. There is one soul between the three of us. We share every thought, feeling, and sensation but we still retain the memories and characteristics of our separate lives before our new birth. Samon gave us immortality and the charge to be the protectors of the night for our sister Amazons and Ugha Mongulala. We accepted his charge and have made hunt of those who would enslave the people of the Amazon. Our sisters in Akakor are the Women of the Sun and we are the Women of the Moon."**

**There was a profound silence as Zafrina's words echoed in our thoughts. I knew everyone felt what I was feeling--reverence and awe. I could see this city's past; bursting with added refugees in shock. It brought back memories of my final days as a human; having charge over protecting the weak and taking them to safety. I was amazed at the audacity it must have taken Conori to stand up to the 'powers that be'—the elders—knowing that she risked her own life—to make the right decision to save her family. Likewise, the strength of character it took for Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri to rally to her cause and her defense. And in the end sacrifice their own human lives protecting what they held dear. No wonder a 'god' would come and restore life to them after they had given their all, and apparently continued to do so.**

**Leave it to Emmett to ruin the mood.**

"**You know," He said very seriously, "I know a legend about the Amazon too. There was a great Indian chief of the Suyas who was captured by a rival tribe of Kayapos. They tortured him and as a final insult tore off the toe nail of his big toe. Then they fed him to hungry crocodiles. To punish the evil Kayapos, The gods saved the chief of the Suyas. The Kayapos found him wandering around with a golden toenail replacing their handiwork. Since that day, the Kayapos have been cursed." Emmett was getting quite into his story. At least his mood seemed to be somewhat improved…if only temporary.**

**The amazons all started laugh at once. "Emmett, where in the world did you hear that?"**

"**It has to be true. I'm sure it is. Let me see…it was when we lived in Parksville, British Columbia, up in Canada." He now looked for someone to verify his story. "You remember Rose, we were in our acting class at Ballenas High School, right? You were there."**

**Rose looked over at him and shook her head with a smirk on her face, "You've got to be kidding Emmett, that was an assignment in storytelling. We had to make up a legend. The story you just told was the story Brian Everest told." Everyone laughed at Emmett's shocked expression. He had clearly thought it was a true legend.**

"**Wow," Bella said, clearly glad for a little payback. "That must have been some story! I would have loved to see the story that would fool Emmett. It must be a true gift…to be able to kid a kidder."**

**I sensed the building curiosity emanating from Carlisle and it wasn't long before he couldn't contain it any longer. "So, the three of you were not created vampires from another vampire then?"**

**The three amazons shook their head in unison. Carlisle's face was filled with fascination. He could easily spend the rest of the night on this mystery. "I wonder what technique was used to turn you." He mused almost to himself.**

**Edward leaned forward across the dying campfire added his speculations, "Do you think it might be in some way be related to the poison from those blow darts?"**

"**Maybe," Carlisle added slowly. "We'll have to see what the lab analyses turn up. They should be done around the same time we make it back home. You know, there are so many plants and animals that are unique to this ecosystem that just about anything is possible. You could literally spend several lifetimes studying and cataloging them. The potential medical cures alone are staggering."**

**Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri looked like a light bulb had just gone off in their heads. Their emotions became excited and serine at the same time. It looked like Carlisle had just given them an idea that would keep them busy for quite a while. Of course, living in the rainforest for over 500 years, I was sure they already knew quite a bit.**

**After another ten minutes of speculation, Edward and Bella stood up and announced it was time for them to be heading out. I was surprised that Bella was actually able to give Nessie to Jacob after holding tightly to her for so long. Her emotions were in a snarl--excited to be with Edward yet anxious to leave her daughter. **

'_**Well, it would only be for four days.' **_**I sent a wave of calm in her direction. She glanced my way and mouthed a 'thank you' my way.**

**They left in a rush after saying their 'good-byes' to everyone. And speaking of emotions being in a snarl…what was up with Emmett and Rosalie? Their moods were still in a chaotic mess. Maybe I'd ask them about it when there wasn't so many listening ears. At least Edward didn't seem too bothered when he read their minds earlier.**

**Something else bothered me. It had been in the back of my mind since the Jaguar Warriors attacked Jacob and Nessie, but after the blow dart's poison had been brought up again, I found my unease growing more and more. I recalled the 'picture' I received from Renesmee along with her panicked plea for help that morning a week ago. I replayed it over and over again. They were feeding on a Jaguar, there was movement in the brush, the chief appeared with a spear ready to throw. There were many warriors with various weapons ready for battle, Jacob howled in pain and went down, a small feathered dart protruding from his neck. Nessie was in a panic calling to her father for help. The natives lit a fire to the arrows, Bonobos attacked the Indians with fruit and then Nahuel appeared with three jaguars. I played it over and over. I was missing something. I played it in my mind again…she was in a panic, calling to Edward…THE INDIANS HAD LIT THE ARROWS ON FIRE. Was it possible that they not only knew how to take down a werewolf but that vampires must be burned as well?**

_A/N: Special thanks to the people who helped me pull this chapter together!!!_

_*First of all My husband John Flournoy—the poet in the family—who took my assignment to write me a poem about the Amazon Warriors and put together a masterpiece for me in record time!!!_

_*Second of all—TO New Twilight Fan (Maggie Chambers)—for giving me the idea of using local legends and giving me some cool websites to research Akakor_

_*Third of all—To Imagine—for telling me her 'urban legend' of the golden toenail, that was actually told in her middle-school drama class. I say urban legend…only because I could not find anything on Google to verify it…maybe it is real! (I changed it up a bit)_

_* Fourth of all to my son David and Hubby John for letting me bend their ears almost all the way off as I read the chapter more than once to them out loud to get it right._

_Also--While I used the legends of the Amazons and Akakor and Akahim…I did take artistic license with them. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is also a take on the same legend of Akakor._


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen  
Cursed-Part I

Rosalie's POV

**Well, our trip so far had been interesting to say the least. I hadn't ever seen Emmett that excited before. Honestly, he wasn't even that excited when he got the new Rock Band get-up for his Play Station 3. My man was definitely full of surprises. Last night was right up there with the best of them. I came out of the bathroom, finally clean and every hair perfectly in place ready to dazzle him and there he stood in the semi-darkened room, hypnotized by the symbols cast all over the walls from a light that shined through a huge yellow, glowing rock in his hand. No, glowing wasn't the right word. There were rays of light shinning from the inside of the gem. It was almost as if he held a miniature sun in his palm.**

"**What the…" was all I got out, before I'd joined him in shocked silence. **

**We'd stood there in our frozen pose an entire hour. Then I heard Emmett let out a low whistle. I actually jumped. "What is that thing Emmett?" I'd asked, my voice barely a whisper.**

"**It's from the treasure." He whispered back. He slowly closed his hand over the gem and the lights on the wall blinked out.**

"**Put it back—now!" I stated emphatically. After all the stories we'd heard, I was worried about us having just contacted aliens or something. Hadn't Zafrina told us that their God's had come in round flying ships? So many eerie things had been going on; my imagination was getting way out of hand.**

"**No way, Babe" Emmett said decidedly. "I just spent ten minutes sorting through all the gems to decide to keep these five. He pointed to the rest on the bed. I shot him a look and he got one of his huge Emmett grins on his face that just melted my heart. Of course, I didn't want him to think he'd won so easily. He had to be reminded that he wasn't the one wearing pants in our marriage…so to speak.**

"**Well, at least let me see the other four you picked." I said as if considering his request only. He showed me the most beautifully exquisitely cut Emerald that was as big as a Razor cell phone. I was secretly pleased when he explained that he picked this one out for me. I could just see me wearing it as a necklace with my beautiful green silk semi-formal gown. I smiled at him a little. I was equally impressed as he shows me the other three. In all my years, I had never seen a blue diamond. This one was huge…and unlike the 'Hope Diamond', this one was probably not cursed.**

**We then went out to the temple courtyard with everyone else. I had no idea of the origins of Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. I had to say, I was impressed. **

**After an evening of stories, we eventually made it back to our room. I could hardly wait. Emmett opened the treasure chest for me and let me play with ALL the 'sparklies'. We sat there holding them all up to the light, deciding which ones we could identify. I got most of them correct of course. Then we divvied them up and played poker for a bit using them for chips. Finally, after stringing him along for as long as I could, I got on the bed and let him pour the entire chest of jewels over me. I couldn't help but laugh. I grabbed him then and kissed him energetically to remind him he already had the best treasure of all. **

**As the morning sun poked it's rays through the window, Emmett and I lay on our bed watching our bodies glimmer in the light even more than all of the jewels that still surrounded us. Iwas enjoying the moment. Then I felt it. I thought it was Emmett at first; massaging the back of my head with his hand. It felt nice but soon, he started pulling my hair a bit and I didn't want it all tangled. I looked over at him with my eyebrows raised.**

"**What?" He asked confused. That was when I saw both of his arms folded behind his head. It was also when the 'hand' moved from the back of my head, across the top of my head and edged onto the top of my forehead. Before I knew what I was doing, I jumped up and screamed loud and long. My hand went instinctively to the top of my head and I knocked off a huge hairy spider that with almost vampire-like speed scurried under the bed. I was suddenly in a furry. I looked up at Emmett knowing I would see the faked innocent expression on his face. "You are so going to pay…" He was not looking at me, he was trying to knock off spiders of his own.**

"**Dang, these fellows are feisty." He exclaimed. They were all over the bed. Where had they come from? Carlisle and Esme knocked at our bedroom door. Well, we couldn't let them in. We weren't dressed, plus the gems were scattered all over our bed with giant tarantulas swarming all over them.**

"**Is everything alright kids?" Esme's worried voice rang out.**

"**We're fine" I said a little shakily. "Emmett just scared me. But everything is fine now." **

"**Alright," Carlisle added. "Just keep it down in there, don't forget we are guests."**

"**Yes," Esme added obviously to Emmett, "Don't break anything."**

"**Okay," Emmett and I said together. **

"**Man, oh man," Emmett grinned, still trying to shoo the plate-size spiders off the bed. "Did we almost get caught with our hands in the cookie jar or what?" Just then the giant tarantulas started hissing at us. I kid you not. It totally freaked me out. Plus if that wasn't bad enough, my big strong he-man jumped up on a chair; a look of terror and panic twisted his face; a silent scream on his lips. If I wasn't so freaked out, I would have found Emmett's reaction comical, when after a second, he rethought his reaction and casually stepped down from the chair, taking care to not step on one.**

"**Where did these crazy spiders come from?" I hissed at him. He shrugged his shoulders. Just then one landed in my hair. I half screamed before I was able to control it and somehow managed to swallow the scream down my windpipe. Three more clung to my back. I jumped up and down, unable to dislodge them. "Get them off me Emmett…NOW!" He quickly removed them and both of us, using all of our vampire speed, quickly scooped up the treasure and had it back in the chest with the lid on it, had our clothes on and our five special pieces of treasure put away safely in Emmett's suitcase. This time when Carlisle and Esme came up to see about my second scream, we let them in to see the tarantulas all over the bed and walls. They both gasped**

"**What did you do Emmett?" Esme asked in shock. "Feed them?" **

"**I don't know." Emmett said as one crawled its way through his black curly hair. "Maybe they have a hidden nest under the bed." He picked up the hairy monster and put it in a box of his 'supplies'.**

"**What are you doing with that?" I asked him pointedly. Before he could answer, Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri were in the doorway to our room; A look of surprise on their faces.**

"**We are so sorry." Zafrina said her voice full of apologies. "Where did all of these Goliath Bird-Eating Spiders come from?" She looked to Senna and Kachiri who both shook their heads in unison. "I have never seen any in the entire city and certainly not any in such a large swarm." **

**I watched Emmett open the lid of his 'supply box' again before slamming it shut. After which he studiously observed the infestation of the bizarre spiders. Zafrina opened a window to get them out. Funny, none of them seemed to be going for the Amazons, or Carlisle or Esme for that matter. Just then Nahuel appeared and picked up the closest one and looked deeply into its eyes and set it on the floor. In three minutes, the spiders scurried to the open window and left the palace. Zafrina closed the window.**

"**That was interesting." Nahuel said. "I don't think I've ever seen so many of those Goliath Bird- Eating Tarantulas before. Did you know that they're the largest spider in the world?" He shook his head, smiling at Emmett. His eyes got big as something occurred to him. "Did Nessie call them for you?" Emmett shook his head but I was a little worried to see a big grin spread across his face. **

"**Thank you!" My reply held venom and I rolled my eyes. This was unbelievable. "Just what Emmett needs; someone putting creepy, crawly ideas in his head!" This after just being attacked by an infestation of the hairy giants; the thought of them crawling all over me made me cringe and I shuddered. I growled as I ran out the door and the still 'to fresh' memory.**

**I had planned on spending the morning with my sweet little niece, Nessie, but after I made her a breakfast of eggs and fruit, Zafrina took her outside to start her 'training'. Jacob grabbed some fruit and trudged off behind them. I watched for a while. She told Nessie to show her some of her mental pictures that she could project out. She showed Zafrina her bedroom back home. Zafrina said it was very good. Then she did something I was not expecting. She showed Nessie, and the rest of us, the same scene of Nessie's room back at us that she had never seen before. Zafrina's 'picture' was rock solid. It felt like we were all standing in the bedroom back at the cottage behind our big white house.**

**Zafrina's first part of Nessie's training apparently involved teaching Nessie to control the strength of her projections. At first, when Nessie showed us her room, we could all see it and with its many colors, but it was transparent. We could see through it. In Zafrina's mental pictures, we could not see through it at all. Wow! I had not ever considered this before but if Nessie could project her mental 'pictures' as strong as Zafrina…Well, it was mind-boggling. I start to smile as I look over at Nessie. Her face crunched up in concentration. Her beautiful curls a sun-kissed bronze. She sent us the picture of her room again and it was still transparent but not as see through as the first time.**

"**That's much better, Nessie!" Zafrina said encouragingly. Nessie opened her eyes and looked over to me with a look of relief on her face. I was so proud of her that I gave her a smile and wink.**

**Oh how I LOVED my little niece. She was without a doubt the best thing that had ever happened to me. I'd always wanted to be a mother and I'd never thought I would ever have that experience. Bella had been more than gracious to me in allowing me to be a part of her 'miracle of life' all the way from the pregnancy to now. I truly felt like a second mother to Renesmee. I could not imagine loving her more even if she were my own daughter. She often jokingly called me her 'second mom', and I had to admit, that was how I felt about her. How lucky it was for me that Edward had found Bella and married her human. I used to feel ashamed of how I once railed on him for loving Bella—a mere mortal, and for how I viewed and treated Bella herself. But Bella was among other things, a true saint--The Saint of Forgiveness. Through the miracle of Renesmee, I felt utterly complete for the first time since my rebirth.**

**Zafrina kept it up with my little Nessie, telling her to concentrate on the image as if she was standing in the middle of the room and turned around so an entire 360 degree view of her room was shown. In a second, we got her 360 view and it was pretty good, though still a little wavy. If I really looked hard, I started to see through it in spots.**

"**Wow Nessie!" Jacob said. "You are without a doubt amazing. I can't believe the detail you are showing here." She laughed. Of course, with Nessie, she had no control over how long the picture lasted. She sent it out as an 'energy of light' and once it had left her, it had a life of its own. With Zafrina's gift, she had complete control for the entire length of time she wanted it. But then again, as Eliazar had once explained, 'No two talents manifest in the same way.'**

**Carlisle and Esme had joined us as well as Huilen, Senna and Kachiri. The morning sun grew higher in the sky. I heard Nessie sigh a few times. She reminded me of Bella--not wanting to say anything and hurt someone's feelings even if it meant enduring what she considered torture. Sometimes Nessie rubbed her forehead from her intense concentrated. After she got a pretty solid bedroom image sent to all of us, and everyone had clapped in encouragement, Zafrina changed tactics and gave each of us one of her own images. This one a jungle picture solid and strong. She had Nessie study it and send it out to all of us. It was semi-transparent. Actually, I was surprised she'd picked it up so fast. Renesmee was incredible. She was just about my most favorite person in the whole family. I could watch her do this all day but as the hours dragged on, I could see her impatience growing so I suggested she take a break while I made her some lunch. She let out a relieved sigh and jumped over to me in a flash, hopping up in my arms. I didn't even care that she was four feet tall.**

"**Thank you Aunt Rose." She said, looking me fervently eye to eye. She put both of her hands on either side of my face and sent me an image of her head exploding. We both laughed as I carried her back inside the palace. After lunch, Emmett announced he had dibs on Nessie next. Why did I feel a little worried about whatever Emmett had in mind? I didn't know, but I did know that she was certainly safe enough in my total tank of a husband's hands. Jacob had no objections. So while she still chewed on the last bite of her sandwich, Emmett had already scooped her up announcing that they wouldn't be gone long.**

"**Good," Said Jasper who had just come down the stairs from who knew where. "I'm taking her hunting with me and Alice when you get back." I let out a little growl…what was this, a waiting list? "Should I take a number to get some time with my Niece?" I grumbled. **

"**I second that". Jacob added under his breath.**

"**Well, at least you two get more time with her than the rest of us." Jasper said easily. Well, he was right there.**

"**Okay," I said, giving up with poor grace. "Where is Alice anyway?"**

**A small smile played across Jasper's lips, "Oh, she's upstairs in the computer room"**

"**There's a computer room?" My eyebrows rose.**

"**Top floor, at the top of the stairs," He said.**

**Jacob and I almost knocked each other down in our race to get to civilization as soon as possible. I would have just thrown him off the stairs all together, but Esme was in the living room with the Amazons and it would embarrass her sensibilities if I'd thrown the dog head long down the stairs, plus I did have some dignity, so I settled for not letting him use his mass to maneuver his way ahead of me.**

**Jacob was so enormous that he kept banging into me on our way to the top floor. Dang that wolf was SO pushy. "Geez Jacob, Haven't you ever heard of ladies first?" I said throwing him daggers with my eyes.**

"**Yes, I have, and if I see one…I let her go first." He retorted.**

"**Well then." I threw back at him, not willing to let him have the last word. "You'll need some glasses because there would appear to be a problem with your vision."**

"**There's nothing wrong with my eye sight. What's the matter Rosalie? Didn't get your daily affirmation from your magic mirror?"**

"**Well, Jacob." I said trying to elbow him behind me as we rounded the second floor landing. "At least I don't break mirrors when I look in them."**

**He let out a little growl of a "Humph" as we finally landed at the top of the third floor where Alice, Leah and Nahuel all looked up at us from where they sat hunched over a computer. There was one other computer on the other side of the desk. I went to it in a fraction of a second, as I was naturally faster than the stupid mutt and he wasn't blocking my way like he had on the stairs.**

**I switched the power on button as I sat down. Jacob grabbed a spare computer chair and pushed it over to where the rest were huddled, as if that had been his destination all along. While I waited for my computer to boot up, I listened in on the 'wedding plans'. It appeared that an Amazon theme was in the works. That should be an interesting one…especially in Forks, Washington. Normally, I'd have traded places with Jacob. I enjoyed looking at dresses and flowers and it was easy to get involved in the "Alice Cullen Wedding Planning Committee". It was just that…well…to be honest, I couldn't stand Leah. It felt so weird having her being so nice and sweet. I just couldn't forget or forgive the way she waltzed in and gave Bella a piece of her mind when she was pregnant and under MY care. As IF she had enough mind to be handing it out like that. I'll admit, I used to be unreasonable about Bella myself, but I had the guts to get over it and apologized. Not Leah…sure she'd apologized to Carlisle and Esme, but to me and Bella…it looked like the big plan was to just sweep it under the rug. Of course, the difference between Bella and me is that Bella, being the Saint of Forgiveness, had already forgiven her and I probably never would.**

**Finally, my computer was up and humming. I navigated to my favorite BMW accessories Webpage. After ordering a few choice additions for my favorite convertible, I realized I was in the mood to shop for more car things. I surfed several sites, and realized Jacob was wheeling his chair over to look at my computer. If he thought he was going to push me of, he was mistaken. I took smaller breathes to lessen the stinky dog smell and surfed sites on building hot rods. Looking over specs to see if there was something else I could possibly do to my BMW convertible when the mutt unexpectedly spoke up.**

"**That is something I have always wanted to do." Had there been a hint of longing in his voice? I raised an eyebrow a fraction of an inch. "I mean sure I rebuilt the engine in Bella's old truck and put together my old junkie rabbit, but I was dying to make one of them into a classy—oh, I don't know—bat mobile—or Knight Rider car—or something." Yes, there was definitely a wistful look in his eye as well. I knew Bella's old truck sat out in our garage rotting; ever since Edward had me rip the heads off her car's engine block one night during their engagement. It had been the night before the Guardian had arrived. **

**My eyebrow rose another fraction of an inch as I turned to stare at him. "You want to turn Bella's old truck into a hot rod?" I asked in surprise.**

"**Well, maybe a rat rod actually," I was doubly surprised he knew the difference. "But Dad wouldn't hear it—plus the expense wasn't something I could cover or justify."**

"**What kind of engine would you use?" I queried him. I tested his knowledge to see if he was all talk or if he 'knew his stuff' so to speak. **

**In answer he directed me to a website that talked about the pro's and con's of several different engines. After a long discussion about the steps involved in taking the truck apart, then the creation of the rat rod he surprised me by telling me another one of his auto fantasies.**

"**I also thought it would be fun to build a car to match one of the concept cars at the auto shows from scratch that was street legal." Now I was embarrassed to admit this, but Jacob had just 'hooked' me.**

"**Do you have a particular car in mind to remake?"**

**Just how far had his daydream taken him?**

"**Sure," He said, his voice getting animated. "The Mustang based-Scythe Concept Car; you know, the one shown in the Galpin Auto Sports Show?" I knew what car he meant, but he directed me to another web site and before our eyes was a glorious concept car that had me actually salivating. A huge grin spread across my face. I turned to look at Jacob and actually give him a smile for the first time ever.**

"**Jacob…you and I are going to be a 'grease-monkey' team. We're going to turn that old truck into a rat rod AND build the Scythe Concept Car from scratch."**

**Jacob got so excited that he jumped out of his chair and let out a loud "Whoop!" of excitement. Then he just as quickly came crashing back down. "But, to build that thing from scratch, would take more money than the car would probably be worth…and I couldn't really help bank-roll either projects anyway. If the cars were for me to drive, it wouldn't be fair for you to pay for all of it—plus, the truck IS Bella's vehicle; Even if it is broken and rusting." His face fell as he dropped back into his seat, almost breaking it.**

**I had to laugh. "Money," I scoffed, "Is no object. Bella will probably be happy to have it running again…and as for the concept car…well, we can joint-own it, with you being the primary driver. Plus, it might be fun to let Nessie learn about the great world of 'combustible engines', don't you think?"**

**He nodded his head in amazement. Wow, I kind of felt like his Fairy Godmother, who'd just waived my wand and granted him two wishes. We spent the next hour going over our plans and ordering parts on line to get started as soon as we got back to Forks. At that time we noticed it had gotten exceptionally quiet with the 'Wedding Planning' group. Jacob and I both looked up at the same time at them. They all stared at us in open-mouthed, disbelief.**

"**What?" Jacob and I both said to them at the same time. We both cracked up and so did everyone else. I didn't even care that I was in cahoots with Jacob…I was WAY too excited about our upcoming projects to care.**

**Just them Emmett and Renesmee bounded up the stairs, eyes full of excitement. Jasper was right behind them.**

"**We had so much fun Ant Rose" Nessie gushed, her danced gleefully. "Uncle Emmett had me practice my gift on animals again so they weren't afraid of him."**

**Emmett got a worried look on his face. "Uh, remember Nessie…our little secret right?" What was he up too?**

**Nessie smiled at him and nodded her head quickly—her bronze curls bounced with the movement. Jasper and Alice stood up then and left with Nessie to go hunting. Well, I could have more car talk with Jacob, but Emmett was back and I wanted to explore some of the cool Amazon wonders of Akahim with him, so I left Jacob with the computer and my credit card, much to Emmett's surprise, to make our final purchases alone.**

**Emmet and I started in the far corner of the city and began our exploration. Emmett's camera was out and I modeled for him against many of the unique stone monoliths and homes. I was happy to oblige him. What was the point of being better-looking than the finest super models if not to flaunt it—especially for my Emmett? When we were about one-third the way through the city and working our way around to the back-side of the temple, we happened upon a stone-structure that looked to be some sort of mausoleum. Emmett grinning tossed me the camera.**

"**Hey Babe, please take my picture. I am the undead posing at a grave…how ironic is that? I can look like a vampire coming out of my grave." He wiggled his eyebrows.**

**I rolled my eyes. Emmett was such a nut! "Whatever" I said. After taking three different posed of him looking 'scary' and three more of him looking 'scared', he leaned up against the metal door in a casual pose. Just as I snapped the picture, the door opened and Emmett fell inside and out of sight. I heard his surprised wail get farther and farther away from me.**

"**Emmett" I called into the mouth of the mausoleum. There was a large crash. Emmett cursed. "Are you okay?" I called out. I could see fine into the darkened room. The ground sloped down at a 42 degree angle and it ended after 200 feet where Emmett, now standing, rubbed his head. He stood in front of another metal door.**

"**Yep, I'm just peachy." He said absently. "Hey Rose, get down here and bring the back packs, we can use the flashlights to get a better view of this." I could tell his curiosity was getting the better of him AGAIN! I sighed and brought both the packs down. We were in a small carved out room. Stone benches lined the walls of the ten foot square room.**

"**Cool!" He said in a low growl of anticipation. I had to agree. It WAS pretty awesome. Maybe next time I went to college, I'd study archeology. I got out the flashlights and handed Emmett his pack. After the fraction of a second it took us to get ready we snapped open the locked metal door and stepped into what was a large tunnel. It was six feet across, and eight feet tall. The floor, walls and ceilings were all made of the same stone that graced the outside of the mausoleum. With unspoken communication, we started forward eagerly. We didn't really need the flashlights because every ten feet, there was a shaft to the outside world through the ceiling and that placed in that shaft was some sort of mirror that reflected the sunlight into the tunnel as we passed.**

**Another feature we encountered was small stone benches placed upon the outer wall every 500 feet. Sometimes the tunnel sloped gently further down. Sometimes it curved to the left or right.**

"**Do you think this is the tunnel Zafrina talked about?" I asked Emmett breathlessly.**

"**You mean the one used to evacuate the townspeople to Akakor when they were under attack?" He asked as we paused, having entered another small ten foot room. I nodded. "Maybe, but wasn't that suppose to be sealed off?"**

"**That's what she said." I murmured, turning around to see where the tunnel started back up again. There were three sealed stone walls, each faced a different direction than the tunnel we had just traveled. It was clear the stones were some sort of sliding doors. Emmett picked the one to the right and started pushing on it. Nothing happened. "Maybe if you try to slide it," I offered. **

**Emmett grunted. It shuttered slightly but didn't give. "Hand me that flash light again." He said to me in a distracted tone. I handed it over to him. He let go of the stone and started shining the beam on the walls around us. There were pictographs on the walls showing what I assumed was the Sun God, Jaguars, and Amazon women warriors. I was surprised to see three of them looked very much like Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. An indentation the size of a fist set in the stone mantle over the doorway to the middle sealed stone door. "Huh, I wonder what that's for?" He asked.**

"**Maybe it's some sort of keyhole?" I guessed.**

"**Could be," He thought rubbing his chin. "Let me see if I can get one of these other two to open up." He started his work on the other two. The third door to the left, gave a little. "Rose, give me a hand here." He grunted. With my strength added to his we had it opened enough to squeeze through. After that, we were off again. **

**This tunnel was in much worse condition than the main one. Some of the mirrors were missing or broken. Some of the shafts were clogged up with jungle debris. To my extreme distaste, snakes, spiders and bugs scurried across the floor; but at least no more of the hairy giants. We had just finished another slow descent when there was a rumble and scraping sound ahead of us. We looked at each other and ran towards the sound to see what had happened. We turned the corner just in time to see a hidden stone door seal shut ahead of us.**

"**Great," I complained. "Well, I guess we might as well head back and find some…" My words were cut off by another screeching sound and rumbling; this time back up the path we had just come from.**

"**Oh shoot!" Emmett exclaimed, sounding only slightly annoyed. "I hope that isn't what I think it is."**

**His statement fell behind me as I had already turned around and flitted to the newly closed stone wall just ten feet up the tunnel. We were trapped in this little ten foot section of tunnel—who knew how far underground. This couldn't be happening. There wasn't even an air shaft in here. Not that I needed air, but I started to feel for the first time in my existence claustrophobic. To calm myself, I turn the tables on Emmett.**

"**This was your great idea." I accused.**

"**Relax Sweetie; you didn't marry yourself the strongest and bravest vampire in the world for nothing you know. Just give me a second to figure this out." He tried to slide both doors. They did not budge. However, as he tried the second stone door that went back out the way we'd came; several spears suddenly jutted out of the walls and would have pieced us if we weren't protected by our stone bodies. As it was I had four new tears in my clothes. Several of spears still had human skulls attached to the spear shafts. From one skull dangled a half-mummified torso of a corpse. If I were human…I would have vomited. **

"**Emmett, I have a bad feeling about this." I hissed at him under my breath.**

"**Take it easy now; I've got this under control." He calmly announced. "It's just a booby trap, just like in Indiana Jones."**

"**Oh, that is supposed to calm me down?" I asked mortified.**

"**We're vampires, these traps are for humans. Nothing's going to happen to us?" He said giving me a reassuring hug as he kissed the top of my head. I got the distinct impression he liked showing me how brave he was. That was when the floor underneath us opened up and we were plunged into darkness.**

Special Thanks to New Twilight Fan (Maggie Chambers) for the idea of having a booby trap and to my husband and son for proofing my chapter!

Chapter Fourteen  
Cursed-Part II

Emmett's POV

**Great! Just when I gotten everything under control, the floor opened up beneath us. Rose and I dropped fifty feet into a stream of fast flowing water. The good news was here as we plunged into deep water, was Rose's screams were cut off. They'd started to get me in a panic. After a good ten minutes of going with the flow of water, we surfaced in a large cavern. I hauled myself out of the river's rapids. It was dark and I doubted that our flashlights were going to work. But being the optimist I was, I flicked it on anyway. Success—a stream of light erupted from my 'torch'. **_**'Today must be my lucky day!'**_** I liked to use my little light toy, because it gave the cavern more definition, making me look prepared and in charge. Rosalie came up alongside me, sputtering water out of her lungs.**

"**Rose, are you alright?" I patted her on the back. "Don't forget to close your mouth when diving dear." I added smugly; for which I earned another world famous Rosalie glare. I had to bite back my chuckle. I was clearly in enough trouble with her already. She had spent a good thirty seven minutes on her hair today…and now…well… "Don't worry Babe; you're still the hottest looking thing on two legs."**

"**Whatever Emmett," She said between sputters. It was a good thing she didn't need to breath or I would've actually been concerned about her having drowned. "Just exactly where do you think our little 'Indiana Jones' adventure has taken us anyway." We looked around and didn't see anything that looked like a way out. "Wait," She said somewhat more excitedly, "Do you smell that?"**

**I took in a deep breath and recognized the scents at once. "Edward and Bella have been here." We follow the scent into two smaller caverns off the room we were in. In the third cave Rose, ahead of me, gasped. "What?" I asked freaking out (on the inside only of course) about what might have happened now.**

"**Look at these gems." She breathed. **

**Then I saw what she referred to. There were sparkling little gems all over the floor. Not as big or impressive as those found in the treasure chest, but still impressive. There were literally thousands of them. When I flashed my light across the cavern floor, they glimmered like stars twinkling in the sky. **

"**What are we waiting for?" I said to her almost impatient. I carefully unload almost everything from our backpacks and filled both of them full of the smaller stones.**

"**You know," Rosalie mused as she held one round ruby in her palm and then rolled it between her fingers, "It's funny how everything is relevant. If we had found these first…we would have been very excited with them. I mean this ruby alone is about 10 carats. However, since we have that chest back in our room with the gigantic stones in it… these seem 'small'. She smiled and shrugged. She didn't seem to mind too much collecting as many of the 'smaller' stones we could fit in our packs. Of course, most of these weren't cut, just raw. **

**We had so much fun, we kind of lost track of time. Suddenly, I felt movement right beside me. A giant Boa Constrictor slithered around my legs and up my torso. I shook my head grinning. Rosalie rolled her eyes.**

"**As if today could have gotten any more exciting"! I wrestled with the constrictor for about five minutes before it was worn out and I drained it of its cold blood. Not that great for a meal, but for a snack—it did rather nicely." "Would you like some Rose?" I asked looking around for another snake. She just rolled her eyes again.**

"**Well," Rose said dryly, "I guess it's a good thing your camera is waterproof." She said as she snapped a picture of me draining the last dregs of the boa constrictor. "How do you propose we get out of here, Indie?"**

"**Well, if Bella and Edward were here, they must have gotten out somehow. When we were swimming at the lake, they came up from the bottom of the pond bed. I bet we'll find the exit if we just follow the current the rest of the way out."**

"**Okay, but let's go now, Nessie's sure to be back from hunting and I want to spend some time with her today." I shrugged my shoulders and we jumped back in the stream that quickly took us under the cavern floor. We travelled a great deal longer than I expected before we could see light ahead of us. But after a good twenty seven minutes and four seconds, we burst through the cave wall and found ourselves immediately falling over 2200 feet in the current of a waterfall? **

"**Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" I shouted as we plummeted down, down, down until at last we plunged very deeply into blackness of another cave of water. We pulled ourselves out of the current and swam to the side of the cave. "Rose," I said bursting with hysterical delight, "Wasn't that the best fun ever? Want to try it again?"**

"**I don't know. Your scream sounded more scared than excited." She prodded. "Besides, now all of my clothes are wet and my shoes will squeak." She grumbled. Not that I was worried. My Rose is all about the show. And right now, she wanted to 'show' grumpy. I'll help her out with that. "Don't forget your hair…you've got a wicked 'wet rat' look going."**

'_**Oops, I may have helped her out a little too well with that comment.'**_

"**You did NOT just call me a wet rat did you?" She spat out.**

"**Hmmm, well..." I started rather sheepishly, "You're the best looking wet rat I've ever seen." If looks could kill, I would have just died a thousand deaths. I'll have to remember to file that away as a particularly potent remark. I shrugged my shoulders. Rose growled low and malevolently. "Oh come on Rose, you know me…I'm just an insensitive jerk sometimes."**

"**Sometimes" She asked incredulously? She just shook her head. **

'_**Ouch! That one stung a bit.'**_

**I'd have to beg and grovel now. Something else I had perfected with my sweet Rose by this time. "I'm sorry Babe, Really I am." I flashed my best 'puppy dog' eyes and saw her anger leave a fraction of an inch in her eyes. She didn't know how they gave her away…and I was SO not going to tell her. "Anything you want Rose…come on…How about I wash and blow dry your hair when we get back?" I asked batting my eyes at her in my most flirty way possible. I saw the corner of her mouth twitch just a fraction. She also didn't know how this also gave her away. She was so caving. "I'll even paint your toenails for you." My voice trailed off, waiting for her to take the bait.**

"**Okay, here's the deal Emmett," She said trying to sound annoyed, but it was now just a put on. She didn't know just how much her voice gave her away when she started to cave. "You wash and blow dry my hair, paint my toe nails and then Renesmee gets to paint yours. Take it or leave it."**

'_**Woops, I didn't see that one coming.'**_** "You are truly wicked, my sweet Rosalie." I said in mock despair. Could I get out of her add-on condition? Maybe a switch, "How about I paint Nessie's toenails instead?" I asked hopefully. Shoot…her smile then shifted to a broad smile…no teeth showing. I knew what that meant. She'd just hit pay dirt and I was a dead man. I sighed, "I don't suppose I could ask that the nail polish be clear?" I ask resigned. My divine Rosalie just threw her head back and laughed and laughed. I guessed that was all the answer I needed.**

**We started to scale the cliff face. This was also invigorating. The top of the mountain was a good 500 feet higher than the cave entrance. When we got to the top it was beautiful to look back down at the falls and the spray they made as they hit the bottom; a prism of rainbow colors shown across the entire misty cave pond. When we turned to the left, we saw the top-side of the jungle canopy that covered the City of Akahim. It was genius of the Amazons to think to weave the leather netting that concealed the city so completely from unwanted attention. Tomorrow I thought I might bring Jasper up here for some more cliff jumping. He could definitely get into it with me. After all, we guys were made for the 'wet rat' look.**

**In no time at all, we had traversed the wetlands of the mighty Amazon standing between us and our destination…the mighty city of Akahim. As we approached, we came at it from the back end and the walls were twelve feet high. Of course, that was no problem for the likes of me and Rose but the immense jungle canopy that the Amazon vampires have attached to it, presented a problem. Of course, we could easily break the wall, or even scale the wall and cut through the canopy netting to get in. But Carlisle's earlier admonition to 'not break anything because we were guests' came back to me…plus…if I were to seriously consider getting an archaeology degree, there must surely have been something amiss in carelessly destroying a archaic wall preserved in pristine condition. So we contented ourselves to surveying the entire back half of the city to find an entry point. Finally, after a good three minutes of looking, we discovered a stone building that was built into the wall itself. Way up at the top, forty feet up, there was a small opening that vines had grown through. We quickly decided to scale there and lower ourselves into Akahim at that point. I let my divine Rosalie go first and after she had effortlessly slipped through the window, I took a crack at it. I kind of got myself stuck half in and half out the window. Being 'stone' myself, I was sure I looked like a rather fine addition. A few smaller bricks dislodged themselves as I squirmed myself free and dropped silently inside. **

**I picked up one of the blocks and sigh, "Do you have any super glue?" I asked my darling wife. She raised her eyebrow at me. Another classic Rose look. "Oh, well, another thing to fix before we leave." **

**We were in a large tower room and could see out four sides--two of which show us our destination…the palace at Akahim. Rose started down the staircase that wound around and around in a circular path. I spied a handrail and with an almost reflexive motion, I rested my hand along it. As I did so, the entire railing snapped down with a lock of some sort of mechanism. The stairs under our feet disappeared, leaving a steep ramp in its place. Rose immediately jumped and braced herself against the sides of the stairwell. **

'_**Why didn't I think of that?' **_**I just missed her legs as I went sliding down. Before I knew it, for the second time today, I had fallen down a ramp. **_**'Dang, when did I turn into Bella?'**_** Of course, I meant pre-vampire Bella. It was a good thing no one was here to witness my clumsiness. Just then I heard Rose's snickers coming down the ramp towards me. **_**'Dang it!'**_** I stood up just in time to feel the floor instantly disappear beneath me…again for the second time today. I broke twenty sharp-ended long wooden stakes as I pummel down to the bottom of a waiting trap pit. I picked up one of the broken spikes as I got up, grateful that there is no truth to the myth of being able to stake a vampire through the heart. I looked up and saw Rose, a good two hundred feet above me grinning from ear to ear.**

"**Don't worry Rose. I'm on my way up." Just then, the trap door slammed shut, plunging me into darkness and what felt like sand began raining down on me. **

'_**Alright, nothing like a challenge.' **_**Today had turned out to be better than I could have imagined! I took a nice big breath just before the sand closed over my head. **

'_**Now, what would be my best course of action? I can 1.) Climb my way up through the sand and when I get to the top, probably have to bust my way out, thus breaking the door. 2.) Bust my way through the side and burrow my way through the earth until I get topside. 3.) Just wait here until Rose comes to my rescue. Now if I go for option one or two, I'm going to break something and I'll need to fix it. Of the two, option one is the easiest, because sand is easier to climb through than packed mountain dirt, plus the damage is easier to fix. If I go with option three it would make my sweet Rose happy knowing that she has 'saved' me, plus if she breaks the trap door, then it's not my fault. However, I would probably never hear the end of it and I already am washing and blow drying her hair and letting Nessie paint my toenails. Who knows what she would add to THAT list.'**_

'_**Oh well,'**_** I would've sighed but wanted to keep my last breath inside my lungs for the time being. So, I started climbing my way upward through the sand in lightning speed. When I get to the top, I tried to slide the rock slab to the side. Of course, it won't budge.**

"**Emmett, are you there?" I heard my sweet Rose from the other side of the rock.**

"**Right here Babe. Can you help me slide it to the side?" I asked.**

"**No good, this door swung down and then back up. I'm afraid we're going to have to break it." She sounded regretful. Somehow I knew it was over damaging the ancient artifact and not my well-being.**

"**Well alright then" I knew I'd better do the breaking otherwise, she'd add it to her 'payback' list. "Stand back and I'm going to smash it. If it's really bad, we'll tell Esme it was Jasper."**

**I tried to smash it, but my angle was all wrong to get a good blow and the sand ruined my momentum so I settled for grinding my hand through the center and widening it out until it was big enough for me to get through. As I squeezed myself through a stone opening again, I had a random thought that this was why babies were born small. I pushed myself out and saw my Rose smiling down on me.**

"**Hello Rose, are you a sight for sore eyes." I hopped up and kissed her passionately. "You know how near-death experiences turn me on." I said in my lowest, most sexy voice.**

**She suppresses a laugh. "Maybe when we get back to the house you'll get lucky." She replied coyly. **

"**Oh, I am that ALWAYS Babe, I mean, Just look how lucky we have been today! It's been incredible, hasn't it?" I gushed. Oh, my sweet Rose just rolled her eyes. I loved it when I make her do that. It is such a turn on. Of course all of her looks were that!**

"**Emmett? Rosalie?" We heard Esme call and before we knew it, she was there with Carlisle. Great, the evidence of my 'burrowing' was front and center. Carlisle's sharp eye zeroed in on it. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri were there when I looked up from the evidence of my handiwork.**

"**What happened here?" Esme questioned. Carlisle looked at me with the smallest hint of embarrassment in his eyes. **

**At the same time Zafrina started looking around, thinking it was someone else and asked, "Who?"**

**I took a deep breath, well I might as well try…it wouldn't work but maybe it would lighten things up a bit. I sighed, shaking my head, "Would you believe Jasper did it?" I asked hopefully.**

**Well, I won't tell you how well that one went over. On the way back to the palace, I leaned in to give my personal 'hottie' a little personal attention, kissing her soundly on the lips, letting my lips linger there tasting her divine scent. She seemed to be enjoying it as well, so I was more than a little shocked when she suddenly pulled away from me, screaming and flailing her arms--swatting at her head. That was unexpected. I took a closer look.**

**Oh, now I got it. Apparently it was more than sand that rained down on me back in that staked pit. Three Giant Tiger Centipedes were crawling through my poor Rose's hair and another two tried to free themselves from my backpack, where all five had apparently hidden themselves until now. I pushed the two down remaining down into my back pack and zipped it up. I knew just where to put those babies later. A fraction of a second later I was ready to assist the ever beautiful Rosalie. It was not going to be pretty.**

"**Emmett," She wailed. "Get them out!" It was all she could do to try to calm herself and keep from swatting at them. **

"**It's okay Honey, Hold still." Those crazy insects with their 173 Pairs of legs each had literally tangled themselves all up in Rosalie's golden curls. I honestly didn't know how to get them out without scissors—and I already knew how that wasn't going to happen! "They're just a little twisted up here." I tried to sound like it was nothing but Rose knew me to well. She wasn't buying it.**

"**This is all your fault," She wailed! Maybe it would be best not to mention to her that those crazy centipedes, who had been trying unsuccessfully to bite her head, had decided to spit their venom all through her hair follicles. Well, I was going to be washing it anyway. As I tried to disentangle the first one, I accidentally ripped it in half. Maybe it would be best not to mention to her that now in addition to centipede venom, bug guts coated her hair as well. **

**It was a good thing that her vampire skull had a good hold on her hair roots. I had to literally, pull the parts of the centipede through her hair to get it out. Of course, her hair was so long that most of it just got mashed even more into her strands so that it was just a few legs and part of a head that came out at the end. Unfortunately, Rose saw the dismal remains in my hand along with the now red and green streaks shining through the ends of her golden locks.**

"**Emmett," She was so livid and yet still so mortified—after all there were still two more tangled centipedes in her hair—that she couldn't speak. She sputtered and finally collected herself. She spoke in the lowest growl I had ever heard her use. It was monotone and full of its own danger. "Get… them… out… of… my… hair… NOW, and then you're going to pay for this." She was beyond furious. It was such a turn on—my deadly tiger. I knew I was in for it. Oh how I was going to have to grovel.**

"**Sorry Babe, They'll be out in a minute." I said as I tried to placate her. "Haven't you heard about the conditioner from designer salons that uses bug guts as an ingredient in their hair conditioner?"**

"**Emmett" She growled. "Don't you even think about concocting some cockamamie story to get off the hook. I could just…just… BITE you for this!" **

**I started whistling tunelessly as I rolled the second one out through another clump of hair. This one I managed to skin alive by the time it was free. Well, maybe a bird would enjoy it. The third one I just broke into four pieces and picked out the body pieces from the goo that seemed to now saturate my sweet wife's hair. **

"**There," I sighed in relief. "All better. We can rush right in and I'll give you your shampoo and blow dry now or if you want the full conditioning effect of the bug guts, you may want to let it dry in for a good thirty minutes first." I said this as innocently as possible. I knew, of course, that she wouldn't buy it for a minute, but I was testing the waters with humor to see just how mad I'd made her with my little…umm…stowaways.**

**She growled and muttered obscenities at me under her breath as she streaked to the palace.**

"**Come on Rose, you know it wasn't my fault. It was an accident! Wait for me." I called as I took off after her. If I knew anything about my beautiful Rose, from my vast stores of experiences, it was not to let her temper fester. And currently, she was in the worst temper of all.**

**After I had my exquisite Rosalie's hair all washed and blow dried, had given her one of my incredible massages and made up with her with a little ummm…'R&R', Rosalie stated sweetly, "I know what your pay backs for this will be now. Renesmee gets to paint not only your toenails but your fingernails too." She batted her eyes. **

**Geez, was I thankful I wasn't is school right just then. I SO would not want to be parading around campus with girly nails. However, this sounded fairly painless, how bad could it be?**

"**Whatever my queen demands," I said giving her a mock bow.**

**Later we brought the treasure down to the first floor living room where everyone had gathered to get a better look. Zafrina opened the chest and began a tale of the significance of the Lost Treasure of Akahim. Apparently, there were religious and economical significance to the pieces, as each gem was an actual key that unlocked either a temple in one of the twelve Ancient Ugha Mongulala Cities or to reopen the underground tunnels from each back to Akakor. Apparently, they each had to be put in their respective locks in a certain order. As Zafrina picked each piece up, she identified it and told us which tribe it belonged to, and what it was the key to unlock. Then she passed it around for each of us to examine. When it was returned to Zafrina, she carefully laid it aside and picked up the next one.**

**I started to get a bad feeling about this. It never occurred to me that each piece was somehow 'cataloged' and had a purpose. For the first time since laying eyes on the treasure, I started to rethink my decision to remove my five pieces. I looked over at Rosalie and she was looking at me with a panicked expression on her face. I grimace back at her. Then I give her a little smile and whisper in her ear so low that no one else could hear, "What's the worst that could happen? We have to give them back. That won't be so bad. Relax." It looked as though she took my advice.**

**Two hours later, when Zafrina got to the bottom of the chest. She looked somewhat confused. **

"**You know, I may need to have Edward and Bella tell us exactly where they found the treasure because there are five pieces missing and one of them is the most important one—The Morning Sun Star Sapphire." There was an audible gasp from Senna and Kachiri. That in itself was a surprise because I had never heard them speak. "Maybe they somehow fell out and are on the cavern floor somewhere. We'll have to recover them immediately." Rose cleared her throat to get my attention. Well she did that…she got my attention—along with everyone else's attention. **

"**Thank you Rose," I mutter under my breath. Then as I could see everyone had followed Rosalie's stare and looked expectantly at me, I sighed and continued speaking, clearly for all to hear. "Yes, well about those five missing gems. Well, the good news is, they are NOT missing. They're up in me and Rose's room for extra safe keeping. They looked important and with all the spiders all over the place, we got side tracked, but they're safe. I'll just go get them and be right back." **

**Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri let out a sigh of relief. Renesmee clapped her hands for joy. All of the rest of my family, including Jacob, Leah and Nahuel had expressions ranging from amusement to annoyance to embarrassment. No, they knew me WAY to well.**

"**Thank the gods for your quick thinking Emmett!" Huilen said earnestly. "It would have been a disaster if The Morning Sun Star Sapphire had been lost. You have the thanks of all the people of the Amazon."**

**You know, I almost felt bad that she thought so highly of me when I was somewhat undeserving of it. "I'll just go fetch them for you and be right back." I raced up the stairs and returned in three seconds carrying the five gems in my arms. I carefully handed them to Zafrina, taking care to act as though that had been my plan all along. She picked her narration with the beautiful emerald I wanted for my Rose. It was a temple stone for the temple here at Akahim to open the inner chambers. She then passed it around. Zafrina saved The Morning Sun Star Sapphire for last. As I expected, it was the one that threw the ancient script all over the walls and shone like the sun itself. She explained that it was the central piece that unlocked the main temple in Akakor and that it must be in place last to open the inner doors of all the tunnels and to turn off the booby traps set in place by the Gods to protect the Ugha Mongulala. There was a legend that when the stones were all set back into their place by the Jaguar God that the balance of power would be restored to the tribes of the Amazon. But there was also a curse on the treasure to prevent looting. **

"**Curse," Rosalie said in a panic, "What kind of a curse? Like maybe an infestation of giant tarantulas and falling through trap doors and going over waterfalls and falling into staked pits that fill up with sand and centipedes—kind of curse?" She was almost hysterical. **

'_**Poor Rose. I need to teach her some relaxation techniques.'**_

**Zafrina looked thoughtful. "Yes, that could do it, but if you did trigger the curse, you're probably alright now since it will be back in the chest. Then Zafrina held up The Morning Sun Star Sapphire and looked at me and said, "You know Emmett," It's a good thing this wasn't activated when you picked it out of the chest. The legend states that once activated, it would have started a countdown to have every stone in place within one year or the entire Amazon Rainforest Jungle region would collapse due to a catastrophic natural disaster." She carefully started putting each piece back inside the chest.**

**Okay, Now I was officially freaked out. I tried to clear my throat. Nothing happened. I looked at Rose, she wasn't doing much better. Jasper looked anxious now, reading our growing tension and putting it together like puzzle pieces. **

"**No Emmett," He whispered. "You didn't?" He wasn't angry. He looked genuinely horrified.**

"**What" Carlisle added in alarm? "You DID activate it?" Now why did everyone assume it was me and not Rose, or even Edward or Bella for that matter? Of course I was the one who activated it, but still?"**

**Zafrina started shaking her head, "Emmett, you must tell us what happened? What did the gem do?"**

"**Well, I was just examining it and the light hit it and pushed writing all over the walls. I didn't mean any harm. I am so sorry. Really, how can I fix it?"**

**Zafrina got a pained look on her face. "You can't."**


	15. Chapter 15

Part III: The Supernatural Adventure BeginsChapter Fifteen  
The Hope Of The World

Renesmee's POV

'_**Oh, poor Uncle Emmett! He was only trying to keep the Morning Sun Star Sapphire safe and it accidentally activated.'**_

**I didn't really understand why everyone was so upset with him. I mean, it's not like something bad was going to happen TOMORROW; there was a whole year to fix it. And it wasn't like he did it on purpose or anything. And Poor Aunt Rose, she was the nicest person in the whole world, and to have had this terrible curse on her. I saw her hair when she came streaking in earlier. I actually thought that somehow her head had cracked open and it was exposed brain matter up there. **

**Everyone…well…practically everyone just stared at them so…angrily. I got out of Jacob's lap and ran into Uncle Emmett's. I gave him the biggest Bear Warrior hug I had in me.**

"**Well Emmett," Zafrina said sighing, "Since it's already been activated, why don't you take it and show us exactly what you did. We'll need to decipher the writing in any case to see what's to be done to prevent a catastrophe." She placed the beautiful gem into Emmett's reluctant hand. Aunt Rose reached for me and I quickly settled into her lap. Well, at least I seemed to have the best seat in the house.**

**Emmett stood up and held the big gem in his palm. Nothing happened. He cleared his throat. "Ummm, I was looking at it." He started moving it around. "…trying to see how it looked in the light." He held it up to the lamp at the side of the room. As the light beams fell upon it the most miraculous thing happened. The light seemed to penetrate the stone and light burst out of it. It was actually hard to look at, it was so bright. I heard a collective gasp from everyone present. Scripts of writing shot out from the gem and danced across the walls.**

"**Hold still Emmett." Zafrina cautioned. The command was unnecessary. Uncle Emmett was as still as a statue. As I looked around the room, so were Aunt Rosalie, Uncle Jasper, Aunt Alice and Grandma. Zafrina walked over to the wall with Senna and Kachiri by her side. They started following the scripts with their fingers; murmuring all the while. After a good thirty minutes, Huilen joined them. Apparently she had seen something from a section the three Amazons hadn't gotten to, that she had picked out. They conversed in quick, low tones that were so fast and quiet that I couldn't hope to understand what they were saying. The three Amazons came over to see the section on another wall that had caught Huilen's attention. After another fifteen minutes, Nahuel joined them. It would seem that he had found another passage that he was reading. They moved over to the third wall and talked to Nahuel about what it might mean. After another ten minutes, they all headed back to the first wall and went over each line in turn; all the while, talking in their low quick speech. **

**After another twenty minutes, Zafrina turned to us and spoke quietly. "Here is what we have been able to tell so far." She took a deep breath. As she started to speak, it was interesting to see that Senna and Kachiri continued to follow script with their hands, their backs to us, as if they were translating it for Zafrina while she, turned away from it, read it to us.**

"**Activation of the Sun of the Morning Star Sapphire has commenced at the nineteenth hour of the Twenty third day of the third season in the year 12,481. The following sequence of events must ensue in order by the nineteenth hour of the twenty third day of the third season of the year 12,482, to deactivate the destruction codes placed in the hearts of the Temples of the Suns at the twelve Ancient cities and the inner tunnels that run between them. Take heed that all steps are carried out in order for deactivation of destruction devices placed at fault lines and under mountain volcanoes in this region. This is the final fail-safe measure devised by the Gods to either restore the people of the Ugha Mongulala to their heritage and inheritance or to prevent its fall into hostile forces."**

**Zafrina stopped her narration to comment to us, "The nineteenth hour would be 7pm. The twenty third day of the third season is basically yesterday, July 15, and the year of 12,483 is equivalent to this year of 2009."**

**Granddad quietly added, "So we have until 7pm on July 15****th**** of next year, 2010 to have all the requirements completed in order. Zafrina," he added standing up and with a grave expression on his face, "You, Senna and Kachiri, have been the more wonderful and gracious hosts to us, and we have caused this burden to come upon you and all the people of the Amazon. I cannot begin to tell you how truly sorry I am for the events that we caused to bring this about. Whatever needs to be done to correct this situation, we are entirely at your disposal."**

**I looked around at the faces of my family and they were all full of the same emotions, sorrow, anxiety, stress, shame, regret. Worst of all was Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose. Even though they were as still as they could be, their faces were twisted in pain. I hugged Aunt Rose tighter to me. **

**So I was very surprised when Zafrina started laughing, loud and clear. Huilen and Nahuel started at the same time. And even though Senna and Kachiri's backs were to me, it appeared that their shoulders moved up and down with quiet laughter.**

"**Sorry? My dear Carlisle! This is the pivotal moment that all of the indigenous people of the Amazon have waited for—for well over three thousand years! Edward and Bella will probably be honored for recovering the Lost Treasure of Akahim and Emmett and Rosalie will as well for activating The Morning Star Sapphire." She continued in a laughing tone, her eyes bright and her smile wide and generous.**

"**What?" Rose whispered as she unfroze a bit, "You mean we're not in trouble?" My entire family seemed to relax at this new revelation.**

"**Why ever would you be?" Zafrina said, gazing her bright, happy eyes over to us. "The people of the Amazon were pulled apart, our ancient cities all but destroyed and abandoned as we sought to protect the past and our ancient holy writings and artifacts from falling into the hands of the wicked outsiders who sought to destroy us for their greed. The Morning Sun Star Sapphire was activated to set booby-traps and close the inner tunnels and temple chambers to protect them from pillage. Then all of the gems were put together to be guarded at Akahim until the time of restoration arrived. The chest full of keys was taken out of the city with the last load of refugees down into the inner tunnels when an earthquake occurred—no one had seen the chest from that day until two days ago."**

**Jasper spoke up becoming excited, "And that day of Restoration will be a year from yesterday at 7pm."**

"**Yes, it will either be a day of destruction or a day of deliverance for us as a people." Zafrina stated with another smile. "Honestly, the three of us have been reading the signs for years and seeing them get closer and closer. Then when visiting the ****petroglyph**** forest by the ruins of Chan Chan, we saw a writing that made us think of you and your family, so we invited you in hopes that it was correct. When Edward and Bella brought that treasure out of the cavern we knew we had read the ****drawings**** correctly."**

"**There is a petroglyph about our family?" Grandma asked in an amazed stunned voice.**

"**Yes, we basically translated it as meaning: The man with the silent heart and a soul as bright as day, and the nine whom he holds close. There were ten people indicated in the drawing." I thought for a moment. '**_**Ten: Granddad, Grandma, Mom and Dad, Emmett and Rose, Jasper and Alice, me and…Jacob.'**_

"**We were a little surprised to see you were a company of eleven instead of ten when you pick us up. Little did we know the addition would be our own Wolf Goddess?" She smiled warmly at Leah, who gave Zafrina a brilliant one of her own. It was nice to see Leah so happy when she'd been so miserable when we'd come to the Amazon.**

"**Well, back to our translation," Zafrina said after a moment of silence. "It would seem that the first stones to be placed are here at Akahim. For an overview; first, the smaller oval emerald is to be placed over the central door to the inner tunnels to unlock it's mechanisms on this end. Next the gem is to be used a second time, to open the inner chamber of the Temple of the Moon. Once inside, it is to be placed in its Keyport and left there. The third step for Akahim is that the larger emerald is to be taken to the Temple of the Sun and placed over the central door to unlock the inner chamber mechanisms, and then it is to be taken inside and put into its Keyport and left there. There is a series of things that happen inside, that are highlighted by a central shaft of light that appears to illuminate The Morning Sun Star Sapphire and reveal our next set of instructions."**

"**So," Granddad began "We need to locate these ancient cities in order and do all of these things in each of the cities in order?"**

"**Not exactly, Carlisle" Zafrina began, "Your family's tasks will end in the early stages of the process. The ones that seem to play very prominently for the entire process are the three of us, Zafrina gestured with her arms to indicate herself, Senna and Kachiri and the Jaguar God and the Wolf Goddess." **

'_**Wow how lucky is Leah!' **_** In fact, it seemed that all eyes turned to look for her reaction to this latest revelation.**

"**But, I'm going home to get married." She moaned.**

**Nahuel came to her side and took her face in both of his hands. "We are going to your home and getting married as planned in three months. Do you mind if we return here afterwards for our honeymoon?" He added hopefully.**

**Zafrina was quick to second Nahuel's proposition, "That could work, if we get the things that the Cullens need to help us with done in the next two days. Then while you're gone, the three of us can scout out the ancient cities and the tribes that are responsible for helping with each so it will go smoother when you get back."**

**Everyone looked at Leah hopefully. Leah looked at Nahuel and finally nodded her head. **

"**Alright then, who knew that being this Wolf Goddess was going to be such a big responsibility." She smile was rueful as she gazed at the somewhat mysterious man she loved—the Jaguar God of the Amazon. She got a wicked grin on her face, "I should have known I would have to clean up after Emmett."**

**Uncle Emmett didn't miss any opportunity. "Would you like me to help you fix it?" He asked his voice hopeful.**

**Leah reply was a little too quickly, "No...No...No, I think we should spare the Amazon that kind of 'help'." She said in a panic. The room erupted in laughter. Leah shook her head as if willing away an unpleasant thought.**

**Alice got a disappointed look on her face. "It is such a shame that Edward and Bella are going to miss all the fun! I know they would really enjoy this." She was right of course; Mom and Dad wouldn't want to miss this for the world.**

**Everyone was deep in thought for a moment. Zafrina said, "They really should be here anyway. They found the treasure for us and from the writing Nahuel found over here," She gestured back to the third wall. "It looks like they are involved in the placement of the second set of stones with the Ticunan Indians at the ruined city of Chan Chan. **

**Granddad whipped out his cell phone, "Maybe I should give them a call and see how fast they can get back here." He pressed a speed dial number stood and walked outside to take the call.**

**Everyone's attention turned back to Zafrina and she began, "The first warning given is that it is vital that the Jaguar God and the Wolf Goddess be present at all twelve locations and oversee all of the procedures at each location."**

**Zafrina looked thoughtful for a moment. "Now, when we place the stones here at Akahim, this is who is supposed to do each step." Senna and Kachiri were following scripts on the wall again as Zafrina began. "The first step of placing the smaller emerald over the tunnel entrance is named as simply **_**'The Alpha'**_**. Does anyone have any idea who that might be?" She looked around at each of us and then followed our stares in Jacob's direction. His eyes were wide with surprise.**

"**Me? I'm in your legend?" He was shocked with disbelief.**

"**Apparently so; although I had never heard of it until now." Zafrina mused. "Of course, the Gods are all-knowing. Time is of no consequence to them." My Jacob got a huge grin on his face. It made me so happy that I jumped out of Rosalie's arms and bounded over to him, showing him his own smile right back at him again and how I love to see him wear it. It just made him grin even bigger.**

"**You're special!" I told him simply.**

"**Okay, then we go back up into the city and go to the Temple of the Moon. Where the same stone will be handed to **_**'The Feeling Warrior'**_** where he will use it to open the inner chambers of the Temple. Who do you think 'The Feeling Warrior' is?"**

**We all looked to Jasper who actually lifted his arm as if answering to a question posed by a teacher. His eyes looked as stunned as Jacob's. I sent him an 'energy of light' showing him his reaction along with my congratulations. He looked over to me and winked.**

"**Okay, then Jacob will give the stone to Jasper, who will use it to open the inner chamber of the Temple of the Moon. Then he will give the gem key to **_**'The Heart'**_**." Zafrina stopped. By now, we all knew she wanted us to interpret.**

"**Esme," Everyone breathed together as I said, "Grandma". Her face lit up like the sun shone from the inside of her. Of course, I sent her my feelings and she stretched her hands out for me. I left Jacob and was in her arms in no time flat.**

"**So," Zafrina stated, "After Jasper opens the inner chamber door, he passes the gem to Esme, who will enter the inner chamber and put it into a special Keyport specifically designed to hold it. When that happens, there will be the sound of machinery as booby-traps are disarmed. Only women enter The Temple of the Moon with the single exception of The Jaguar God. When the sounds have quieted, the Jaguar God and the Wolf Goddess place their hands on the 'Bar of Light', where they are recorded."**

"**Next, we travel over to the Temple of the Sun and it will be here that we will use the larger emerald. First it will be used to open the inner chamber by," Here Zafrina smiled and said, "'**_**The Man with The Silent Heart and a Soul as Bright as Day'**_**—Carlisle" Well, he was still outside talking to Mom and Dad but I was sure Grandma would fill him in later. "After he opens the inner chamber, everyone enter here and starts by standing in a circle around the symbol for the sun in the floor. After which, the large gem is to be placed into the Keyport **_**by 'Beauty Incarnate'**_**." No one had to ask. We all looked at Aunt Rose, who for the first time seemed to smile since the bug fiasco. "After she does this, there will be a large stone chest that will rise out of the floor; inside of it is the "Chronicles of Akakor". This is the religious text of the Ugha Mongulala. There will be a text set out to be read by **_**'The Hope of the World'**_**." We were all stumped. No one had any idea who this title referred to. Everyone wore matching puzzled expressions on their faces. **

"**Well," Zafrina said, "We'll need to think about whom that might be. Clearly it is someone here. We'll come back to it. Okay, after this is read, The Morning Sun Star Sapphire will be held in the middle of the sun symbol in the center of the chamber by **_**'The Activator'**_**—who would be…" **

"**Emmett." We all said together. Emmett smiled. I got the feeling if he wasn't holding the gem steady he would have taken a bow.**

**Zafrina continued, "At this point, there will be a shaft of light come down and hit the stone. As it does so, new instructions will illuminate on the walls and they will be interpreted by **_**'The Guardians of the Moon'**_**—which would be Senna, Kachiri and I. When this has been finished, **_**'The Seer'**_**—Alice," We all looked at her and smiled, "Will place her hand over the large emerald where it sits in the Keyport and she will have a vision for how the events will occur to be successful. After all of these steps are done at the Temple of the Sun, The Jaguar God and The Wolf Goddess will once again place their hands on a lighted stone, this time it is the 'Bar of Knowledge', to receive instructions of their own."**

"**As I said before, Bella and Edward figure prominently into the second set of procedures to be done with the Ticunans at Chan Chan. There is a reference for them there as **_**'The Reader'**_** and **_**'The Shield'**_**.**

**Granddad came back in and announced that Mom and Dad would be back by 2pm tomorrow.**

"**Good" said Zafrina. If we can get the steps for here at Akahim done right away, then we can travel west into Peru to find the main tribes of Ticunans and get that one done. If all goes well, you may be able to pick up a plane hop from Trujillo, Peru down to Manaus and still make your flight home."**

"**Well, that will be cutting it close," Carlisle said. "But, why not try. Anyway, I caught most of what you said while I was on the phone and I guess we'll need the time waiting for Edward and Bella to figure out who **_**'The Hope of the World'**_** is?" He asked. We all nodded our heads in agreement.**

**Zafrina smiled. "Or maybe not," She said grinning and coming to stand behind Grandma. We know it is someone here in this room right now." We all looked around. I was at a loss. Did we forget someone? I was sure she had given everyone a title and an assignment. The next moment, I felt a collective gasp, as Zafrina's hands came to rest, one on each of my shoulders as I sat there in Grandma's lap. "Renesmee, you are "The Hope of the World."**

A/N: By calling Renesmee 'The Hope of the World' I am not putting her into any savior type roll. As will be pointed out later, she will simply have an ability to bring people hope.

I also appreciate everyone who took the time, so far to leave me comments. Thank you :D


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen  
The Temple of the Moon

Renesmee's POV

**This morning started bright and early. Jacob and Aunt Rose helped me get everything packed up so that later today, we'd be ready to leave for the ruins at Chan Chan. I went downstairs with Jacob and was met by a great breakfast Grandma had made for us. Leah and Nahuel were already there with plates half empty talking to Grandma about wedding plans. I guessed she was going to grow some tropical plants to put around the house and use to make Leah's bouquet from. When I was finishing up my last three bites, Uncle Emmett came bounding in the door from outside. He reminded me of Bob the Builder. He had apparently been out to the boat--patching it all up. Zafrina told him that she would make sure it got back to Manaus for us later. **

**Uncle Emmett was SO full of surprises. He would do ANYTHING for me! He called me into the living room; shocking me when he removed his shoes, grinned and said, "Nessie, I would just LOVE for you to please paint my toenails for me." He said it with a twinkle in his eyes but something was off and I couldn't quite place it.**

"**Really? Are you kidding?" I asked him trying to not laugh too hard. "What color would you like?"**

**Uncle Emmett sighed. "Well, I was thinking, maybe—clear?"**

**Just then Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice bounded down the stairs. They carried with them ALL the nail 'supplies'. Aunt Rose looked a little smug as she announced, "Oh, no…we can do better than clear! Let's start out with bright red."**

**Well, I had to say…I've always enjoyed having my nails done with Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosalie but, it was a whole different activity experiencing it with Uncle Emmett. After about thirty minutes he finally started getting into it. His toenails were all bright red with all the big toes having white polka dots on them and flowers on the rest. When I was done, he wiggled his glistening wet toes and smiled happily. I got very little on his stone skin.**

"**I am very pleased." He said with satisfaction. Then he looked over at Aunt Rose for a minute. She smiled at him but after a few minutes she raised her eyebrow. Uncle Emmett let out a low sigh. Then he turned back to me with another crazy grin. "Well, since I'm stuck here waiting for these highly decorated toes of mine to dry, what would you say to doing my fingernails too?" He said this in an off-hand way.**

"**Wow, Uncle Emmett! I didn't know that you did your fingernails?" I said in utter amazement. **

**He sighed, "I don't. This is a 'special occasion'. I want to give you a chance to practice your nail painting skills out and of course, it's hard to get much practice on women because all their nails are tiny—like their fingers. Area-wise, my nails are perfect for your first practice run."**

**My Uncle Emmett was the best! I couldn't believe that he'd be so worried about my nail painting skills. This was a whole new side to him. I looked up at him and batted my eyes. "What color do you want on your fingers?"**

"**Clear…" He says simply, but it sounded like a question. Aunt Rose nudged him from behind, "Or maybe white?" **

**Aunt Rose cleared her throat. "Actually, let's get really get fancy on his fingers." She started pulling out ten of her brightest shades of red, pink, blue and orange. "Paint each finger a different color." She said sharing a wink with Aunt Alice.**

**I was half way done painting his fingernails when Jasper and my Jacob came down the stairs at a human pace. It appeared they were having a discussion on how you could apply 'chess' strategies to actual battle plans. They came over and saw what we were doing in the living room. Uncle Emmett shifted uncomfortably in his chair. I guessed he'd been sitting still for too long. It was my first time to paint nails and I guessed I was going kind of slow.**

**Jasper and Jacob both stopped in front of Emmett. They tried to hide an expression that I could only guess was 'amusement'.**

"**Well, isn't this just—special?" Uncle Jasper said as he went to sit down on the seat across from me. He pulled a camera out of his pants pocket and started snapping pictures of my handiwork. Uncle Emmett growled very low in his throat. Alarmed that I had painted something wrong, I looked up at him. He was looking at Jasper with bulging eyes. I saw the flash of the camera again. When Uncle Emmett saw that I was looking at him, he turned back to me with a smile that looked a little 'pained'.**

"**Are we going to have a Mary Kay party next?" Jacob added, reaching over to pound Jasper's fist.**

"**That would certainly complete the look," Jasper added thoughtfully.**

"**You know, back home I have the prettiest little sun dress that would really show off both your nails AND your new 'feminine side." Jacob continued. **

"**Gee, I thought you said you threw away that **_**torn**_** dress after wearing it for the last inning at the ball game." I'd added confused.**

"**Well," Jacob sighed, "That's true."**

"**Not to worry. Didn't you get that as a gift from Rosalie?" Jasper added to Jacob in a conversational tone. "She may have another one hiding in her closet for Emmett."**

"**I thought you guys were playing chess—what happened? Couldn't outmaneuver each other?" Emmett said sullenly.**

"**Oh, Jasper won all three games but he did teach me some important things so that I can beat you next time, Emmett." Jacob said still grinning. Then he looked closer at my 'project'. "Wow, Nessie, you are really good at this. Why don't you put some more cool designs on these nails too?"**

"**Really," I asked Jacob, "What do you have in mind?" I had just finished the last nail and the first few were dry enough to do something with.**

"**Well, you've already used flowers on his toes, so how about a bumble bee on this nail." He pointed to Emmett's pointer finger. **

"**What a great idea!" I enthused. Uncle Emmett sighed.**

"**You could put a butterfly on this one." Jasper added. I was so glad they'd come down. Now Uncle Emmett's nails would be out of this world by the time I was done. Who knew that Uncle Jasper and my Jacob had so many artsy ideas!**

"**We don't have time now, but maybe when we get home, I could do both of you guys' nails too." I said so they knew not to be jealous of Uncle Emmett. I just didn't want them to think that I was putting them off.**

**Jasper and Jacob seemed to freeze with only their eyes roaming around. Alice and Rose laughed.**

"**That is a great idea." Uncle Emmett said. "Whatever Nessie needs, Right Jacob." Jacob swallowed hard. "She needs even more nail polishing practice."**

**Jasper turned to Jacob and said, "Let's go outside and see what Carlisle is up to." They were gone in a flash.**

**When Emmett was all designer decorated, Aunt Alice helped me put the finishing touches on the thumb nails by adding a small white rhinestone to flower centers on both thumbs.**

**I had just affixed the rhinestone to Uncle Emmett's right thumb when Zafrina came in and announced that she wanted us to go out to the main courtyard for 'Amazon Training'. That sounded like a lot of fun. We were all there in no time flat. Zafrina explained to us that the god Samon gave the three of them a charge to conduct training for the Amazon Warriors in Akakor and they wanted to give us one of their training sessions. It was really interesting. There were some moves that remind me of ninjas I'd seen in movies. She had us work on form and jumps that twisted as you moved. I had so much fun. Everyone else had fun too, but Uncle Jasper seemed to be having the most fun of all. He practically ate up all of this combat training. We had only been practicing for about five minutes when Uncle Emmett let out a loud moan.**

"**Awwww shoot!" He wailed, stomping up and down and then looking at his hands. "My pretty nail polish just smeared all over!**

**Everyone laughed at him. Uncle Jasper shook his head and said something about what a sorry state Emmett was in.**

"**Don't worry Uncle Emmett," I called out to him. I didn't like seeing him so sad. Not when the fix was so simple. "I'll fix them for you as soon as we're done here." **

"**Oh, that's okay Nessie, we don't…" He caught a look from Aunt Rose and then added, "Perhaps you're right…this way you'll get even more practice!" **

**So after a few hours of 'Amazon Training', I repainted and designed Uncle Emmett's fingernails while Aunt Rose made lunch for me, Jacob, Leah and Nahuel." Uncle Jasper and Jacob were more than happy to help me 're-create' my former masterpieces. Three of the nails we even improved on! Then Uncle Emmett said something about blowing them dry while I ate.**

**After lunch, Uncle Emmett was back and announced that it was time for me to go on another 'nature walk' with him. I knew what THAT meant! He'd told me it was our little secret. He wanted me to help him catch more baby animals to take home for his new 'Amazon zoo' he was going to make out of one of the outbuildings behind the house. It's been kind of fun plus, I got to practice my 'gift' with animal communication. We even found some eggs buried in the mud by the side of the river that he'd packed in some mud and then placed in a plastic container. We didn't even know what they'd be when they hatched. Just another Amazon surprise! Of course doing anything with Uncle Emmett was an adventure full of surprises.**

**Granddad stopped us as we prepared to depart. "Are you sure you have time for this? Edward and Bella will be back at 2pm and we still have to clear a spot for them to land before they arrive."**

"**No problem." Uncle Emmett replied in his ever casual manner. "That will only take a minute. Too bad I didn't know about the land when I was getting lumber for the boat repair. Anyway, Nessie and I will only be out for about 40 minutes and as soon as we're back, I'll help Jasper and Jacob here with the land clearing."**

"**Okay then Emmett—just don't go too far away and PLEASE stay out of trouble!" Granddad said with gentle amusement in his eyes. He looked at me and winked as he gave me a little hug. "Keep an eye on him for me Kiddo. Send me a message if he gets out of hand okay?"**

"**Sure Granddad," I reply grinning conspiratorially at him. Who needed cell phones when I was around? He waved as Uncle Emmett and I climbed up the steps to the caves and was soon through the waterfall front door of Akahim.**

**Today was the best catch yet! Well, the baby parrot might have beaten it but it was close because today as we walked on a path close to the bog; Uncle Emmett had me think about baby animals and then broadcast a simple happy thought out, we had a baby squirrel monkey come to me and also a baby alligator! How exciting that was! I wondered how Uncle Emmett planned to get these creatures back home but he seemed confident that it wouldn't be a problem.**

**After about 25 minutes, we saw Aunt Rose walking our way. She'd come to find us.**

"**Dang it!" Uncle Emmett said as he quickly put the baby reptile in his jeans front pocket. Then he put the baby squirrel monkey under the baseball cap on his head. It was funny that the animals went to him at all. He'd told me that animals had always been afraid of him. This was, of course, the other reason Uncle Emmett had me help him get the animals, because I was half-human. With me using my gift, they weren't afraid of me. I guess he figured once they got use to him, they wouldn't fear him anymore. So far his theory seemed to have some merit.**

"**Well if it isn't the hottest looking babe in the jungle today," He said drawing Aunt Rose to him to give her a quick kiss. "What brings you out here?"**

"**Well, actually I was kind of wondering what was bringing you two out here again. This is about the fourth time you've gone out for a 'nature walk' since we got here. I wanted to see what's so interesting." She smiled excitedly. I wondered what Uncle Emmett would say. He'd cautioned me that under no circumstances should I tell Aunt Rose about the animals because she wouldn't understand at all.**

"**Well beautiful, look around…we could take nature walks 24-7 here and not come close to covering everything." That was true enough. He gestured with his arms to encompass the whole area around us. Just then a crazy sound erupted. It sounded like an extra loud bullfrog and the sound came from Uncle Emmett's pocket in his jeans.**

"**What is that sound?" Aunt Rose asked quietly, suddenly tensing. Poor Aunt Rose, after her 'cursing' experiences yesterday she seemed slightly skittish.**

"**Did you hear anything Nessie?" Uncle Emmett asked me innocently. I was shaking my head, when that crazy baby made the sound again.**

"**Right there," She said emphatically. She followed the sound to Uncle Emmett's pocket. Uncle Emmett didn't miss a beat; he turned and looked behind him. He even bent over and turned over a leaf or two. Aunt Rose was intent watching to see if he found anything. Unfortunately, when he bent over, the cap came off his head. The monkey hung on by pulling his hair. He put the cap back on quickly but the monkey's tail stuck out the side. I pointed to his head and he quickly had the monkey's tail back under cover before Aunt Rose looked back his way.**

"**Well, who knows, it must be an Amazon mystery." Uncle Emmett said, shrugging his shoulders. He turned back to Akahim. "We'd better head back; I promised Carlisle I'd be there in five minutes to help clear the landing spot for the incoming birdie." **

'_**What did he mean by that? Another bird is coming our way? Hopefully he won't try to catch it too.'**_

**We were back in Akahim and almost to the palace when that crazy alligator made its noise again. Luckily, it wasn't as loud as before. Aunt Rose looked skeptically at Uncle Emmett's face and then at his jeans pocket. Uh oh, he was so busted. Uncle Emmett said some lame excuse about it being a new brand of Levi's and since they'd gotten muddy he'd better change before he went to help Jasper and Jacob. He took off to the palace at a healthy vampire sprint. Aunt Rose looked at me. I shrugged my shoulders and gave her my best 'who knows what's up with him' look. She just shook her head and laughed.**

"**Are you excited to see your mom and dad?" She asked me.**

"**Absolutely" I cried out suddenly remembering that even as short a time as they'd been gone; there was an emptiness without them. It was true. They were only gone three instead of four days but I still missed them like crazy. I hd the best parents in the whole world and I couldn't wait to show them how beautifully I had painted Uncle Emmett's nails.**

**An hour later that I walked outside of Akahim with Grandma, Aunt Rose and Aunt Alice. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri led us to a section of the outer wall that had a secret door. When they pressed it, it slid soundlessly to the side. Quite a feat considering the wall sections were made of huge stone blocks. Then again, my family was pretty much made of stone and they moved pretty soundlessly too. We were led to a huge clearing about thirty feet across. I heard the strange whirling sound as soon as we got there. Grandma pointed up to the sky and I saw a huge spec. It got bigger and bigger. Finally I realized that it was a helicopter. A very big helicopter and my DAD was flying it. '**_**Wow! Oh Wow! I have to have the smartest, coolest, best-looking Dad in the whole world and he's a pilot too!**_**'**

**As he landed, I heard Uncle Emmett say, "Here's your incoming birdie, Nessie!" **

**I couldn't help it. I was so excited to see my Mom and Dad again I was jumping up and down, unable to control myself. The wind blew from the whirl of the blades as it cut through the air and blew my hair out horizontally from me. I saw Dad from the pilot's seat, smiling at me from behind the glass. Before the huge blades had stopped, the huge side door swung open and my beautiful Mom stepped out and scooped me into her arms, smothering my face with kisses. **

"**Mommy," I sang between giggles, "I missed you." I hugged her as tight as my arms would let me and breathed in the scent of Freesia and flowers that always surrounded her. I enjoyed the relief her return gave me.**

"**I missed you more!" She breathed. And then we jumped up and down together. That was pretty fun. My mom could jump pretty dang high. Once she jumped thirty-seven feet straight up in the air while holding me. Who needed wings with my Mom around! **

**Then my Dad joined us and Mom reluctantly handed me to him. He kissed my forehead and the tip of my nose. Then he suddenly tucked me under his arm and took off racing around the clearing with his blinding speed. I hugged him tightly and breathed in his scent of honey and sunshine. He whispered in my ear, "Ha! Your Mother may jump higher than me, but I still run the fastest!" By then I was laughing uncontrollably. **

"**Daddy," I choked out between laughing fits as the air blurred past us. "I love you." He stopped and looked at me like he might cry for happiness--Like THAT would happen. Suddenly Mom jumped on his back, kissing his neck and grabbing both Daddy and me at the same time.**

"**Show off," She shot at him. "Let's see how fast you can go with both of us getting a ride!" As if any amount of weight could slow down my Dad. We went around the clearing five more times and we were all three laughing when we came to a stop. Now I felt like everything was as it should be. **

"**Well, if that wasn't just the sweetest thing ever." Uncle Emmett said sweetly. Aunt Rose punched his arm. "Ouch, Rose." He shook his shoulder out. "Didn't you think so?" Everyone converged around us. **

**Hearing Emmett's booming voice reminded me. "Daddy, Mommy" "You will be so proud of me!" I told them.**

"**Nessie, we're ALWAYS proud of you." Dad said. He still held me in his arms. Mom was still on his back. She looked very comfortable back there, like second nature to her. I'd heard the stories a hundred times; about all the rides Dad gave her when she was still human. Dad started walking, carrying us both, back to Akahim with everyone else in tow. "What in particular will we be proud of you for this time?" He asked smiling down at me.**

"**I can't wait for you to see the beautiful job I did painting Uncle Emmett's toes and fingernails." I was so excited for them to see my handiwork I purred with excitement. I could tell that this was the absolute last thing that my parents thought I would say. They both wore dumbfounded, incredulous looks. Finally they burst into chuckles. They looked over at Emmett who held out his hands as if fanning himself with his colorful nails and batted his eyelashes. That was all it took for everyone to join in the merriment. Sometimes, I thought Uncle Emmett was a kook on purpose. Before I knew it we were through the wall and back into the city.**

"**Edward, Bella" Zafrina said in our direction as we came to stand in front of a small stone building. "Thank you so much for coming back so promptly. We shouldn't lose any more time than necessary. As Emmett and Rosalie discovered yesterday; this building houses our pathway to the inner tunnels. Huilen, can you give 'The Alpha' the smaller round emerald please."**

**Daddy still held me tightly to him but Mom got off his back and tucked herself under his free arm. Wrapping her arms around both of us and smiling at me with so much love that I knew it was a fact. I WAS the luckiest girl in the whole world. **

**Huilen had the treasure chest and she opened it and handed Jacob the smaller rounded emerald. It was kind of funny to call this emerald 'small' as it was bigger than my hand made into a fist. Heck, it was almost as big as Jake's hand made into a fist.**

**We head down a ramp about 200 feet and found ourselves in a small room that appeared to be carved in the stone of the mountain. There were benches lining three sides. On the opposite side from where we'd come in was a metal door that had been left half open. It appeared to have had its metal locking mechanisms broken.**

**Uncle Emmett looked at it and said WAY to innocently, "Gee, I wonder how that happened?" Aunt Rose gave him an incredulous look. **

"**Keep your mouth shut Emmett." She hissed in a tone that was clearly a command. Uncle Jasper snickered.**

**We passed through the broken door and into a large tunnel. It was large enough for four of us to walk through abreast and made out of stones with shafts of light every ten feet. Four times we passed by sets of benches. In no time at all, we came to a second small stone room. This one had a sealed stone door on each of the three facing walls. The middle door, directly ahead of us, had an indentation over the main doorway. Zafrina hit a hidden panel and the room burst into light. Then I saw with more clarity murals covered the walls. One depicted a man with dark brown hair and kind eyes. There were jaguars, monkeys, parrots and various other animal drawings. There were also drawings of many dark-skinned women warriors. Three of them looked amazingly like Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri but with rich dark skin like Nahuel's instead of a strange chalky brown like they have now.**

**Zafrina turned to Nahuel and said, "I will go ahead and direct this ceremony, but keep a close watch because from Chan Chan, and all ceremonies thereafter, you will be taking over as the Jaguar God for all of the Amazon leaders to see and know that you are in charge." Nahuel nodded his head.**

**Zafrina continued, now looking at Jacob. "Alright Alpha, do you see the indentation above the middle door?" Jacob nodded as he stepped forward. "Place the gem to it, holding it in place so that it fits exactly into it until the doors open. Then when you bring your hand away from the keyhole, bring the gem with you."**

"**Okay," Jacob whispered, "Here goes." He lifted his hand with the gem cupped in it. He was so tall that he didn't even need to stand on his tippy toes. The gem fit easily in the grove of the stone. There were little gasps from around the room as all three doors opened easily within a second. Jacob brought his hand away from the indentation above the door. I saw green in his hand. He grinned at all of us.**

**Emmett immediately looked down the passageway to the right, checking the floor as if doubting it was there or something. Everyone but me and Aunt Rose tried to ignore him.**

"**Very good, Alpha; Now, give the gem to 'The Feeling Warrior'." Jacob handed the emerald to Jasper and they shared a grin. Actually, I believe we were probably all grinning. It was just WAY to exciting! "Next we need to go to 'The Temple of the Moon', which is behind the Sun Temple." Zafrina stated as we began walking back up the way we had just come.**

"**Dang Rose," Emmett said quietly, "That was a lot easier than yesterday." He shook his head in mock dismay.**

"**Emmett, TRY not to speak, please" Aunt Rose said with a disparaging expression.**

**In no time at all we'd climbing back up the ramp, out the little stone door, and back into the main area of the city of Akahim. Zafrina directed us to a pyramid. It was the second largest in the city. She walked right up the steps and we trailed after her. She passed through the big front wooden doors, which were intricately carved in moon symbols, opening them wide and inviting us in, she hit another hidden panel and track lights appeared along the sides of the main corridors. The air inside was dank with a musky hint to it. We went through about three metal doors and finally came to stop at a large stone door also ornately carved in details of the moon. There were murals of women warriors in this outer chamber.**

"**Will our 'Feeling Warrior' come to the front?" Zafrina asked quietly. Jasper was there in a fraction of a second. Zafrina indicated an indentation to the right side of the door that looked identical to the one above the central door in the tunnel. "Okay, do this the same way it was done in the tunnel."**

**Jasper complied and again, the door immediately slid open. Also, the room ahead of us that was at first, completely dark, was suddenly plunged in a brilliant green light. **

**Zafrina turned to Uncle Jasper and said, "Thank you, now please hand the key to 'The Heart'." Jasper gave the key to Grandma, again an excited smile passed between them at the exchange. "Now this is important for all the men in the room. With the exception of the Jaguar God, you will need to stay here in this outer chamber until we return. This is a temple to honor the Amazon women and so I will need all females and Nahuel, only to come into the inner chamber of the Temple of the Moon.**

**Daddy gave me to Mommy, kissing us both and watched us go through the door and into the green-lit chamber.**

**Upon entering, I could see that the room was very small. There were nine of us and we barely seemed to fit. Carvings of the moon and intricate figurines hand crafted graced the walls and ceilings. Four small benches sat along the walls. Aunt Alice, Aunt Rose, Huilen, Mom and I took a seat, just to free up some room. Zafrina directed Grandma to a special glass box in the wall. We all saw that this box was twice as deep as the indentations were where the gem had been placed briefly before. Also the box lay horizontal, not vertical.**

"**Now 'The Heart', will place the emerald keystone into the keyport." Grandma put the gem in the indentation of the keyport. Immediately it dropped into the block and the entire thing began to glow a transparent green. The emerald key seemed to pulse with life from its center. Almost simultaneously we heard a hum and a whir of heavy machinery. I remembered then, about the Booby-trap disarming. I'd bet that was a relief to Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rose. After five minutes, all was quiet. Zafrina directed the proceedings. She indicated a bar that was about four feet across and two feet high. It illuminated green too. **

"**Now if the Jaguar God and the Wolf Goddess will come forward and place both of their hands together and at the same time on the 'Bar of Light', then they will be recorded.**

**Nahuel took Leah by the hand and led her forward. They both placed their hands palms down onto the glowing green bar. The green light began to pulse immediately under their touch for a whole minute. When the resonating ceased they released their hands, looked at each other smiling and then looked to Zafrina.**

**Suddenly the green light that had gently illuminated the room began vibrating. It grew brighter in intensity with each beat until the entire room was awash in brilliant green. The most unusual thing happened. We could sense each other's hearts…or rather our souls, or inner beings. We felt them as if they were our own. As I looked at each person in the room, I felt a kinship with that individual that seemed to exceed even the bonds of family. Then a thought came through to each of us as if a whisper from ages past. **

'_**Now you are truly one with us, the Women of the Moon. Now you know of our courage and strength and love and we share it with you, as you are now a part of us.' **_

**We were silent for a long time. The room had taken on an almost reverent awed atmosphere. It felt as if time were suspended. So there was no way to gauge how long we sat after that. After a time, the green lights began reverberating again but this time growing dimmer with each beat. When it returned to its previous illumination, the pulsing stopped and we were free to look around at each other; our trance broken. Everyone's eyes held a secret knowledge, full of pride and wonder. I felt more at one with the women of my family than I'd ever dreamed possible. And believe me…I was pretty close to them before.**

**After a while Zafrina sighed and stood up; indicating that it was time to continue. **

**She spoke quietly, "Okay, well let's go pick up the men and head over to the Sun Temple--The main temple of the Ugha Mongulala.**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen  
The Sun Temple

Alice's POV

**Today had been interesting to say the least. I was ALWAYS ready to have a go at embarrassing Emmett. And well, let's face it, Pedicures and Manicures were right up my alley! What was so funny about it was that he never seemed to even see the 'messes' he was about to step into, and even if he did, he usually just walked right into them anyway. The Amazon Warrior training went fine; it was nice to see Jasper so happy with the activity selection. But truthfully, I hadn't really felt like myself for a while now. Ever since Bella got married, my relationship with her had changed. We hadn't been as close. Of course, this was because of my vision limitations and her close proximity to Renesmee and consequently, Jacob as well. Sometimes, I'd still get visions around the half-breeds, but they were very sporadic and unpredictable. I enjoyed being around them and I loved little Renesmee to pieces, really I did. It was just that I felt so lost without my 'sight' all the time and I was more than a little anxious about what visions I might be missing as a result of my new 'limitations' in a house full of half-breeds. So when I can no longer stand having my 'sight' blinded, I tended to stay away from the sources of that 'blindness' and that typically meant Bella as well, and I really missed her.**

**At least with Renesmee, I got to buy lots of clothes and she was a living doll to dress up. I had taken great care to make sure she had been adequately indoctrinated in the importance of having good fashion sense. If I couldn't get inside of Bella's head to 'fix' her fashion flaws, at least she gave me Nessie to dress up! She was just the cutest little girl in the world. Of course, I was prejudiced but still, I was competing with Rose for the 'Best Aunt of the Century' award. So it was important that I did my part to make sure Nessie was spoiled rotten. It was worth it to get to spend time, shopping and playing dress up with Renesmee even with my sight 'blinded', it was just that I didn't feel like my normal self.**

**Also I had found it a pleasant distraction recently, to plan weddings—especially with people who actually were excited to plan them with me. Now admittedly, I knew that Bella was never into any of those things in the first place, but sometimes, I would have loved to go see a movie or take a trip sight-seeing…just girl stuff with Bella. I was so excited to see her so happy this afternoon when they'd landed, but she was busy with her little family and I never even got to give her a hug or say 'hi'.**

**That's why I was so surprised in the inner chamber of the Temple of the Moon, when the green light somehow connected us to each other and to those of the past; I somehow felt my connection to Bella again. I was surprised to understand that although she was very happy, that she had missed me too. Just feeling that closeness with her again had helped me feel more like my normal self than I had for about two years now. **

**When she saw Edward waiting with the men in the outer chamber, she gave him a kiss, dropped Renesmee into his willing arms and said, "See ya." Then she bounded over to me and we walked arm in arm over to the Sun Temple. I felt positively buoyant. "So how's the wedding planning going?" She asked casually.**

"**Fine," I said, not sure why she would ask. As I'd mentioned before, I knew it was not her thing at all.**

"**Want some help?" She pressed, smiling. Bella was still a poor liar but looking into her golden eyes, I could tell there appeared to be no deceit in her comment. It seemed as though she was actually offering to give me a hand.**

"**Sure, but aren't you usually too busy with Nessie and Edward?" I asked trying to see how serious she was. I knew she was ALWAYS with them.**

"**Oh, they can get by without me for a few hours a day…besides it's less of a tug-of-war for Nessie's time if I take a little break each day. But most important of all, I get to spend time with you. Don't forget you're my best friend."**

"**Thanks Bella," I felt a little bit even more normal by the minute. By the time we'd reached the Sun Temple, we were walking slower than everyone else on purpose, I felt as bright as the sun on the inside, before my apprehensions over what was fast approaching got the better of me.**

**We brought up the rear of the group at the steps of the Sun Temple; caught up in our own conversation. Everyone was already atop the stairs and Zafrina led us through the massive front doors. It looked very much like the Temple of the Moon except that in this temple everything was much bigger. **

"**I hope this works," I said under my breath to her. Bella raised her eyebrows in confusion.**

"**What works?" She asked.**

"**My vision, you know how hard it is for me to see anything with Nessie, Jacob and Leah around. Well, now we can add Nahuel to that list. I'm as blind as a bat." It felt good to tell Bella my fears. It had been too long since I'd received any of her confident reassurance.**

"**Alice, if you worry about it too much, it'll only make it worse. When it's time, just try to empty your mind. It sounds like this is going to be different than your usual visions anyway, right?"**

"**Yes, but I haven't really seen ANYTHING for a while Bella." This was the first time I'd admitted this fear to anyone, even Jasper. Of course, he could tell I was anxious and Edward heard this too. They were way ahead of us, Edward carrying Nessie and Jasper both looked at us as we approached the outer chamber after everyone else.**

"**Don't give it another thought, Alice," Bella whispered into my ear. "This is going to be different. It's not the same at all. I know you can do it." We cut the talk to hear the proceedings start. **

**Zafrina began, "Welcome to the Sun Temple. This is the Temple that the God Samon commissioned that we build when we first arrived in Akahim to honor the Sun God. It is also in this temple over 500 years ago that the God Samon came and restored life to my sisters and I, and gave us our charge. One of the charges was to protect the secrets until the events that led up to the Day of Deliverance would occur. "**

"**Today, at this Sun Temple, here in Akahim, will be the first main event to lead up to our 'Day of Deliverance'. We, my sisters and I, are honored to share this great occasion with our dear friends, the Cullens. Especially, to start the proceedings in the outer temple, by giving the larger emerald to 'The Man with the Silent Heart and a Soul as Bright as Day'," Carlisle stepped forward.**

**Huilen opened the chest of jewels and took out the emerald, handing it to Carlisle. Well it was fitting the first door in the Sun Temple would be opened by the man whose soul was as bright as the sun--and no one was more deserving! He truly was a man of 'heart and soul'. Carlisle held the big gem to the indentation by the side on the wall and the door slid open revealing a huge room on the other side. Unlike the inner room of the Temple of the Moon, here when the lights flicked on, the chamber burst with the brilliant light of a bright day. Carlisle gave the gem to Rosalie. I knew she had wanted it for herself. I couldn't blame her--it was beyond beautiful; fitting for a God. Of course, I guessed that was exactly what it was though. It was the property of a god.**

**Zafrina spoke softly to us now, "Welcome to the Inner Chambers of the Sun Temple. Please come in quietly and only speak in a whisper unless you have a speaking part in the proceedings. As you enter, I'll place you in the correct order around the circle, ringing the Sun in the center of the floor.**

**We walked into the enormous chamber, I was impressed with the intricate carvings that ran up its stone rounded walls and onto the ceiling that came all the way to the top point of the pyramid. The carvings looked, to my untrained eye to resemble carvings I had seen in Mexico, but must've been more in keeping with the Incas and other Indian tribes that had descended from the Ugha Mongulala. The portion of the wall that faced eastward, held a colorful sun mural. It was colored mainly in yellows, with some reds throughout the top rays. **

**In the central area of the floor lay a beautiful, tile inlaid design of the sun. It was a good ten feet across for the entire design and it had a rounded mirror in its center. I'd hoped it wouldn't break later when Emmett was supposed to stand there for his part of the ceremony. The way his luck had gone lately…I was sure he'd suffer something much worse than a curse if it were to break under his weight. **

**Zafrina positioned us around the circle with Nahuel and Leah facing east. Carlisle and Esme stood to their right, followed by Emmett and Rosalie, then Jasper and I, next came Edward, Renesmee and Bella, then Jacob, Huilen, and completing the circle with Kachiri, Senna and finally Zafrina herself stood next to Leah. **

**With us all in place, she motioned for Rosalie as she spoke, "Now 'Beauty Incarnate' will place the gem into the Keyport." Rosalie stepped out of the circle and put the large emerald into a horizontal brick that looked much like the one in the Temple of the Moon. It dropped down into the block and turned the entire Keyport a transparent green. Unlike the Temple of the Moon though, there was no whirl of machinery. However, the room became even lighter. It was now as bright as the brightest sunny day. Rosalie came back to her place in the circle. I noticed that all of the vampires' skin, mine included, sparkled as though we were actually outside drinking in the sun.**

**We then heard a sound of great rocks moving together. Directly behind Renesmee, a huge stone chest came out of the floor. When it had completely risen, Zafrina spoke again. **

"**We will now have a reading of text from the 'Chronicles of Akakor', presented by 'The Hope of the World'." Nessie very hesitantly looked at Zafrina and then to Bella and Edward for reassurance. After receiving it, she turned around and knelt down in front of the stone chest. Here I was feeling worried about being a seer. Nessie was almost 2 yrs old and she was supposed to read ancient text? I almost felt a panic for her. She removed the stone lid and reached inside for a stone tablet. She peered at it for a few minutes in confusion. I couldn't see what would happen. Edward had a look of deep concentration on his face. Clearly he was seeing what she looked at through her thoughts. But suddenly, she was able to somehow read it and spoke out in her clear soprano voice.**

"_**And the God's ruled from Akakor. They ruled over men and the earth. They had ships faster than birds' flight, ships that reached their goal without sails or oars and by night as well as by day. They had magic stones to look into the distance so that they could see cities, rivers, hills and lakes. Whatever happened on earth or in the sky was reflected in the stones. But the underground dwellings were the most wonderful of all. And the God's gave them to their Chosen Servants as their last gift. For the Former Masters are of the same blood and have the same father."**_

**I let out a sigh of relief. So did Bella. **

**Nessie put the tablet carefully back in the chest retrieved the lid and placed it back on. Then she returned to her position in the circle between her parents, looked up at them and shared a smile of relief.**

**Now for Emmett; I held my breath again. **

**Zafrina spoke, "Now, 'The Activator' will please stand in the center of the sun and hold 'The Morning Sun Star Sapphire' out slightly in front of you so that it is still inside the mirror." Emmett came forward, grinning as usual. I had to make a conscious effort not to cross my fingers as he put his massive bulk on the large mirror in the center of the Sun. Thankfully, it held together just fine. I let out another sigh of relief. So did Rosalie and Esme.**

**Within seconds, the sapphire started shinning brighter and brighter. It shinned its beam again. Only this time, instead of it going all over the walls, it concentrated on a wall directly behind Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri and the writing it cast from its depths was much less than it had been at the palace.**

**The three Amazon warriors went to the writing and began following the script with their fingers as they had done before. It went considerably faster this time. I didn't know if that was because the text wasn't as ancient, or if they were use to it now, but whatever the reason was, they had the words translated in a matter of minutes. Like at the palace, Zafrina turned towards us in the circle with her back to her 'sisters' as they followed the text with their fingers.**

"**Our instructions for the next ceremonies are as follows: The ancient city of Chan Chan will be our next destination. We must stop at the Ticunan villages of 'Pico da Neblina' here in Brazil and 'Pucalpa' in Peru on the way to pick up the required participants."**

"**The people of Chan Chan were descendants of a tribe of Ugha Monguhaha. They were originally called the Machica. They were invaded by the Incas and later thought to be annihilated by the Spaniards. There were a few families who escaped into the Amazon jungle and survived the destruction of their world. Their blood still resides inside of these Ticunan villages, where they were taken in and became part of the Ticunan Tribe."**

"**The Chimor people, sensing their demise, performed the ritual that moved the main Temple plazas of the city underground to keep it sacred. We will have to access the temples from stairs leading from topside remains of 'The Sun Temple', where the hands of the Jaguar God and the Wolf Goddess will be able to access the level."**

"**The person who will partake in the ceremonies to unlock the tunnel with the smaller blue diamond will be: 'The Monkey Hunter'."**

"**Those who will take part in the ceremonies of The Temple of the Moon are: 'The Bead Maker', 'The Woman who Speaks from her Heart' and 'The Jaguar God' and 'The Wolf Goddess'."**

"**Those participating in the ceremonies at' The Sun Temple' by use of the larger blue diamond will be as follows: 'The Lost Leader', 'The Shield', 'The Seeker of Truths', 'The Reader', 'The Guardians of the Moon', 'The Ancient Magi' and 'The Jaguar God' and 'The Wolf Goddess'."**

"**These events will proceed in the same fashion as done here in Akahim and in the same order, with the exception that they will be conducted by the Jaguar God." **

**Information was also given for the third ancient city to be opened. It would be the ancient city of Macchu Picchu."**

**When they had finished the translation, they took their places back in the circle. Okay, the panic was officially back. It was now my turn and I was completely unsure if my sight would make an appearance. I took a deep breath and felt the sweetest calm settle over me that immediately set my mind at ease. I looked to my wonderful husband and mouthed the words, "Thank you Jasper."**

**Zafrina continued, "Now we will have 'The Seer' place her hand over the keyport where the large emerald resides."**

**I walked very confidently over to the Keyport and placed my hand over it before I lost my nerve. The feel of it was smooth and somehow comforting. I felt the indentation under my hand and heat as it thrummed from the emerald. Instead of the green pulses of 'The Temple of the Moon's' keyport, here in the 'Sun Temple', it pulsed white light which seemed to travel up my arm higher and higher with each pulse. What at first felt warming and nice, started to ache and then burn. It actually became uncomfortable, almost painful as it made its way up my shoulder and then through my neck. The light got brighter and brighter and I gasped when it hit behind my eyes with a blinding white light that took me away from the place I stood. **

**I saw the villages we would visit tomorrow and the faces of those whom we would meet and bring with us to Chan Chan. I saw where we would enter into the stone remains of that ancient city and where we'd find the tunnel going down. I was shown exactly where to find the tunnel, 'The Temple of the Moon' and 'The Sun Temple'. Next I was taken to a high mountain and the ruins of Macchu Picchu and saw vaguer images of who would be there except for Nahuel, Leah, Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. From there I was shown a valley in the southern region of the Amazon Rain Forest to find descendents of the Ugha Maogulala. I was shown eight more ruined cities where the ceremonies would take place…and many Amazon people, some of whom had never been contacted by the outside world and all of whom, had places in restoring the home land of the Amazon people.**

**I was also shown forces that would work to prevent the completion of our task. Some were other tribes of Indians; some were white men who appeared to be militia of some sort. Most disturbing of all was a name without any faces that came creeping through the back of my mind and got louder and louder. That name was Volturi.**

**Finally I saw the lost city of Akakor. It was nestled in the Andes between Brazil and Peru; covered in a canopy of green; the shapes of twelve pyramids--still visible through that canopy. I saw many Amazonian Indians in their full-tribal attire ready to complete the ceremonies to restore their homelands. I saw Nahuel and Leah there. Leah was expecting and they were dressed beautifully yet simply in linen clothes that had detailed embroidering on them. Leah wore the necklaces given her by The Jaguar People. She had picked up other items of jewelry, clearly presents from the tribes of the Amazon. And the feeling that surrounded the congregation was jubilant. It was clear that the people respected and honored Nahuel as he ruled to unite the tribes of the Ugha Mongulala, but Leah was genuinely loved and adored by everyone there. Somehow, she had won their hearts and they would do anything for her. She was the symbol of their hope for a brighter future.**

**I was shown that we were also there again. This time in addition to all of us, Sue and Charlie were there as well. I saw the Denali clan there with us, Tanya, Kate, Garrett, Eliazar and Carmen. Over three hundred Amazon warriors ringed the walls and we helped protect as well. Still the darkness came. It was a struggle to keep it at bay while the ceremonies proceeded. Felix and Dmitri were INSIDE the city walls. **

'_**How did they get in?**_**' **

**That had made no sense to me. It appeared that we might be successful in keeping the opposition at bay, though not without casualties. It was going to be close. It was five thirty on the night to end all nights; in other words, it was an hour and a half until the nineteenth hour of the twenty third day of the third season of the year 12,482.**

**The main participants were entering The Sun Temple. It was an impressive congregation. I was not surprised to see the three Amazon vampires or Nahuel or Leah there. I was surprised to see, Carlisle, Esme, Edward, Bella, Renesmee, Sue and Charlie entering with them. It would appear that they would have enough time to complete the ceremony before 7 pm; the problem would be if we could keep the city safe for them to do so. Our opposition was massive and they had heavy firepower. **

**Another thought crept in as though a whisper from the back of my head, getting louder and louder. It said**_**, 'Beware of the Two-faced man and The Pale Warrior'**_**. It was just a few moments more that my vision was interrupted by a brilliant flash of blinding white light. I felt the hot fire stabbing in my head again. Dulling in intensity and brightness with each pulse as it traveled back through my arm and out my fingers. Finally it left me and I was released from the keyport's hold on me. I gasped and fell to the floor. Jasper made a move to help me but Zafrina restrained him. I now understood why. We could not break the circle. It had to be maintained because something else was about to happen. I wasn't sure what it was but it would be exciting and it was imminent and could only happen if every step was followed completely. I stood up, somewhat shakily. My family looked at me with faces full of concerned alarm, and in Bella's case, sheer panic. I smiled a little smile as I made my way back to the circle. Apparently, while I had my vision, I had also told everything I'd seen. So caught up in my experience was I, that I hadn't even known I was speaking.**

**After I caught my breath, Zafrina directed The Jaguar God and The Wolf Goddess to turn around, where behind them by the wall, lay another bar like in the Temple of the Moon. When they walked over to it and rested their palms on it, they both gasped. Zafrina had called this bar 'The Bar of Knowledge' and I could only guess what they were getting now. Whatever it was, it was just for them, unlike what I'd seen. It was a good five minutes before the bar released them and they made their way back to the circle.**

**As soon as their feet were back in our circle, something very unexpected happened. The Morning Sun Star Sapphire picked up the beating of the keyport and the 'Bar of Knowledge', pulsing a bright white light, much like my vision had. This time, it was directed from where Emmett stood in the circle to the mirrored center of the Sun Design in the floor. When it hit the mirror, it shot up to the top of the pyramid; where the brilliant white actually hurt to look at. I thought I saw movement in it. Yes, there was definitely something there. The light started throbbing less and less until finally the stone was void of light and I could look at the center of the sun symbol again. A man stood there. A man with short cropped brown hair and hazel eyes. He was dressed in a beautiful gold spun floor length robe that was clasped together at his throat with a beautiful gold inlaid ornament of a sun. Underneath the robe, he wore a simple white tunic. His feet were bare. He had a beautiful smile and kind eyes and he looked around at all of us as though he already knew us. When his gaze fell to our hosts, they gasped and ran into his open arms. All I heard through Zafrina's cry was, "Samon!"**

******What Renesmee read was something I found on the internet that is suppose to actually be writings from the Chronicles of Akakor…Sure…whatever?**

**Of course, most of this I made up.**

**Please comment. I had originally had the God Samon wearing khakis and my son David threw a fit. **

**I also have a few banners and picture links on my profile to go with a few parts of the story that I will update periodically. The last banner includes a transparent picture of how I envisioned Samon. Thanks for reading :D**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen  
Samon

Bella's POV

**You know, since I'd moved to Forks 4 years 9 months and 6 days ago, I felt as though I'd been remarkably open minded. I had come to accept that there were mythical creatures all round me…Heck, I'd even become one! So why was my jaw hanging open at the sight of an ancient Amazonian God in the flesh…one who stood a mere 4.258 feet away from me? I'll tell you why, because I was shocked into stillness but not before my mouth had fallen open all on its own and without my permission. I always knew that life would be interesting as, not just a vampire, but also a member of the Cullen Family. But this was so far beyond anything I could wrap my head around. Then again, he was a part of mythology too, right? The mythology of the Ugha Mongulala; so then, yes-- maybe. I tried to pretend to take it all in stride until I could sort it out later. He stood 6'5'' tall, with short dark brown hair parted on the side. He had warm hazel brown eyes and a beautiful smile. He was Caucasian, so maybe not from the Amazon. Heck, I wasn't even sure he was from this planet! He wore a full length robe of spun gold material that shimmered as he moved and was clasped in front with a golden sun symbol. Underneath he wore a simple white tunic, and he was barefooted. **

**Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri had rushed into his embrace and given him a name. A name I'd heard more than once since this adventure began. That name was Samon. Samon, who'd ruled here with his parents and siblings, all of them Gods, over 3000 years ago and helped to build Akakor. Samon who was one of the brother-gods that came back to the Amazon area over 800 years ago and founded Akahim and helped to build the city. Samon, who came back almost 1500 years ago and restored life, in a unique vampire creation, to the three Amazons that held to to him now; Samon, who had apparently decided to pay another visit today, here-- right now.**

**He turned around in the circle, taking in each of our gazes, one at a time. When he looked at me, I heard in my mind the most musical and gentle of voices, a rich baritone calling me by name, '**_**Good Afternoon Isabella Marie Swan Cullen. It is an honor to meet you today. I am Samon. Welcome to the house of my family here in Akahim, Be at peace here and do not concern yourself about mythology, everything will be explained in time.'**_

**I could not even begin to tell you what happened then—but I'll try. The stillness left me and the sweetest calm and peace came over me. At first I thought it was Jasper, but Samon's gaze had not reached Jasper yet, and as my gaze shifted his way, I saw that both he and Alice were still standing there with gaping mouths, just like my previous stance. Just then Edward looked over to me and smiled warmly. There was a bit of a shocked look to his face. I opened my shield to him and ran over in my mind what Samon had said to me. His eyes got even wider. He leaned over Renesmee to whisper directly into my ear so quietly it was just the tiniest hint of a whisper.**

"**He called me Edward Anthony Mason Cullen and he told me not to worry that I most definitely had a soul and that if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to see or hear or talk to him now." I gave him an awkward hug over our daughter. If I could have cried…I would have. How many times had I tried to convince him of that fact? Now, it seemed like Samon—whoever or whatever he was—had given him something to ponder for a while.**

**By the time Samon finished the circle. Everyone was calm, with wondering eyes. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri quietly spoke with him for a few more minutes and then they returned to their place in the circle.**

"**Well," Samon began in the same melodic baritone voice I had heard in my head just moments ago. "Before I get started, why don't we adjourn to my 'Solar Drum' room. It will be more comfortable." **

**With that, a small door opened on the north wall. We followed him into the newly opened room and found inside there were many comfortable padded benches, the floor was…carpeted? That was unexpected. The room, though not as bright as the sun room, but had a warm golden glow to it. A waterfall set in the wall to our right tinkled softly as water gentle cascaded down it into a tiny pond. There were art murals of what I guessed to be ancient warriors. Samon gestured for each of us to take a seat. There appeared to be room for everyone to do so comfortably. When everyone was ready, he came to the front of the room and began.**

"**One of the things I have gathered from most of your thoughts is whether or not I am really a god and exactly who I am and what I am." His tone was quiet and soft, yet friendly and easy going. I tried to think of whose voice it reminded me of. I couldn't but it sounded familiar all the same. I noticed everyone nod their heads imperceptibly.**

"**I can assure you that I am definitely NOT the God or even a god. I am however a 'perfected being' as are my brothers and sister and my parents. On occasion we are asked to perform errands for God. We have been known as many things here on earth. Some call us gods, which we strive to correct, some call us demi-gods others half-gods; these are closer to what we are, often we are called angels, muses, saints, well the list does get rather lengthy. Like vampires, we are immortal but unlike vampires, which can be killed and can actually crumble as dust due to extreme age, we cannot die and are truly immortal."**

"**Where vampires have photographic memories and never forget anything their mind encounters, like a computer that saves everything, cataloged away in files and hard drives; our minds not only do that, but we also have inner access to new information, kind of like taking that computer and hooking it up to the internet. Vampires need blood, indeed crave human blood to survive, we can exist on very little sustenance and it can be any type of food that any living thing uses because our bodies can change it to be what we need. Another important distinction is that vampires, as a general rule, serve the 'Forces of Darkness' where as we do not."**

**He looked around the room at each of us. I was starting to get a little nervous at his last comment and his gentle smile returned me to a state of ease. "Typically there are 'Forces of Darkness' and 'Forces of Light' in the world around us. Usually a balance of power keeps things in check but the powers of evil have always been aggressive in trying to subvert the souls of men to do their bidding. They do this to gain a greater hold in your dimension and reality. The problem is that the 'Forces of Darkness' found a way to cross the threshold and have been at work to change the reality of the world as you know it. Here in your reality, there are not suppose to be vampires and werewolves and such and it has thrown the balance of good and evil out of whack. The world cannot support an imbalance of power. It reacts violently to purge the world of offenders and the innocent alike. An example of which would be the great flood."**

"**We were on an errand as previously mentioned about five hundred years ago to find out how to subvert the growing hold of the 'Powers of Darkness' and I was called here to the Sun Temple by Conori, the Queen of the Amazons to save the lives of Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri, who had just returned from their purification rituals and who had all but given their lives to protect the lives of their families and to protect the sacred writings and relics of their people. Their hearts were pure and good and their people were being oppressed by the Europeans whose hearts had been subverted by lust and greed to serve the 'Forces of Darkness'." **

"**It was here that I realized it might be time for a change in tactics. These three brave women warriors were gone and it was impossible to call them back. Yes, their hearts were still barely beating and a small part of their souls lingered, but most of their souls had left beyond the veil. It took everything I had to keep with me that which I could call back. I had about one-third of each and I housed their combined spirit in the inner chamber of the Moon Temple for three days while I prepared their bodies to receive them again."**

"**I gathered up the needed plant and animal toxins to prepare to change the bodies of these three noble women into creatures of darkness; knowing that I did so giving them a purpose and a mission that would keep them on the side of good in the struggle for the balance of power. When their bodies were ready, I took up their souls and placed them back into their bodies where they could perform separately but most successfully together." He directed his next words directly to our Amazon hosts. "Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri, you have been true to your mission in preparing and teaching the Amazon women for the struggle of keeping their heritage pure from outsiders. You have also lived by the code of the hunter with which I charged you--to only hunt those who sought to destroy the lives of your people. I commend you for that." Samon seemed to pause briefly and then continued speaking to the three warriors, "While we are talking about your hunting charge, may I mention that there is some Brazilian and Columbian Drug Lords that are starting to get strongholds here in the Amazon? You may need to look into that to take care of your nutritional needs."**

**I was getting confused again. First he said vampires were bad, and then he said he created Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri and now he was telling them who to eat next? I looked over at Edward. He looked deep in thought. When he saw me turned towards him he took his finger and rubbed out the little crease between my eyebrows. I glanced around at my family and found similar expressions on their faces as well. **_**'Was this a good thing for us or a bad thing?'**_

"**Well about three hundred fifty years ago it was becoming clear that something was going to have to be done to restore the balance and we were taking mental tabs on all of the vampire and werewolves in the world to see: 1--Where they were and 2--What they were doing. We were trying to decide whether the balance of power would best be served by either continuing to let them kill each other off or if we needed to take a hand in the matter--again. You can imagine our surprise when we happened across Carlisle living in Volterra--the heart of the vampire stronghold, hunting animals and presenting our cause for us. It did not surprise us that he was unsuccessful in his quest to change their ways. But we were thrilled that they did not change him! We decided to follow Carlisle for a time and get a better feel for the kind of individual he was. We watched him as he took up his studies in medicine and music; we watched as he struggled with and completely mastered his thirst for human blood without ever once taking a human life. We had never seen anything like him before. Not only this, he went on to save countless lives using his great stores of medical knowledge, his quick and astute vampire senses and his unparalleled compassion." Samon stopped for a minute letting his words sink in before continuing.**

**I could just imagine what these demi-gods must have thought watching Carlisle work out his existence. I remembered in a dim memory of mine, talking to him about souls and his hope that there was a purpose for this family's existence. I remembered thinking that night that I couldn't think of anyone who wouldn't be impressed with Carlisle, deity included. I felt a little satisfaction at knowing he had caught the attention of just such individuals. Samon seemed to be smiling slightly, nodding his head and looking around. **

**He startled me when he looked right at me and said, "Yes Isabella, THAT is exactly what we thought as well!" With a start I realized he had just read my mind. Edward gave me a sharp look. Apparently he had just realized the same. "Well, let me stop for just a moment and explain something. Edward, can you hear my thoughts right now?"**

**I was somewhat surprised when Edward shook his head, "No, nothing."**

**Samon continued, "Nor can he hear anyone else right now." Edward shook his head confirming Samon's statement. "So, if everyone could please stop sending him mental comments because the only one hearing them is me."**

**Edward spoke up then, "So you can hear everyone including Bella?" He asked somewhat taken aback.**

**Samon laughed softly, "Edward, Isabella isn't the only one who knows how to work a mental shield. Who do you think gave it to her? I gasped in response.**

"**You did?" I breathed.**

"**No, not me, it was my sister Chandra. But what one of us does, we all are a part of. If I were to go back to the computer/internet analogy, it would be as if we're on internal chat all the time." **

**He looked at Edward with amusement as he continued, "And we get all the frequencies AM and FM." I was somewhat startled as he eluded to a conversation I had with Edward while driving home from Port Angeles just minutes before telling him I knew he was a vampire." Edward had a wide smile spreading across his face rapidly. I thought he was rather enjoying this most unusual conversation with the being Samon.**

"**Now, then back to my story; Isabella was remembering a thought she had about Carlisle one night while at their home while being stitched up because someone," He glanced at Edward, "threw her into a table of crystal plates," then he turned his penetrating gaze to Jasper, "to stop someone from making a meal of her." He blinked his eyes and shook his head sighing. "Isabella, why don't you share with us the thought you had that night while Carlisle stitched you up?"**

"**Uh, well I don't remember the exact conversation because it's a little fuzzy for me." I stammered as I felt everyone's gaze fall on me.**

"**I can help you with that." Samon said. As soon as he spoke the words, the entire evening came back to me with perfect clarity. I didn't need to give the entire conversation so I honed in on the part that mattered.**

"**Well, Carlisle told me that **_**'…never in the nearly four hundred years now since [he] was born, [had he] ever seen anything to make [him] doubt whether God exists in some form or the other. Not even the reflection in the mirror. [He was] sure all this sounded a little bizarre, coming from a vampire. But [he's was still] hoping there was a point to this life, even for us.'**_** He said that he knew it was a long shot, because by all accounts we were damned regardless. **_**'But [he hoped] maybe foolishly, that we'd get some measure of credit for trying.'**_** Then I told him that I didn't think it was foolish and I didn't think anyone else would either."**

**Apparently, I had not said the part he was after in my newly enhanced memory of the conversation over four years ago, because Samon prompted me, "And what was it you thought as you said those words?"**

"**That I couldn't imagine anyone, deity included, who wouldn't be impressed by Carlisle." I added realizing this is what he was really after. Samon was nodding his head thoughtfully.**

"**Well Isabella, we were watching and we were impressed. We observed Carlisle as he came to America and became even more human. We watched as the loneliness of his existence consumed him and he looked for others like him to no avail. It was about this time that we got additional instructions for our 'errand'. We had been 'uploading' information, to keep our computer analogy going, of our discoveries and what Isabella so astutely perceived was absolutely correct, it would seem as though not only were we impressed by the good doctor, but deity was as well. Our new message instructed us that with Carlisle Cullen's aid, we would turn the 'Forces of Darkness' against them by turning their creations into 'Agents of Light' instead of 'Agents of Darkness'. **

**Now, the four of us had different tasks to fulfill inside the main assignment. I have no desire to steal Chandra's story away from her tomorrow, but I will say, that knowing vampires could possess certain enhancements and realizing that these could be crucial tools to help in our end game, we started looking for a few select individuals who would be best to help Carlisle with this somewhat dangerous task of being 'Agents of Light' while walking in the world of darkness. We needed a group, a family, that could be held as a standard for other vampires to strive to be like while, at the same time, providing them to opportunities to interact in the world of mortals thus helping them maintain their humanity and also allowing Dr. Cullen opportunities to further help in the advancement of medicine and saving of lives." **

"**We were hand selected?" Rosalie asked in a hushed whisper. There was disbelief in her voice.**

"**Absolutely Rosalie," Samon said with an understated fervor. "There are no accidents or coincidences."**

"**We found the people that we knew would be best suited for the assignments and followed you through your human lives. We knew that Carlisle, being the moral man that he was, would never consider changing someone who had a chance at life, so we made a special effort to confine our search to those whom fate would shorten the life span of for our final selections." As he said this my family looked at each other in stunned amazement. **

**Samon looked fondly at Carlisle, "Do you ever feel like your family was hand selected just for you?"**

"**Frequently," Was all that my wonderful father-in-law could get out. **

"**Well, Dear Carlisle, make no mistake, it was; especially your dear wife, Esme. We knew that you needed and deserved someone who could hold all of your ideals close to her heart and keep your family of strong-minded individuals close-knit and a cohesive unit to help not just you but your entire family fulfill your collective destiny."**

**Next Samon turned to Edward and answered a thought he must have left unvoiced. "No Edward, you're thinking that Bella wouldn't be a vampire if she'd never met you. That is true, but not what you assume for her alternative. If Bella had never met you she would have been killed by one of two ways. Either by being attacked by the human monster and his cohorts in Port Angeles or she would have been attacked by James, Victoria and Laurent. I know that you've always thought that if she had not been with you and your family that night in the ball field that they would have never found her but that is not true. If you had not been there, they would have found her anyway in the woods behind her house by herself and with no one to protect her. I have to be careful what I say to you about yours and Bella's story because as I said before, my sister Chandra will be meeting with you tomorrow and I will not steal her tale from her. But I will say this to you. Bella was hand selected for you, you were destined to be together, she was meant to be a vampire, and most important of all, you have to understand that you are fulfilling a greater destiny. There is no vengeful harpy Edward, and Chandra does tend to take issue, after all of the hard work she has done to bring the two of you together, with being referred to a 'Reckless Angel'.**

**Edward looked startled. I had no idea what the' harpy' and 'angel' comments were all about but I suddenly felt worried for him. Edward wasn't often at such a loss for words but he was now. Suddenly he smiled at me and grabbed me into a tight embrace and kissed me fiercely. After a minute, he pulled his face away from mine but didn't release me. Renesmee squirmed in between us to get into the hug as well. Edward obliged her setting her half on each of our laps and kissed the top of her head without releasing me from his embrace.**

**You know," Samon began again, shifting his gaze back to include everyone. "I have so many things to tell all of you, but I think, I would like to change the way I go about it. Because my dear Cullens and I might add Jacob Black and Nahuel and Leah Clearwater—I have another part of my assignment today. A part that I am very excited about. I have been instructed to share with each of you, except for Bella and Edward, who will get theirs tomorrow, a special gift that will in some way help you to reach your full potential. **

**At this news we all heard Emmett say quietly but enthusiastically to Rose, sitting next to him, "Did he just say we get presents?" **


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen  
Presents

Carlisle's POV

**There were so many different emotions and thoughts that vied for center stage in my mind just then that it was a struggle simply to hold still. I believed the dominant emotion that came through everything was joy. Joy that my hopes in 'trying' to overcome what we were and knowing it had truly made difference! That my family and I had been right to work so hard to repress our natural thirst for human blood; and our effort hadn't been in vain.**

**It was beyond a compliment to hear my newest daughter Bella thought so highly of me, to considered my attempts at humanity something that even deity would be impressed by, but for her assessment to actually be the truth. That shook me to my core. Angels had been 'instructed' to **_**give**_** me my family. A hope and happiness swelled within me from deep inside my very core. The emotion was so fierce it was almost overwhelming. I looked over at my first son Edward as he sat with his beautiful Bella, who had changed his life so profoundly for the better that clearly it was meant to be; his arms around her and their beautiful little miracle, MY granddaughter, Renesmee. If I could've cried I would've…tears of joy**_**. I remembered Edward's mother, so very sick and weak, experiencing her last moments on this earth, as she looked up at me with such intensity in her deep green eyes and with a command in her voice that belied the gravity of her condition despite the hoarse whisper it was issued through.**_

"_**Save him!" Her words echo once more through the chambers of my mind with crystal clarity. "You must. You must do everything in YOUR power. What others cannot do, that is what you must do for my Edward."**_

**Did she know? Or was she prompted by someone who DID know. **

_**I thought of my dearest Esme and the pain she endured that all but undid her in her human life, her parents had passed away, her husband had been killed while out cavorting with a lover the night after she'd finally left him; left him to protect her unborn child from his vile temper and the injury that temper produced. Then the final straw, her precious little one was taken from her leaving her empty and alone; without hope.**_** But she had been my hope. She had been my happiness. She had been my heart and my home. She HAD to be handpicked for me. I couldn't imagine anyone else in her place. She was my soul mate. I looked into her eyes and was undone as another wave of extreme love for her washed over me and I crushed her to me.**

**Samon started to speak and I pulled back from my embrace but kissed my beautiful wife quickly before I returned my attention to our host. He had walked over by Emmett and Rosalie, putting his hand on Emmett's shoulder. **_**I was reminded of the night Rosalie had come, bursting through the door of our home in Appalachia, Emmett bleeding profusely in her arms. She wasn't breathing.**_

"_**Help him, please Carlisle" she had begged. Her voice was full of panic and dread but something more. Had she known he would be her soul mate? "Please change him. Quickly, before it's too late. I was afraid too. I'm not strong enough. Please." She had looked into my eyes with such intensity…she must have known, at least subconsciously.**_** As I thought of Emmett in our home I was again amazed at the humor and color we'd enjoyed with his addition. He had become a protector for us without question a number of times, as I was sure he'd always fill that role. He had been a good husband, and a good brother. He had been a good son to me. Yes, there was no question in my mind he was handpicked for Rosalie and for all of us.**

"**Emmett," Samon began as Emmett rose to meet him, "I know you are a man who loves adventure but you don't really need any help with that." There was quiet laughter from throughout the room in response. **

"**So, I would like to present you with a little token of my thanks for your assistance in 'activating' our Morning Sun Star Sapphire." There appeared in Samon's free hand two large gem; one, a beautifully cut diamond, I estimated to be over 3,000 carats in size; the other one a somewhat smaller brownish gem I couldn't identify. However, it was still easily over 200 carats. Emmett's eyes grew in size practically proportionately to the size of the 'gifts' Samon had for him. A collective gasp sounded around the room.**

"**We really appreciate you making sure our keys were kept 'safe' from spiders and what not and that you took pains to make sure it was returned so promptly, so this diamond has been fashioned with you in mind. Enjoy it whenever you want to remember your little 'treasure hunt adventure' of yesterday. Emmett took the diamond that was bigger than a large softball. **

"**Thank you Samon." He breathed while his eyes twinkled as much as the diamond. "I know just where I'll put this!" He declared.**

"**So do I," Samon replied grinning back at him. Of course, everyone laughed at that again. Samon certainly had a sense of humor.**

**Then Samon looked at the remaining brown gem in his hand. It was considerably smaller but still easily the size of the smaller emerald used already today. "You have a beautiful lady there Emmett." He glanced for a second at Rose, who smiled, enhancing the effect.**

"**Yes that I do." Emmett was still bursting with excitement. He nodded his head in agreement.**

"**A rare gem of a woman; one who needs extra care and attention…"**

"**Ain't that the truth!" Emmett interjected with a smirk. The remark, though said in good humor made Rose feel bad. I could see it from where I sat. Her gaze lowered a little. That usually didn't happen with Rosalie. She usually responded with anger to his quips. Samon got a slightly pained expression on his face. **

"**As I was going to say, one who needs extra care and attention given BEFORE you say some of the things you say to her."**

"**Oh," Emmett responded more quietly now. He looked down at Rose who still looked somewhat downcast. Well Samon was right about that. Emmett could use a little work in the 'tact department'.**

"**That is why I have here another rare gem. Just like Rosalie. This stone is called Painite and it is the rarest of all gem stones in the world. There have only been three others in the world ever found and this one is NOT one of those three smaller specimens. I know you wanted to give my emerald to Rosalie, but this is better for her and I want you to make it into jewelry for her to enjoy wearing AND for you to see so you can remember you have something no one else does, and she is a rare treasure to be treated as such."**

**Samon put the gem into Emmett's hand. "Thank you Samon," He said; surprising me with the sudden fervor in his deep bass voice. "For the gem and the advice, both of which are…well…priceless."**

**Rosalie looked up and her smile had reappeared. I needed to think more on that conversation a little bit. It seemed like my daughter had a softer spot in there than I'd originally realized. **

'_**Of course, Esme has always seen it in Rosalie.'**_** I thought as I looked into Rose's sparkling eyes as she gazed up at Emmett and Samon. I was a little alarmed when she suddenly froze in place and her eyes got a glassy cast to them. **

"**You need to treat this woman with a little more care…which is why she wouldn't understand about the second half of your present." Samon explained. Emmett got a confused look in his eyes and then he followed Samon's gaze as it shifted to Rosalie. He gasped. **

"**She's fine," Samon reassured us. "But now would not be the time for her to see this. So I'll bring her back in a minute." With that, Samon brought out a burlap bag and handed it to Emmett. "It's for your…umm…collection." Samon hadn't been looking for the correct word. He was humoring Emmett.**

"**What is it?" Emmet asked eagerly taking the bag from him.**

"**Well, bring it out and let's all take a look…only carefully." Samon encouraged him.**

**Emmett dropped his hand down inside the bag and quickly but gently brought out an egg. It was a rather large egg; much larger than I would have imagined. I thought back to the size of an ostrich egg—six inches long—five inches across—4 lbs. I assessed the one in Emmett's hand and it was a good 4 inches bigger in every direction and looked to weigh at least 8 lbs. The shell looked very thick, rugged, grey leathery texture to its shell.**

"**Cool!" Emmett breathed! "What is it?"**

"**It's a little surprise for your collection. Make sure you keep it dry and warm. When you get back home, you may need a heat lamp. Just do me a favor and when Rosalie finds out about it, don't mention my name." His face took on a mock 'pained' look. Everyone chuckled quietly. It got silent as Emmett continued to look at Samon nodding. Suddenly he was grinning from ear to ear.**

"**That's perfect! Thank you Samon, really!" Apparently Samon had an added silent comment for Emmett, perhaps in reference to Rosalie and the egg. After putting the egg back in the burlap sack, he looked around and spied Nessie sitting with her parents. He was suddenly before her and added, "Nessie, since you're warmer than me will you mind holding this in your lap for now until we get back to the palace." She nodded her head in excitement. "Good. Keep it safe." He was back in his place in a flash and the next thing I knew Rosalie was 'back' as well, looking up at the two of them.**

"**Rosalie" Samon said, shifting his attention to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. She stood in response and Emmett sat back down. "It is such an honor to meet you in person. Do you know I have watched you grow from when you were a little girl?" Rosalie shook her head in surprise. "Well, I have, of course, along with my family. We knew about the violent and tragic events that necessitated your transformation. We were so full of rage at Royce King the Second, his so called friends, especially the ruffian from Georgia, John Tarver. We knew their attack on you was going to happen but we are bound by rules and could not change their actions. We could only work, through Carlisle, to change you afterwards."**

_**I thought back to that night when I was walking home after working my shift at the local hospital. I smelled fresh human blood two blocks over and as it was dark enough, I'd raced to the scene in seconds. There lay Rosalie practically unconscious; her dress ripped to shreds and bleeding everywhere. She had been among other things brutally beaten; they had even pulled some of the hair right out of her head. I was frantic to save her but she was starting to go into hypothermia, having been exposed to the elements too long. Her heart beat was slowing by the minute. It wasn't working, so I had gathered her in my arms and raced home with her to do the only thing left me.**_** It was impulsive and yes, I was thinking of Edward in the back of my mind. But she had been quite an addition to my family. However, it had been hard for her and she was the one I'd questioned myself the most over—the facilitation of her transformation. It was so difficult for her, filled with such anger and rage for the one that had betrayed her and later sadness for what was left to her in this half-life. That was why I could not deny her when she brought Emmett to me that night. I'd owed her at least that. **

"**You are a beautiful woman Rosalie. This beauty is your strength, your gift, and as you found out that terrible night from another lifetime, your curse." Samon spoke to her softly and gently. His voice and his face showed his compassion and care for my daughter. "Beauty is a two-edged sword. It can bring the world to you, but it can keep the world from you—at least from the real you. There is only one way you can use your beauty to bring others to you for the right reason; to bring them to you because of who you are and not because of your appearance. The only way for you to enhance your natural beauty is to cultivate your inner-beauty. The problem is there is so much residual hatred inside of you warring over the grievous wrongs you suffered that night so long ago, it has cemented in your brain, that we're concerned it may become permanent. We had hoped bringing Emmett into your life would heal that damage and while it has certainly helped to close the wounds, they're still there. Renesmee has brought even more closure to you. But there is still a piece of you that has been held back, still angry and hurting. Almost like a poison keeps reemerging. So Rosalie, if you will accept it, our gift to you is two-fold. First, we would like to erase completely from your mind, all of the regrettable events in your past life regarding that despicable man, Mr. Royce King the second. So you can finally let go of that poison is keeping you from truly being happy. We know this is drastic, and we would never consider doing so without your approval, but we feel it may be the only way to completely eradicate it--So you can become whole again. What do you think of this proposal?"**

**Rosalie looked stunned. Clearly she was not expecting this kind of an offer. I wondered what she would decide to do. I saw the wisdom of his words from a psychological point of view; a vampire's mind never forgets that what it chooses to remember upon our re-awakening. It becomes carved into the stone of our brains etched for eternity. I also knew this choice would be hard for Rosalie; having a part of her life's memory erased.**

"**You mean, I won't remember my engagement, or my death?" She was uncertain.**

"**You will remember you were once engaged to someone but that your intended died. This will not make you sad in any way. You will also remember you died but not be able to remember the details anymore and it won't be much of a concern for you." Samon answered her slowly, giving her time to process all of the information. He was doing something I'd seen Edward do, when he listened to someone's thoughts and worked with what an individual thought without speaking. "You will remember all of the important things in your life; in fact, quite a bit better than now. It will still be blurry and indistinct but they will replace your traumatic experience in your human memories, so they will be happier memories in any case."**

**Rosalie looked at Emmett. Emmett looked at her and said, "Hey Babe, when it's time to clean house. You just gotta get it done." He grinned at her and shrugged his shoulders.**

"**What do you know about house cleaning?" She offered back, but she was nervous. Emmett held her hand and gave it a little squeeze.**

"**You still get me…The Grand Prize. How can you go wrong?" He spoke casually as was his manner, as he tried to encourage her. I thought Samon and Emmett were right. This might be the best way to help her overcome this injury once and for all. Apparently, Rose had decided too.**

"**Well, alright then. Maybe you're right and it would be better this way." Rosalie said with a small nod of her head as she steeled herself for some kind of pain. Samon took his hand from off her shoulder and placed it on her forehead, closing her eyes at the same time. After two minutes and thirteen seconds, he removed his hand and Rosalie opened her eyes. She smiled and looked around at everyone. Then she looked back at Samon and a confused look came into her eyes. "I'm sorry," She almost stammered. "What was my gift again?"**

"**Well, you remember I was telling you about inner beauty?" Rosalie nodded as Samon spoke to her. "And I was telling you the only way to further enhance your beauty would be to cultivate even more inner beauty. So I haven't actually gotten to your gift yet. It is something I was hoping you could work on with Esme. It involves caring for children and it would be right up your alley." Now Rosalie was positively happy. "So if you don't mind, I'll come back to you with that when I get to Esme?" He asked with a smile in his voice.**

"**Oh certainly," Rosalie said as she sat down and cuddled into Emmett's embrace. Well apparently seemed to have worked rather well and painlessly. It would be an amazing gift to use in just such instances of trauma. Hmmm.**

**Next Samon came to Jasper and as he called his name, Jasper stood up and shook his hand. Samon obliged him but as with Emmett and Rose put his hand on his shoulder as well. "Jasper, you are a unique individual. We were watching Carlisle's little family grow but we saw you over there in Mexico and knew Maria was getting way to powerful. We also knew of your gift and how it was literally destroying you by being in such a toxic environment all the time. We were convinced if we could get you over to Carlisle, with his help, you could recover from the degraded state you were in. But how to get you from Mexico to the upper reaches of the Northern Rockies. THAT was the question!" **

"**First we helped Peter fall in love with Charlotte and leave so they could escape from Maria and find out about living away from the mayhem. That was when we realized we could use Alice's gift and let her look in on you. You of course, know her vision usually only works with what someone has already decided to do. And in this case, you hadn't decided anything yet…and Alice didn't know you either. So we added a few temporary enhancements to her vision to see you from time to time, so she would know her destiny was with you and where to find you. Then we did it a second time to let her see the two of you going to find Carlisle's family. Well, actually we gave her several visions of you and the Cullens to keep her going during her years alone. By the time she'd finally met up with you she was already in love with you and very eager to take you with her to meet your new family. To get you away from Maria and up to find Alice in Philadelphia, we made sure Peter and Charlotte came back for you and that they were able to convince you to leave with them." **

"**We knew if we could get you to Alice, she would take over from there and everything would work out." Jasper and Alice shared a look of wonderment. Jasper found his voice as his eyes shifted back to Samon.**

"**How did you know Alice and I would even be compatible? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did. You were right. I've said time and time again that Alice HAS made all the difference in my life. But really how did you know she would?"**

**Samon chuckled. "When you've been around for as long as my siblings and I have, you get very good at seeing how personalities work and interwork with each other. It's really rather simple. Well, usually it's simple anyway." He added riley with a glance in Edward and Bella's direction. **

"**I've always thought it was a little bizarre how I was able to get away from Maria, find Alice, and with her vision, our new family almost effortlessly."Jasper mused. "I guess it wasn't all just incredibly good luck after all!"**

"**That depends on how you look at it Jasper." Samon said warmly. "We thought it was incredibly good luck for all of us. We knew deep inside, your humanity was there struggling to survive and we wanted you on our side." Jasper sighed and smiled back at him. "So about this present for Jasper Whitlock; my brothers and sister and I were thinking we really liked your gift but there is something that would make it MUCH better." **

"**Currently you can affect someone's mood for while you're with them but as soon as you leave whatever was troubling them before affects their mood again. You can't be expected to be around someone 24/7 when they needs an emotional boost so we decided for your gift, we would make your emotional influence last a little longer. And please, concentrate on working with good feelings unless you have a really good reason to do otherwise." **

**Emmett laughed but when no one else did he shut up abruptly and mouthed **_**'sorry.'**_

**Samon grinned and continued, "Of course, you will need to work with it a bit to perfect the enhancement. At first, the mood should last for a good ten minutes after you leave. The more you concentrate and train yourself; it will last for a longer period of time. It could have the potential of even becoming permanent, if it was a feeling the recipient desired to cultivate or retain."**

"**That would be amazing." Jasper said with satisfaction. "It could really benefit people." he added thoughtfully. **

"**It really could," Samon continued, "But that isn't all. We have been so impressed with the extra control you have been showing around humans lately. Charlie Swan for example not to mention Bella during her pregnancy when her liquid diet left the scent of human blood thick inside the house you were basically trapped inside of. And we know you're getting better with this all the time. So as a 'thank you' for that valiant effort on your part, we will also enhance your gift so when you are around someone who is having negative emotions, while you will be able to read them and know what that individual is feeling, you will not be affected by those feelings. This way you can help alleviate the bad in others without being drained of your own piece of mind."**

"**Thank you," Jasper said with real feeling this time. He gave Samon a hug, a rare display for him. Then Samon put his arm on Alice's shoulder and she stood as Jasper sat down.**

"**Mary Alice Brandon," Samon began. His eyes were practically sparkling as he spoke her name. "Do you know you are one of my most favorite people?"**

"**Really?" She said with amazed excitement.**

"…**Without question. It would seem no matter what life throws at you, you turn it around for the better. Plus, you have a great enthusiasm for life." Samon's voice then took on a more solemn tone. "I was quite distraught with the way things progressed in your human life. It was so bad we had to erase your memory during your transformation to keep you from hunting your family upon your rebirth. And a lot of it really wasn't their fault. You had visions all the time and the doctors of that day had your parents practically convinced there was no chance to stop them except for shock treatments and the responsible thing to do was to admitting you to the asylum. There was just so much misinformation in the 1930's regarding mental health."**

"**It was dusk when your parents were driving you home from the doctor consult and as you drove by the park with the car windows down, you saw James, Victoria and Laurent, there hanging out. You pointed out the window at them and simply said 'vampires'. That was all it took for James' hunt to begin. It was also all it took to push your parents into agreeing with the doctors and the next morning you were admitted. That morning they took you crying from your house and signed the papers for your treatments to begin. You nearly died during your first shock treatment that first day. The doctors didn't have a clue what they were doing; terribly incompetent." **

**I cringed to think of my daughter Alice terrified as a young woman being taken from her home and committed. I wondered how her parents had felt about it? **

"**It was on that first night Cornelius, a strangely kind older vampire, who worked at Sunnyland Asylum's evening shift saw you crying, half-conscious from being practically electrocuted to death, befriended you. That happened just a few hours before James came to call. Cornelius hid you from them but seeing James was not alone and you were still not coherent, he bit you to keep you safe from James' grasp. He stayed with you for a day and a half before James found him and he and his companions disposed of poor Cornelius in a fit of rage."**

**It was quiet in the room. I was thinking of our vibrant Alice and marveled she was able to come through such an ordeal and be ours today. **_**I remembered the day she and Jasper showed up at our home in Montana. Edward and Emmett were out hunting. The door bell rang and there they were. Jasper covered in crescent scars and sporting dark crimson eyes and little Alice smiling excitedly and calling us each by name. She was already a part of our family in her mind; we just had to catch up to where she already was. That, and Edward had to relocate his belongings from the garage to a room off the attic.**_

"_**Hello Esme and Carlisle." She had said startling us with the intensity of her enthusiasm. It was immediately replaced by a calming peace as she walked past us at the door and into the house, towing Jasper by the hand. "Or should I call you Mom and Dad?"**_

_**When I found my voice, I responded, "Well, you seem to know us. But who are you?"**_

_**She looked up at me with her already golden eyes and said, "I am Alice—your new daughter and this is Jasper, the man I love." She added placing a hand on his chest. Rosalie had come down the stairs to see what was going on at the mention of a 'new daughter'. When Alice spied her she gasped in wonder. "Oh Rosalie, my vision didn't do you justice. You're even more beautiful in person." And just like that, they were sisters. Alice had looked around "But where are Edward and Emmett?" She asked as her eyes got kind of a glazed look to them.**_

"_**There not here." Esme said somewhat hesitantly.**_

"_**No, they're still out hunting." Alice responded and turned to Jasper. "We will have to wait another four hours and thirty three minutes to meet them. Well, that should give us just enough time to get settled. I know just which room is going to be ours, but we'll have to move Edward's stuff out to the garage."**_

"_**I can help with that!" Rosalie chimed in, a wicked smirk on her face. I remembered thinking it seemed we had just acquired a psychic and a warrior and quite possible a little bedroom war when Edward returned. Then when Edward had returned and gone to his room with a puzzled expression on his face. He'd stood in the bedroom doorway to stunned to speak, apparently Alice was busily holding an entire one way conversation with him mentally because after a good five minutes of silence, she said to him, "You don't mind do you? I mean Emmett's lots of fun but you're my favorite brother. Plus I did see a vision you wouldn't mind taking the extra room in the attic."**_

_**I thought he was going to growl and the war would commence, but instead he said, "Do that again." Apparently, Alice was running through the vision in her head of Edward in his new room happily listening to his 'then new' old fashioned radio. "That is fascinating. Can you run through the ones you've had with us in them?" He added with intensity.**_

"_**Sure." Then it was quiet again. After a few more minutes, Rosalie brought Emmett into the room and Alice jumped up and gave him a hug, startling him by yelling, "Emmett, you big bear you!" And in that moment, they were ours.**_

**Yes, when I think of her, and Jasper as well, I saw how easily they had added life and experience to our family. They were handpicked for us.**

"**Well Alice." Samon continued, "I know how hard it has been for you for some time now because your visions have been erratic due to the close proximity to Renesmee and Jacob and the wolf pack and in another generation there will be another variety of sub-species to worry about. Well, I think maybe we can do something about that." Alice's eyebrows shot up in anticipation. "We want you to get to spend quality time with Renesmee and we know if you're not feeling like yourself it isn't as enjoyable for you. And Bella does need to spend the majority of her time with Renesmee teaching her. I need you to take a more active role in that instruction as well. So we are going to give you the mental tools that will enable you to see things in the future you need regardless of whom ever is around you." **

**Alice started jumping up and down very quickly, with her feet only leaving the floor by 6 inches and clapping her hands. It was quite comical as Samon, who was a good foot and a half taller than her, still had his hand on her shoulder, and the effect looked very much like a basket ball star dribbling someone instead of a ball. It made everyone laugh, Samon included. When she finally stopped, Samon was grinning from ear to ear, shaking his head in amusement, "Like I said, one of my favorite people."**

"**Anyway, this enhancement, like Jasper's, will need your patience and practice. The more you are around other species, the better your familiarity to them will be and the more you practice 'seeing' around them, the clearer they will become." Alice nodded her head in acknowledgement. "And continue to be patient with Bella and all the time she spends with her daughter. She will only be little for about two and a half more years before she goes into the 'terrible teens' and who knows what could happen then. There could be guys jumping in and out of her windows at night, death-defying stunts on motorcycles and cliff tops, pretend slumber parties and shopping trips…the list could just go on and on." Samon cast a sly glance in Bella's direction. Everyone followed it to get a classic Bella grimace before she ducked her head into Edward's shoulder and the room erupted into quiet laughter.**

"**I need you to teach Renesmee how you orchestrate things; from weddings to parties to fashion design. What I need for her to learn from you is how you organize and plan things and if you were to throw in a few foreign language and science lessons in there, it wouldn't hurt either. Oh, and speaking of Renesmee, there is one other thing I would like to give to you." In his free hand was now a smooth, clear white stone, oval in shape and one that fit easily in Alice's small cupped hand. "Do you remember earlier in the inner chamber when she was reciting from the Chronicles of Akakor?" Alice nodded looking from the stone in her hand back up to meet his gaze. "Well, she read in there about our magic stones?"**

**Alice smiled in response and recited from memory, "They had magic stones to look into the distance so they could see cities, rivers, hills, and lakes. Whatever happened on earth or in the sky was reflected in the stones."**

**Samon's grin became wide again and the sparkle in his eyes matched her own. "Yes Alice, This is one of those stones."**

***

**Well this had been interesting to say the least; Emmett had an egg; not to mention gems worth an unfathomable amount of money. I wondered idly how he planned to declare all of his 'acquisitions' at the customs counter going home. I shook my head and mused to myself that Charlie thought he had it bad with his 'Need to Know' mantra. If he knew the things I had to turn a 'blind eye' too, he'd have to turn in his badge. Alice had an ancient 'seer stone' of some sort that didn't look into the future but allowed her to see anywhere what was happening at that moment. Not to mention Rosalie had her memory altered, and Jasper and Alice received 'enhancements' to their natural gifts. This had been a most unexpected turn of events so far. It had me curious as to what in the world could be next?**

**Samon looked around the room, deciding who to approach next. He finally settled on Huilen and Nahuel. They both stood as he approached them. "You know, you two have been together for a long time. Things are going to be different now with Nahuel married and fulfilling his responsibilities as the Jaguar God." He added thoughtfully, "You know that's actually supposed to be the titles of, 'Jaguar King' and 'Wolf Queen', but it's been mistranslated for so long now that in public we will have to go with the other title until after Akakor is restored. Then we can fix it…if you wish." He looked at Nahuel and also Leah who both nodded in the affirmative. **

"**That's what I thought." He added smiling. "Leah, why don't you come up here and join us for Nahuel and Huilen's gift. You know you could think of Huilen as your Mother-In-Law, she has raised Nahuel from birth. She is a lot like his real mother, Pire, Huilen's sister. She was a very kind and loving young girl who was seduced by Joham; a man who preyed upon her innocence. You know Nahuel and Huilen, Pire loves you both so much and Leah, she is so excited to have you for her Nahuel." The three of them exchanged confused looks. Nahuel looked up and spoke.**

"**I'm sorry, Samon, Did you say my mother IS excited about Leah?" Samon nodded his head at Nahuel's bewildered question. "But my mother died. I **_**killed**_** her." He said the last part in a whisper. I cringed at the pain in his voice, knowing this burden had haunted him his whole life.**

"**You didn't kill your mother anymore than Renesmee killed hers" Samon said. "Joham was responsible for your mother's death because he did not act responsibly or morally to save her. He treated her dishonorably from the start and one day he will answer for that, along with all the other women he used." Nahuel looked searchingly into Samon's eyes. "And yet your sweet mother is here now, today, to see you again." I saw both Nahuel and Huilen tremble at his words. This was definitely something I had not been expecting. From the still open door leading into the Inner Chamber, a personage appeared. While it was clearly a 'spirit being' or maybe 'ghost' was the correct term, she was not transparent. She was a slight girl, Indian but light skinned. She had dark straight hair and her eyes were the same shape and shade of dark teak Nahuel's were. She was wearing a simple ivory shaped tunic with a tanned leather looking belt tied at the waist. She had brown sandals on her feet. As she approached them, Huilen gasped and ran to her "Pire?" She cried in almost a whisper. "Is it really you?" She tried to touch her but her hand went straight through.**

"**Yes Huilen, my sister, it is really me. Only, not so much of me is here to touch I'm afraid."**

"**Sorry," Huilen said quietly. Pire laughed in response. **

"**Don't be sorry. I'm fine; never better!" Pire spoke happily. It was rather interesting because when the sisters spoke they were using a language I had never heard, yet I could understand what they said as if it were English.**

"**How are you?" Huilen asked and then before Pire had a chance to answer Huilen continued, "I am so sorry I couldn't save you. I tried. I promise I did**. I really did try,** Pire. I just didn't know what to do. I am so very sorry. I've missed you so much." It was heart wrenching to watch this sister apologize for not having the medical means or knowledge to save her sister from a vampire hybrid delivery. She'd never had a prayer of pulling that one off.**

"**You did your best. That's all you could have done. Do you know how much I love you Huilen? You took such good care of me in the jungle. You saved my 'little jungle cat' and even when he changed you, you didn't abandon him. You taught him to be strong and right from wrong. You have done well and I am so happy you are my sister. I have been watching you and Nahuel. You have raised my son…well, our son, to be a fine man. And what an honor to both of us that he is the long awaited 'Jaguar King'. That is honor enough for me to gladly have given my life for. Now I must meet him." She glided past Huilen who was left smiling in joy at the back of her sister's ghost.**

**As she approached Nahuel, who held Leah's hand firmly in his own, his eyes were swimming with moisture. "Mother?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.**

"**Yes, my jungle cat, it's me. Oh, my sweet baby boy grown into a man. I love you so much. I wish I could hug you. I have waited so long for this moment." Suddenly, her presence became more than a specter. It had more substance to it. She reached her hand out to Nahuel and cupped her hand to the shape of his face.**

"**I can feel your hand." Nahuel said in wonder. "How?"**

"**It is difficult. I'm using energy around me and it will only last for a minute; just enough for this." And then she gently brought him into her arms for the shortest of embraces. He ducked his head into her shoulder and she leaned over and kissed his forehead.**

"**Mother," he breathed. "I love you and I am so sorry you died to give me life, so very, very sorry."**

"**Don't be sad Nahuel. I'm not sorry. Not for one minute. Today is not a day for sadness. Today is a day for joy and happiness--happiness at our reunion and happiness at my chance to meet an even newer addition to our family." She opened up her arm closest to Leah and brought her in to share the embrace. "You are lovely, Leah. Thank you for allowing my son to share your life. You have a strong character and you are fiercely loyal. He will be an even better man with you by his side. I have only seen you for these few short days and only just met you now, but please know I love you." Leah hugged her tighter but the hug was losing its substance. Huilen came to Pire from behind and caught the last seconds of the shared embrace.**

**Pire was fading before them. **

"**Mother?" Nahuel said in a panic, "Mother, I love you too."**

"**I know you do, my Nahuel. I have to go now. I love you Huilen, Leah, and my Nahuel." She was fading almost to invisibility. "I have to go now, but know I am never far away when I am remembered and in your heart." The room was in a shocked state. If my family could have cried we would have. As it was, everyone in the room who could cry was.**

**Samon came up to the three of them where they stood still semi-embracing with a hole in the center where Pire had 'stood'. "Are you alright?" He asked them, his eyes on Nahuel. Nahuel couldn't speak; he just nodded his head once slowly as if he wasn't really sure. Samon came right to them and continued in his quiet loving manner, "Now do you understand, you did not kill your mother and she loves you with all of the love a mother has for her son?" Nahuel looked into Samon's eyes and a small smile spread across his face. "Thank you Samon." He said as Samon opened his arms up to him and added Huilen as well. It was a very emotional moment.**

**When Samon released them he looked at Leah. "And this brings us to you Leah Clearwater." Leah looked a little nervous. I guessed it was for not knowing what was going to come up for her. "We've kind of thrown a lot at you here the last few days. My family appreciates all you have done and agreed to do to help us here in this area to unite the Amazon people." Leah nodded nervously. Samon put his arm on her shoulder as he had done so often today. This seemed to calm her nervousness. "I would like to first of all, officially ask for you, Leah Clearwater, to accept the title of "The Wolf Queen" to the descendents of the people of Akakor. Do you accept?" I wondered for a moment exactly how you could refuse a 'god'?**

"**Yes," Leah answered simply and clearly. Samon smiled at her and she smiled back.**

"**I was very much hoping you would say that. If you had said 'no', then 3000 years of planning would have been really messed up." He added in an off-hand manner, another 'mock' pained look crossing his face. Everyone laughed lightly.**

"**So we have a few gifts for you." Samon continued. We heard a noise as another stone chest seemed to come out of the wall behind her. "I hope you like pink." He added as they turned at the sound of it. "Your wedding present," He explained gesturing for her to go and open it.**

"**Wedding present?" She asked with a puzzled look at Samon. He took her by the hand and led her the few steps to the chest.**

"**Open it up" He added when she made no move to on her own. She finally did so and inside was four linen bags. She lifted the first and Samon took it from her. "Nahuel, these are for your queen. Will you do the honors? Bring them out one at a time." He brought Nahuel over to them. He reached inside and brought out a beautiful Pink Topaz pendant. It was easily thirty carats and hung on a delicate gold chain. Leah sighed and Nahuel put it over her head with approval. Next, he reached in and came out with another pink stone; one much bigger more in keeping with Emmett's diamond. Nahuel looked at it with a question in his eyes.**

**Samon pointed to the wall where two staffs were mounted. "For her scepter" Samon explained. "Bring them both over here." Nahuel did so. They came easily off the wall for him. Samon took the large gem and mounted it quickly inside the beautiful golden staff. He handed it to Leah. "Bring out the other one." He instructed Nahuel. He reached into the bag and brought out another stone, slightly bigger. It was another topaz but many colors ran through it. Samon quickly attached it to the other staff and handed it to Nahuel adding, "They don't call this stuff 'mystic' topaz for nothing." He added with a sparkle in his eyes. That had my curiosity into overdrive. "There is one more item in there for Leah; will you bring it out for her Nahuel?" He said with an even wider smile. Nahuel felt around in the bag for a moment and finally came out with a shining delicate gold ring with a large and brilliantly cut pink topaz in its center. Leah gasped in surprise at the beautiful ring. "It is your engagement ring, Leah. Hand crafted by Nahuel's ancestors, centuries ago, to be given to you this day as his bride. And I might add, it was designed with you in mind. We've made a few modifications to the metal so when you phase into a wolf, the metal in your ring elongates to change with you, and the stone was glued in place with our secret glue that holds the blocks of the pyramids together." Samon turned to Nahuel, "Why don't you do the honors again?"**

**Nahuel got down on one knee and looked up at Leah with so much love on his face that I knew Leah would never be lonely or emotionally hurt again. "Leah Clearwater, I know that I have already asked you to be my wife, but I'll ask again as it seems to keep getting to be a bigger deal all the time. Will you be my wife and my queen? Will you share my life with me and make every day an adventure? There is no one else who can fill your shoes or the place you hold in my heart. I am yours for now and forever. Will you marry me?" **

**Leah swallowed hard and said, "Yes Nahuel I will. I love you and will always--no matter what." Nahuel put the ring on her finger. A perfect fit, naturally. **

**When Nahuel stood up he drew her into his embrace for a kiss. I was surprised to see another figure coming in from the Inner Chamber. It was another 'spirit being'. Bella and Jacob gasped. Their sound caused Leah to look over and see the ghost approach her.**

"**Dad?" she began in shock. "Dad, you're here?" She let go of Nahuel and, as Huilen had done, almost involuntarily moved towards him.**

"**Leah," The spirit sang out as his arms became more solid, just in time for her to enter them. This spirit was an Indian man with short cropped black hair and lines on his face. He was somewhat stout but had very handsome rugged features. He wore a flannel shirt and jeans with cowboy boots. Not something I would have expected a ghost to wear, but what did I know about them?**

"**Leah, I am so proud of you, my little girl, all grown up and getting married, and to none other than 'The Jaguar King'! You've always been my little princess…so it's only fitting you would grow up to be a queen." He leaned in and kissed her hair. **

"**Daddy," She whispered, "It is so good to see you. I have missed you so much!"**

"**I know, believe me I know," He said somewhat sadly. "Let this be a lesson to you. Always listen to your mother. If she tells you to watch your cholesterol, or cut the fat, or whatever, she is ALWAYS right. Here I thought she was being 'bossy' but really she was just trying to save my life. Oh well," He sighed. "But I am here to meet my new son-in-law. Do I understand right, he's going to be a Clearwater?" Leah nodded. "Well, what a fine addition he'll make! The Jaguar King will certainly bring even more honor to the great Clearwater name!" Leah reached out to Nahuel and brought him closer. **

"**Dad, this is Nahuel." Harry's ghost reached out and shook his hand warmly and then changed his mind and gave him a quick hug.**

"**Welcome to our family, Nahuel. You may be half-vampire, but you're running with the wolf pack now, Son." He grinned at him. "And you'll make a much better father than your dad did that's for sure!" He added startling both Leah and Nahuel.**

"**It is an honor to meet you sir." Nahuel added politely. **

**Harry got a pained look to his countenance. "Sir? I was kind of hoping you'd think of me as 'Dad'." **

"**It would be an honor to do that. I have always wanted to have someone to call Dad that deserved it, and now it seems I do."**

"**Good!" He looked around at everyone, nodding, "Bella, Jacob," he said acknowledging them. They waived back smiling. "Well I do have to go but know I'm always around cheering you on. And will you tell Seth how very proud I am of him as well and that I love him." Leah nodded, "And tell your mother I love her and I want her to be happy. Oh, and tell my good friend Charlie Swan, if Sue tells him to eat more green salad, he'd better listen to her. She needs him to stick around for a long time. Will you do that for me Leah sweetie?" He asked as he started to fade away.**

"**Yes Dad," she whispered through her sudden tears, "I will."**

"**Always remember Leah honey, I love you and I'm so proud of you…so very proud!" He was fading much faster.**

"**I love you too, Daddy." She said as he faded from view. It was silent for four minutes and fifteen seconds.**

**Samon then quietly asked Leah to take out the other three bags from the chest. They all contained an assortment of cut gems. Leah looked at him, her eyes full of questions. "What am I suppose to do with all of this?" She asked still quiet from her encounter with her father. **

**Samon gestured to the first one. "I told you this was your gift, and this first bag is for your family. We're kind of 'stealing' you away from them so to speak and it has been an ancient custom here that is done at a price. This is for your mother to help take care of her needs as well as Seth's. I do think college is in his future. The second bag is for you to convert into cash for your travel expenses and your monthly allowance as queen. The third one, you can present jointly with Jacob, the big fine Alpha, to your tribe. It is another form of dowry because you are one of their protectors and we are taking you away from them. But all of the wolves in La Push need to have some kind of schooling and a way to earn a living for their tribe, so be very wise with this. I would recommend after you get it converted to currency you talk to Alice about investing. You can't go wrong with her guidance." He whispered conspiratorially at her, "You know, it's kind of like insider trading." Everyone chuckled at his last remark.**

"**Thank you so much Samon," Leah hugged him quickly, "For everything—especially for my Dad."**

"**You are very welcome Leah," He replied releasing her. "And thank you VERY much for saying 'yes'."**

**Samon turned a little more to his right, "Jacob, how are you doing?" Jacob got up somewhat self-consciously, by this time he had no idea what to expect. Of course none of us did either.**

"**Great." He replied regaining his composure and smiling at Samon. Jacob was the only one present who actually had to cast his gaze down a bit to meet his eyes. Samon's arm rose up four inches to rest up on Jacob's shoulder.**

"**I'm glad to hear it!" Samon enthused. He made a show of taking in how huge Jacob was. It was pretty funny. Then he shook his head and muttered, "It must be an Alpha thing." Everyone laughed louder, especially Jacob.**

"**I don't know if you caught it earlier when I said we needed to act 'again' to fight the vampires who had crossed over into your world. But your tribe is part of the first wave of defense we put into place. We were following them in our spirit forms across the barren straits, through what is now Alaska and down to where your tribe lived with their brother tribes. It was during this time, we were surprised to meet your tribe's then Chief, 'Taha Aki', who was stuck in his spirit form while the vile and traitorous, Utlapa, had stolen his body, his own killed, and was destroying your tribe with his treacherous, power-hungry needs. I met with him and agreed to help him destroy Utlapa if he would in return, help us subvert the vampire plague that I could see would destroy his tribe otherwise. How could he refuse, as his tribe's survival hung in the balance?"**

"**So I made a pact with Taha Aki that night--a pact that included not just the two of us, but his whole tribe for generations to come, and the great wolf my family had bred specifically for this unique union. We let him enter and share the wolf's physical being when he went into the tribe's village to find help. The only one who understood was an elder warrior, Yut, who followed Taha Aki-wolf, away from the camp where he went into his spirit-self, discovered the truth of things and returned to his body just in time to be permanently silenced by Utlapa. Taha Aki was so enraged, he entered the wolf again intending to rip out Utlapa's throat. However, We needed the chief to be stronger than a mere wolf to fulfill the destiny we had agreed on, so as he took to the wolf, the magic expanded and transformed him into a glorious personage. For those watching, the wolf appeared to grow, much larger than a wolf should. Then with an ear piercing howl of rage directed at Utlapa, he started to become more and more human in appearance. His physical being took on the features of his spirit-self. The warriors knew him and who he really was. Utlapa was a dead man as Taha Aki had the strength of man and beast…plus a few handy additions, if I do say so myself." Samon added with a self-congratulatory smirk.**

"**So when the vampires made their way to what is now upper northwestern Washington state, our little surprise was in place and waiting for them." Samon said in satisfaction at the memory. Everything was going pretty good, until seventy four years ago. Carlisle moved his family, of five then, to Hoquiam. This was not good at all. We had set up the wolf-pack as a 'secret weapon' to protect the tribe against bad vampires not to attack our other 'secret weapon' our unknowing, secret agents, the Cullens. Ephraim Black knew when he changed into a wolf it meant his tribe was in extreme danger and a vampire attack was on the horizon. Why don't you tell the story Ephraim?" Samon said looking behind him.**

**To my surprise, I saw the specter of a man I had conversed with over seventy years ago. Ephraim Black wore simple Indian skin clothes, similar to those I recall him wearing that day so long ago. He walked tall and straight and placed a hand on his great-great grandson while nodding once to me. Then he turned to Jacob.**

"**Jacob, I am Ephraim Black. I am your great-great grandfather. I was the alpha of my day, and one day when my pack brothers and myself were patrolling we came across the Cullens who were hunting animals for food. That enough should have told us all we needed to know, but the need to defend against the cold ones was too fierce within us. We knew we were outnumbered but we were the only defense our families had. So we prepared to phase and meet our doom. But we were unable to phase as planned. For some reason the magic failed us, and this permitted Carlisle his chance to speak to us. It was a curious thing as I didn't speak much English, but as he spoke, I understood him in my native tongue. Carlisle explained to us they did not wish to harm us or any human. That caught my attention as our call was to defend human life. He explained they did not want to be monsters and they chose to hunt animals instead of people for their nutritional needs. I could hear the sincerity of his words and his golden amber eyes gave further proof of his humanity. I looked into the eyes of all five of them and could see no deception in them. I was convinced this was the reason we were unable to attack. So we made a treaty with the Cullens and peace was kept."**

**Ephraim looked at his great-great grandson with pride. "You have done well, my son. You are a leader of right. You are an alpha with great honor and courage. You had the strength to unite the Quileutes and the Cullens against evil during the attack of the newborn army. You protected your cousin, Leah, from a deathblow that would have left the entire Amazon Kingdom without their Wolf Queen. Most important of all, you worked to keep Isabella Swan safe when she had no one else to turn to, and then even protected her at the expense of your place in the wolf-pack at LaPush. You chose correctly and wisely that day. You deserved to become the Alpha you were born to be. I know you were in love with her, but even that was necessary to motivate you to action because whenever you acted to protect Isabella you also acted to protect Renesmee."**

**Jacob closed his eyes. I had seen him do this before as he worked to control his temper. "Grandfather, I mean no disrespect, but are you saying you did some kind of 'voodoo' to make me think I was in love with Bella?"**

"**We didn't do voodoo to make you THINK you were in love with her son," Ephraim said coolly, "We did our 'voodoo' so you actually DID fall in love with her."**

**Jacob looked at his ancestor in disbelief. "You meddle more than my Dad does."**

**Ephraim laughed so loud it made us all jump. "Where do you think he learned it from? It's not just an Alpha thing; it's been a defining characteristic of the Black line for a VERY long time! Don't be mad. It was kind of fun watching you use our meddling techniques to perfection giving Edward here," Ephraim nodded his head in Edward's direction, "a run for his money. It was a real soap opera, I'm telling you. But was I ever proud of your tenacity!"**

**Renesmee looked up at her father and asked, "What is he talking about Daddy?"**

"**Later sweetie," He said back to her, his own jaw taut with repressed emotion.**

**Samon jumped in to save a paranormal argument. "No, that wasn't his doing, but he did sanction it. The problem is that getting into this story too much will steal Chandra's story tomorrow. So for now Jacob, just know it was necessary." Samon waived at Ephraim who waved good bye to everyone and disappeared. Then Samon turned back to Jacob and continued, "And you are without a doubt the luckiest wolf in the pack." That seemed to mollify Jacob. He nodded and glanced at Nessie in her parents' arms. The two of them shared a smile.**

"**He is that indeed." A beautiful woman's alto voice, which I had never before heard rang out. All of our heads turned back towards the door as another Indian woman appeared. She was middle aged, but with beautiful features and a regular build for her height of 5'5'' tall. She was dressed in jeans and a button down lavender shirt with sneakers and her long black hair was in a ponytail on her back. She was also a 'specter'.**

**As soon as Jacob saw her is voice was caught in his throat. "Mother?" he choked out. Then he ran to her and picked her up, an interesting thing to do to a ghost. And he spun her around and around.**

"**You know," she said laughing at him. "That doesn't make me dizzy anymore and I could do it myself if I really wanted too!" He put her down and she hugged him lightly. "You have really been full of surprises Son. But you have made me so proud to be your Mom. Do you know that?" She looked up at her 'baby' with such tenderness and love, in a way only a mother could. Jacob shook his head, smiling. Tears were streaming down his face but he appeared to be unaware of them.**

"**Mom," He repeated. He looked around at everyone to share this surreal experience with them. "Mom, my MOM is here!" He was at a loss. He didn't know what to do. He decided on picking her up and spinning her around again. "Mom," He said putting her back down and kissing her cheeks. "I love you so much. I'm sorry I didn't say that to you before you left to go to the store that day, when you were, when you were…" He trailed off, looking into her shining eyes.**

"**I know you do Son, and I'm sorry I had to leave that day, but I was lucky to get to stay for as long as I did. Plus, even though it hasn't seemed like it to you, I've been right here watching. Speaking of which, could you please not call your new family such things as 'bloodsuckers' and 'leeches'. I thought I taught you about manners."**

**Jacob just nodded his head, "Mom." He said**

"**Well, I can see the cat's got your tongue." Jacob's mother said gently then added with a smile, "Why don't you introduce me to our little Renesmee?"**

**At this Nessie started clapping her hands in delight. Jacob came over and took her from Edward and Bella and presented her to his mother.**

"**Nessie, this is my Mom, Sarah Black," Jacob was wiping his tear streaked face with the back of his left hand while cradling Nessie in his right. Renesmee was looking eye level with her. They smiled at each other.**

"**Oh, you are exquisite." Sarah said in a gasp. "I've been peeking in from time to time, but I never got such a good look before." She said to her son. Then back to my granddaughter she continued, "Hello Nessie, I am so happy to meet you. Is he being good to you?" She asked her with a gentle but firm command to her voice."**

**Nessie laughed. "Of course he is--except sometimes he cheats when he takes me hunting." She said very innocently. **

**Sarah raised her eyebrows incredulously at her son's somewhat confused face. "Another trait he gets from the Black side of the family." Everyone laughed at this. "How exactly does he cheat?" She asked Nessie as though they were fellow conspirators.**

"**He says I can get a head start but then he jumps ahead of me and gets there first, then he says he got the biggest one when really I did" She said almost in indignation.**

**Sarah Black looked at her son, "I see," She said in pretend disappointment, "Another lesson to learn. Ladies first and Renesmee is ALWAYS right. If you get that down, then my job here is done." Jacob started to panic.**

"**Don't leave Mom. Please don't go. I'm not ready for you to leave yet." He said**

"**I'm always here with you Jacob. And I am always so proud of you, of the man you've become. You are everything I ever hoped you would be and so much more than I ever dreamed you would be. Make sure you keep Renesmee safe. The world needs her and so do you. Nessie, if he cheats again, kick him in the shins." Nessie nodded at her grinning, "Oh, and Jacob, would you please tell Rachel and Rebecca and your Dad I love them and I'm watching out for them?"**

"**I will Mom. I love you so much." Jacob was crying again.**

"**I loved you first." She said back with laughter in her voice. "Good bye my son, the future is yours. Make it a great one!" And with that Sarah Black was gone.**

* * *

"**May I?" Samon asked Jacob, gesturing towards Nessie with a question in his eyes.**

**Jacob realizing Samon wanted to hold her shot a glance at Bella and Edward as if to ask permission. There were unison nods of agreement and not just from her parents, but from Rosalie as well. Jasper and Alice stared at Jacob incredulously as if to say, '**_**you have to ask?'**_** Emmett just grinned in anticipation of whatever Samon would pull out of his hat next. My beautiful Esme's eyes were alight with wonder. She was definitely on the same wave length as Emmett. **

**As Jacob placed our little miracle into Samon's arms, I was left marveling once again at how she had, just by her existence, snapped so many missing puzzle pieces into place in our home. Starting with Jacob, she had righted his mixed-up world surrounding my newest daughter, Bella. Where there was only longing and despair, now there was purpose and love, there was a destiny.**

**Rose and Esme, both with strong unfulfilled maternal instincts, have had this glorious experience, albeit vicariously through Bella; who graciously had shared not just in her pregnancy but in the whole motherhood experience itself. I had seen how they had blossomed in their new roles as grandmother for Esme and I would say 'Aunt' for Rosalie, but really, 'second mother' was more accurate. Whenever Nessie needed comfort, if Bella wasn't there she would often forgo Edward and Jacob and run right into Rose's arms. Rosalie, of course, became a woman fulfilled—thanks to our curly-headed little beauty.**

**Jasper had been in seventh heaven with all of the good feelings surrounding our house all the time. Of course, he also loved to play chess with Renesmee and patiently taught her all of the important moves. Still, he was surprised when she beat him once last month with a move he hadn't taught her. He had taken over some of her history lessons, even though it made Bella a little apprehensive, because he focused on the wars in history and taught her the strategies, some brilliant and some disastrous, and how they'd changed the course of history. Renesmee loved her lessons with her uncle and had begged Bella to please not stop them. I think Edward used his 'persuasive powers' with Bella to get her to relent. **

**Alice, well Alice had found in Nessie, her fashion/shopping dream come true as Nessie loved to let her Aunt Alice dress her, two to five times daily. Alice had been teaching her dress design with one of her fancy computer programs. She'd even surprised Alice about four months ago by asking her to teach her how to sew. Rosalie and Esme got into that with them as well and now, there was a good hour or two a day devoted to the fashion industry at the Cullen house. I even had a favorite tie I liked to wear to the hospital little Nessie made me. Esme had plans for creating a new 'sewing room' for our new house in Hanover. **

**Emmett, what can I say? He always had acted like a big kid. But since Renesmee had come into his life, well, it was as if her mere presence gave him permission to act even more like one. They always seemed to have their heads together doing something crazy. Sometimes I was sure Emmett and Jacob had an unconscious competition going on to see who could be the bigger kid. I looked again at the size of both Jacob and Emmett and laughed to myself at the ****double entendre inherent in my last thought.**

**Bella and Edward have had their lives completely altered by the addition to their little family. And even though I'd known they were both good and caring individuals, I was amazed at how perfectly they complement each other as parents. It was almost like they were of the same mind and heart and little Renesmee was the fruition of that spirit come to life. Watching the three of them was like watching a masterfully choreographed dance, or a master's paining being brought to life on canvas. Yes, I would say both of their lives had been profoundly changed for the better by this sweet little girl. Even when it seemed as though it would only have ended in tragedy, it became the greatest gift of their lives.**

**What about me? What about how she had affected me for the better? I knew I had been changed fundamentally as well by this wonderful little girl. I, who had walked this earth for 365 years; I had never really been touched by such innocence and purity. I thought my life was as full and complete as I could possibly hope for it to be. This beautiful little granddaughter had truly been a gift to me, opening up my heart in such an unexpected and sweet way.**

**Samon took Nessie in his arms. I mused over how we, all of us, Samon included, always held her like the two year old she was instead of the eight year old she looked to be physically. It was almost as though we've been trying to 'will' her to stay younger. Samon went to the center bench and sat down, situating Nessie comfortably on his lap, smiling at each other the whole while. Samon lifted his gaze to Edward and Bella, "Would you join us?" He said to them and motioned the carpeted floor at his feet. They immediately planted themselves, on the floor in front of Samon, sitting on their knees. Edward had his arm around Bella and the other hand firmly holding hers. They were on pins and needles, wondering what was in store for their daughter. **

"**Carlisle and Esme?" He added to us, gesturing to the bench right behind where Bella and Edward knelt. We went and joined them. Next he had Rosalie and Emmett sit next to us on one side and Jasper and Alice on the other. He had Jacob come and kneel on the other side of Bella. Then he asked Zafrina, Senna, Kachiri, Huilen, Nahuel and Leah to gather in behind us. He had us tightly packed in close, with all of us having a perfect view of the focus of our attention—Renesmee. She had looked at her mother and smiled at the wink Bella had given her. She gave her a double wink back.**

"**Renesmee, you are the true gift here. You are the treasure. There have been a lot of people working very hard to get you here today, with the parents you have, the family you have, and the friends you have. Everyone surrounding you here has a special place in your life and in your heart. This was no accident. This was no coincidence. This was done deliberately and on purpose, because Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you are a 'Hope of the World'."**

**Samon very deliberately removed his gaze from Nessie and turned to look in our general direction. He startled us by a new intensity that rang through his voice. It had power and command in it. Samon's voice, merely a gentle melody before became the entire orchestration now, held out in fortissimo. "What I say to each of you now, does not leave this room. To speak of this to anyone is to put Renesmee in grave danger. You can never know who may be listening, who may change their allegiance, who may be a spy. When you think and ponder on what you are about to hear, those thoughts I will protect from prying minds that would suck it from you, but never speak it out loud. Am I clear?" He met each face, holding it until he received confirmation from that individual, either a nod, an audible 'yes' or a mental agreement. When he was satisfied of our promise, Samon returned his attention to Nessie and his voice became quiet, gentle and warm again.**

"**Renesmee, you have a growing gift that when it has matured, will have the power to reach into people's minds and potentially change them. Your power will enable you to do this with your thoughts in such a way, others might possibly think your thoughts are their own thoughts." **

**There was a shocked intake of air as everyone reacted to this news. I turned and looked at Esme. Her eyebrows were raised. When I turned back to the front, Edward was leaning so far back he was touching my knees. He stared at me with his eyes that were so wide with disbelief they looked as though they were about to disengage from his eye sockets. I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he returned to his former position. Where my reassurance came from, I had no idea. Well, unless it was Samon. It certainly wasn't Jasper, he was a statue; stunned into utter stillness.**

"**Yes, I'm sure you can see the power in this gift--power that could be incredibly dangerous if it were to get into the wrong hands. That is why this family has been put together with all of your unique gifts and talents. Renesmee, you are pure and innocent. It is very important you understand every moral, ethical, spiritual, theoretical, philosophical and even judicial meaning of the words 'right' and 'wrong'. You need to understand the ideology behind it, and with the help of your family determine your own guidelines for keeping yourself 'ethically' right. After YOU decide what is right, you must live by it. You must be a straight arrow. "**

"**This is the charge I am giving you today. To study and learn everything you can in the world, but apply it to this pursuit of what is 'ethically right' Your family will help you determine what is the correct fit for you, but mostly you will know it from within because it is a part of who you are. There will be people who will try to use your gift for their own selfish gain, there are wicked people in the world that will stop at nothing to have you and your gift, and if they can't have you, then they will try to destroy you. They will try to subvert you to do their will." Samon paused at the look of terror that flashed in Renesmee's eyes. The entire room had gone still again. Samon might as well have just said 'Volturi' out loud. **

'_**What if it's even more than just them to worry about here?'**_

"**Don't be alarmed little one. Like I said, it is no mistake you have been placed in the family you have. Every person in this room and even a few who are not, are part of your own personal honor guard. In every way, these people surrounding you will protect and support you as the need demands. Search for truth, embrace it, live by it, make it a part of who you are and then always be true to yourself, even when it feels like you are lost and cannot hope to see your goal, and you will see you never really were lost if you hold tight to your sense of right then you will never fall off course. You will find hidden stores of power. Never forget where that power comes from. You will be a true arrow."**

**Renesmee nodded he head. She was deep in thought her lips pursed. She looked at her mother who wore the same expression. **

"**I know I've given you a lot to think about here. Nessie, in conjunction with your growing gift, if you continue to work with your Uncle Jasper to attach powerful feelings to your thoughts, it will further enhance your power into a vehicle to bring people feelings of joy, hope, encouragement, courage, peace and love. You could use it for other feelings as well, but I would encourage you to focus your efforts on the positive. Negative thoughts and feelings seem to creep in on their own and they lead to paths of darkness. You are our 'antidote' for these sorts of things. The real way to at least balance the scales of good and evil will be to affect people on a personal level and stimulate the good that is inherent in them. I am going to give your gift a little boost today, but you must continue to develop and train it on a daily basis. At times, your father's gift may come in handy as he can determine and tell you what someone is thinking already so you can use it to weave around your own thoughts. As you send them a message it will have a greater affect on them. This will strengthen your mental message's possibilities even more. Also, don't leave your Grandpa Charlie out of this. When you get back, he will tell you an idea he has come up with to help you learn a lot about human nature." Samon turned to Edward and Bella and continued, "And you may want to seriously consider the value of his idea in helping her learn and develop her charge." Samon stopped for a few minutes to give us a moment to process his information so far.**

**My own mind was swimming with the possibilities and the responsibilities such a gift would entail. I knew our little Nessie was a unique and special individual. I had often felt goodness in children, before the world left its own imprint on them. **

'_**How do we teach her about the world and about being morally and ethically right?'**_** It was a huge task. Not Just for Edward and Bella, for all of us.**

"**Okay," Samon said, "We are for this moment done with the highly top-secret information. What is said from here on can be discussed freely as you wish." He looked at each of us again, saving Jacob for last. He stared at Jacob for thirty seven seconds, seeming to have a little internal debate before returning his eyes to Nessie.**

"**Now Renesmee, for your present; you have had a little question of your own you have been asking and yet your answer hasn't been forthcoming. It's time for a little truth for you here, because you need to be able to trust these fine people in this room; but trust is a two way thing. The reason your question has not been answered, has in fact been part of this 'moral right' we've been discussing. It was decided by your mother, father and Jacob, it was best to let you learn about this when you were all grown up, and it was out of love and your future emotional well-being they kept this from you. However, in this case, their plan will backfire on them at a crucial time in your life if you do not understand this now. So Renesmee, please let everyone hear your question." Samon prodded in his gentle voice.**

**Nessie was thinking again. So was I. **

'_**What in the world had the three of them kept from her?'**_

**It came to me at the same time she asked, "What is an imprint?"**

"**Imprinting is something that happens to werewolves when they look into the eyes of their perfect match for the first time." Samon began, "It is a bit of the magic my siblings and I devised to help them through a very confusing time in their lives. A perfect match is someone who can be accepting and understanding of the extra demands placed on shape shifters. Also someone who can help them create and preserve the strongest wolves for the future but most important, this perfect match is the one who will be the most compatible, and the strongest mate for them. When they find this special person, their whole world changes and what once was important to them becomes only secondary to making that person happy. This perfect match becomes the most important thing to them."**

**Renesmee who had been very intently listening now spoke up. "You mean a perfect match like my Mom and Dad? They're perfect and they love each other, so are they a perfect match?"**

**Edward looked over to her and murmured, "Nessie, we're not perfect. You just think we are."**

"**You're close Renesmee," Samon said. "You're parents are a very special couple. Close enough that it makes a good comparison. So do you understand imprinting now?"**

"**I think so." Nessie said thoughtfully.**

"**Good. Now an 'imprint' would be the person who the shape shifter has imprinted on."**

"**You mean the perfect match?" She asked to clarify.**

"**Exactly," Samon confirmed. "Now who do you know in this room who has imprinted right now?" He quizzed her. **

"**Leah and Nahuel" She replied happily. "So they are a perfect match. They are so lucky! Now they don't have to worry about who to marry." She sighed.**

**Samon looked at her smiling again. "Do you know Leah isn't the only person in this room who has imprinted?" Jacob stopped breathing. Bella and Edward were too still. Renesmee got a confused look on her face.**

"**But if it's a werewolf thing, then Jacob is the only other person in here who could imprint." She said slowly, thinking it through. She flashed an alarmed look at Jacob. "Did you imprint Jacob?" She asked in a whisper.**

**Jacob couldn't speak. It appeared he had not caught his breath yet. He nodded, his eyes not leaving her little face. Renesmee got tears in her eyes and buried her face in Samon's chest as a sob broke out of her. All of us shifted our position in response to her outburst. It left us all in distress the few times Nessie was upset and her high soprano cry had just about undone me. Bella leaned forward hugging her while she was still in Samon's arms.**

"**It will be alright, Sweetie." She whispered. Samon held up his hand to tell us to give her a minute. **

"**Renesmee," Samon said softly while patting her back, "Would you please explain to everyone, especially Jacob, why this is so upsetting to you?" **

**Nessie pulled away from Samon and looked at Jacob, her eyes swimming with tears. Her voice trembled with emotion. "Jacob promised he would marry ME when I grew up. Now he can't because he belongs to someone else. I don't want him to marry someone else. I want him to only love me."**

**I was amazed she had put that together so quickly for being as young as she was. I was also surprised this was something she was even concerned about but apparently it was something she'd thought about very deeply and the thought of Jacob having an interest in someone else was painful to her.**

"**Jacob," Samon said in his quiet manner as Jacob shifted his gaze from Renesmee to meet his, "Now is the time to tell Renesmee who you imprinted on."**

**Jacob flashed a glance in Edward and Bella's direction; again as though asking permission. They gave him one stiff nod in synchronization.**

"**Nessie," He said as though he was afraid to meet her gaze, but then he did. He looked right into her tear-stained face and continued. "You are the young lady I imprinted on. You are my perfect match. When I said I would marry you when you grew up, I meant every word. There is nothing I want more than that…someday. But for now, I just want you to grow up and be your friend until you are mature enough to make that decision for yourself."**

"**I am your imprint?" She asked Jacob, her tears suddenly cut-off.**

"**Yes Nessie, I imprinted on you the day you were born. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner but I wanted you to grow up and not have to worry about it for now."**

**She jumped from Samon's arms into Jacob's and hugged him tightly. "Thank you Jacob. Thank you for telling me. Now I'll be okay until I grow up. Then we can talk about it some more okay?"**

"**That's right Renesmee," Samon said simply, "You have what you need to know for now. Don't forget that even with the age difference, Jacob is still a lot closer in age to you then your Dad is to your Mom and Jacob isn't going to be getting any older for a long time, so things will work out when the time is right. Just make sure you let Jacob and your Mother and Father knows when your feelings for him start to change because someday they will, and it will be much better for everyone, if you keep them informed about it." Samon told her. Then he shifted his gaze to Edward, Bella and Jacob.**

"**And it's also important you don't keep important things from Renesmee. I know why you kept this from her but she needs to know she can completely trust the three of you no matter what. So even if you think it's something you want to protect her from, just let her know. She has a unique capacity to understand and these things will give her the maturity she'll need to face adult decisions that will come into her life at an early age.**

**Now one last thing Renesmee," Samon said as he leaned forward and put his palm on her forehead as she sat in Jacob's arms. "Do you feel that?" She nodded with her eyes closed. "Good, send it out to everyone." She smiled wider and the next thing I knew I felt the 'touch' of Renesmee to my mind sending with it a profound sense of peace and calm, of happiness and joy. I felt as though I could sing right there on the spot. The feeling was so powerful I gasped. I closed my eyes and the feeling intensified. I stopped breathing to keep from giving my feelings voice. Apparently Emmett had the same urge. He stood up, expanding his lungs; his arms held out to his sides, and began singing.**

"**Oh, happy day, the sweetest day of all, is today, the day that I have it all…" He sang in his booming bass voice. Then he looked around and noticed he was singing alone. Everyone gave him incredulous looks--everyone except for Samon and Nessie, who both threw their heads back and roared with laughter.**

"**I see what you mean," Samon said to her with a smirk, "He is a nut!"**

**Next Samon shifted his attention to my dear wife. "Esme," He said his smile as bright as ever. He padded the bench next to him and Bella and Edward moved a bit to let her pass by. She sat beside him and beamed at me. "Rosalie," He added patting to the bench to his left. She left Emmett's side and came at once to sit on his other side. Samon took each of their hand in his. This gesture no way, made me upset or mad. It was clearly an act of brotherly love he had demonstrated time and time again today. **

**Samon continued speaking to everyone in the room. "You know, you are all very special individuals. You have conquered much opposition in your lives and you are worthy of the love of a family and everything such a bond entails. You Esme have been extremely instrumental in bringing this family unit into a cohesive whole. Your entire spirit is one of great heart and love. You are the epitome of the word 'Nurturer'. While Carlisle has been the leader or head of your home, you have been the heart and soul of it. They say behind every great man is a great woman and you are a great woman as that saying means. Your influence has been felt by your family and as your family has grown, so has your level of influence. Now, there are often humans, werewolves, hybrids, and other vampires in your home. This has been a change from just four years ago. Everyone in this room has been touched by your influence."**

**At his words, my heart swelled with love and appreciation for this amazing lady that had blessed the last eighty-nine years of my existence. She had influenced everyone, especially me. And I had been forever changed by her love.**

"**You know, this is something I need all of you Cullens to think about. I realize most of you are required to go to school when you move to a new place to maintain your cover because you look so young, but since you only need a few minutes to do your homework, if that, what are you doing with the rest of your time…especially considering you don't need sleep? Something I would like you all to consider is this--where much is given, much is expected. Carlisle goes to work at the hospital all day. Depending on where you live, he often is teaching other doctors. He constantly 'gives back' to society; in effect, making it a better place by his existence. My question to the rest of you is, **_**'What are you doing to give back?' 'What are you doing to make a difference...to make the world a better place because you are in it?'**_**"**

"**Now Esme, like I said, you are a great and strong woman with so very much to offer. There are many children around you who need the nurturing you have to offer. Rosalie, I hope you have enjoyed practicing with Renesmee because you also have a lot to offer the children in the world around you. It's time for each of you to step out of your comfort zone a little bit. We need to make the world a better place and there is no better place to start than the world's youth." Both Esme and Rosalie's faces lit up at the possibilities Samon's words conjured up in their minds. Esme looked at me her eyes sparkling.**

"**There are children who need tutoring, food, medicine, special needs, a friend, counseling, music lessons, soccer coaches, car pools, clothes to wear." He stopped and added, "Yes, Alice, I did say clothes to wear." Everyone gave a silent chuckle. "There are young people who need hope—that need to know someone cares about them and the things that matter to them. You can see the possibilities are endless. The more you think about them, the more they will come to you. My charge to you, Esme and Rosalie is to make the world a better and safer place for children. Give them the help, the hope and the love that is yours to share. There are a lot of women who are unable to have children who find ways to still influence the lives of the young. There are many ways to be mothers. Will you accept my charge for the two of you?" Samon asked with confidence in them and their abilities.**

"**Yes, I will," Esme said simply with grace. Rosalie looked at her, her eyes alight with newfound energy.**

"**I will too." She said her expression buoyant. **

"**Good!" Samon enthused. **

**He took both of their hands he had held and put them together so Esme held Rosalie's hand across him. With his arms now free he reached his right palm across Esme's forehead for a second and then turned to Rosalie and did the same. **

**It didn't appear to do anything to them but he explained, "I just gave a special characteristic to the love you will develop for these children so that as you touch them, they will perceive your touch to be warm and soft. I also strengthened your self-control to restrain your natural tendencies towards human blood. Children are always falling down, or getting a bloody nose, you may often find yourself working with them in hospitals and the very last thing you need is to have a bad and sudden reaction to their scent. You'll still have your throat burn, but the more you are around it, the less it will bother you until, like Carlisle, you will hardly notice it anymore"**

"**Wow Edward," Bella said softly, "You could have used that gift four and a half years ago in Biology class."**

"**Yes," He said softly to her but we could all hear, "In biology class, and lunch, and my car, and the meadow, and your bedroom, and at your birthday party…" At this response everyone chuckled.**

"**Well Edward," Samon said, raising his eyebrow. "Maybe you did get a little help with your ability to master your self-control, but again, you're going to get me in trouble with Chandra, and I won't steel her thunder. One of her most favorite sayings is, 'It isn't nice to fool Mother Nature!' Edward and Bella looked a little startled.**

"**Uhh, Chandra is Mother Nature?" Bella asked, clearly trying to re-align mythology again in her mind.**

"**Well, through the centuries, all of us have acquired a number of names as we've interacted with mankind, it's kind of hard to pinpoint them…but 'Mother Nature' would definitely work for Chandra as she was known as Isis to the ancient Egyptians who they thought to be the Goddess of Mother Earth.. She was also known as 'Aphrodite' to the ancient Greeks, 'Briget' to the Celtics, 'Sarasvati' in India, 'Kuan Yin' in China, 'Juno' and 'Venus' to the ancient Romans, 'Deborah' to the early Mycenae and 'Zorya' to those in Russia. She even has the name of 'Estsanatlehi' to the Navajo American Indians, meaning, 'changing woman'." Samon sighed and shook his head in amusement. "She has been busy." Edward and Bella looked positively stunned. Of course, I may have as well. Samon turned back to my wife.**

"**Oh, there is one more thing Esme I would like to give you as a gift for doing so much to help us in our cause to provide a better world for the upcoming generation. He reached into a pocket in his cape and brought out what looked somewhat like a perfume bottle. It was clear but had a thick bluish liquid inside of it. He handed it to her. "This is the essential oil from a special rare plant grown here in the Amazon Rain Forest. It has so far not been catalogued by the medical community for its medicinal purposes. They have only tested about 1% of all the plants in the rainforest so far…so at that rate, it could take a while to turn this one up. This plant oil, you will find to have extensive healing properties will help to cure many diseases that particularly strike at the young. I would tell you the name, but since it hasn't been discovered yet, it doesn't have one. However," he placed three large seeds in her hand next to the bottle. "Here are three seeds for the flowers. I'm sure that with your green thumb you'll have these growing in a hothouse in no time at all! Carlisle can help point you in the right direction for getting this oil tested in the medical community."**

"**Which brings us to you Carlisle," Samon said. Was it my imagination or my own sense of anticipation? But Samon seemed to get even more excited as he turned his gaze in my direction? He stood up and moved around everyone, beckoning for me to join him. As I did so, he put his arm around me. Everyone shifted to keep us in clear view.**

"**Carlisle, you are a man with a passion for knowledge. In a lot of ways you remind me of myself so long ago. I wasn't always the immortal that I am today. It was a transformation in its own way. It was in some ways similar to that of the vampire conversion and in other ways quite different. You have 25 pairs of Chromosomes. I have 26. We are both in a state that, in your case is practically immortal, and in my case is. We both have gifts and talents that are intensified at the time of our transformation, but I can learn and acquire more. There are many differences though. Of course, I am not a vampire, chained to my thirst for sustenance. I could hunt as you do, if I wished, the same as I could have an apple or convert sunshine and soil to get what my body requires. My transformation began during the times of the ancient Ugha Mongulala. We, my brothers and sister, were here with our 'parents' then. This is when I started the fairly painless but very long process of my transformation. It took a good five hundred years for the transformation to complete itself. However, life as a true immortal is a life of constant change, of constant progression. I'm always changing to adapt to the demands placed on my mental, physical and spiritual being. It is really quite exciting being what I am."**

"**It sounds fascinating." I agreed. Actually that was the understatement of the year. I burned with the intensity of my curiosity. I could easily spend the next century in his presence asking the many questions I had for him. I wondered idly if he would mind leaving me a sample of his DNA for my gift. Oh well, that would have been inappropriate to ask.**

"**You won't need a genetic sample from me to experiment with Carlisle." Samon said, startling me from my reverie by answering my thoughts. "You won't need it because I have been sent here today for many reasons but the most important task I was given, was to give you this." He handed me a golden flask. It held a pint of liquid inside but the container did not allow me to see the appearance, texture or thickness of the substance it held. I took it from his hand, looking at it curiously. "This is for you to drink if you chose to. You may not share it with anyone. You may not let it leave your presence. You may not put any of it under a microscope or in any way try to divulge its make-up. It will only be active for one week from today. That will be all the time you will have to decide. I know you need to get home first and you will want to think this through, discuss it with your wife and family, but I hope you will act before the week is up. If you choose not to drink the contents of this flask, then at the end of the week, you will need to pour it into flames of over 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, and then throw the bottle in after it. Obviously, you will need to do this very carefully." Why would I choose NOT take something given to me from this wonderful and kind man? I was at a loss. What was this stuff? I'd never had a problem with a lack of patience before but somehow it was a problem today.**

"**If you chose to drink the contents of this container," Samon said staring at me intently, "You must do it all at once. Do not spill any of it. Do not leave even a drop inside. You must not let your body regurgitate it, though at first your body will try to expel it. After you have finished, you must completely wash out the bottle with soap and water, crush it and then throw it into a fire of at least 400 degrees. You will have to do these things quickly, while fighting off your body's natural instinct to rid itself of the liquid. Two hours after you have ingested it, you will become very tired and you will become unconscious for two days. During this time you will feel no pain, you will not dream, you will be in a state of 'suspended animation'. During which time, your DNA will mutate and upon your awakening, you will no longer have 25 pairs of chromosomes, you will have 26."**

**There were sharp intakes of breathes from around the room. I gasped. What was he saying? Was he inviting me to become one of them? Become a perfected being? What? How? Why would they want me?**

"**As I said before," Samon said, "You will want to think carefully about this decision. You would become as I am, you would become a part of our family. In the same sense that each of these, Esme, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett are yours, as well as Bella and Renesmee, because you are linked to them through your venom as their 'creator', so would you be linked in a very similar way to me and my family. You would become in a very real sense, my brother. This vile does not contain poison or venom; it contains our genetic code that has been altered in such a way as to facilitate the beginning of your transformation from vampire to perfected being. Know though that at the same time you would retain your own family. Unlike the vampire conversion, you will in no way have to change any of your family relationships from what they are now. Many of the changes occur very slowly over centuries of time. The main changes that you would have right away would be that you would be truly immortal. You will still be you. You will still look like you and be exactly the kind of man you are now. You will be able to slightly alter your appearance to appear more human when need be. No one would be able to kill you, even if they employed vampiric means. Your brain will work much the way it does now, but the more you think and research something, the quicker you will be able to find the answers. Before you know it, not only will you be using your vast and growing stores in your mental library, you will discover you are taking intuitive jumps from that knowledge and you will be correct. The more this happens, the stronger the link will be. This would be like 'accessing your internet link' to keep going with the computer analogy." The implications of that aspect alone were staggering.**

"**You will need to continue to hunt for quite a while as your body adjusts to its new matrix. You will start to crave water sometime in the next twenty years. That will be your first sign this aspect of your transformation is occurring. After about sixty to seventy years, you will notice you don't crave blood so much anymore."**

"**Your acquisition of gifts will happen even slower. Though you may find a strengthening to the gifts of compassion and understanding that define who you are, other gifts will start out as small stirrings and continue to grow as you foster that growth. This will be an ongoing process. I was continually amazed at the amount there is to learn and experience in this arena that I haven't even begun to experiment with. I'm sure you have a few questions?" He said, the inflection placed at the end making his words a question.**

**I nodded my head. "Why will the transformation process be almost painless, when you said that I would be in a state of unconsciousness?" **

**Was he saying it would be like Bella's was during her transformation into a vampire? Maybe they had done something to help her with that as well. I was surprised when the room became very still. I glanced swiftly about and everyone was frozen, the same way Rosalie had been earlier when Emmett received his egg. **_**'What was that for?'**_

**Then I notice Bella looking around. It would appear she wasn't frozen either. It was then just the three of us, Samon, Bella and me that had been left aware.**

"**Bella," Samon said as she looked over to him in confusion. "Carlisle was wondering in his head if his transformation would be like yours because I described what he and everyone believes happened during your transformation, but Carlisle needs to know the truth about what that experience was like for you. And he needs to know it now. It was important during the transformation that you chose to do what you did at that time because of your reasoning in doing so. The need you felt to 'protect' your family from the truth especially Edward, worked as the final touches to make your shield as unbreakable as it is. It was love Bella that has made you the strongest shield on the planet. Well, strongest—apart from my family and myself."**

"**Love? I don't understand." Bella said. "I stammered, I know I did it out of love, but I don't understand what that had to do with strengthening my shield." She added trying to think it through.**

"**I know you don't get it now," Samon said eyeing her, "But it will give you something to think about. Something else for you to ponder Bella is that when you tell Carlisle, he will be thinking about it, and while, if he chooses the path he is being offered, he will be better at masking his thoughts, some of them may get through to Edward. You may choose to simply explain it to your husband now. Keeping it from him at this point will do nothing to strengthen your shield further, and telling him could be something that would bind you even closer as a couple. But for now, you DO need to tell Carlisle. Please." He added with a wry grin. It turned his demand into a request. What in the world had happened to Bella during her transformation that she would keep it from us, from Edward? What could have happened that would cause Samon to stop the proceedings to make me aware of her transformation experience?**

"**Well, I wasn't exactly 'unaware' as I led all of you to believe. I was burning so bad I wanted to rip my heart out of my chest and scream at the top of my lungs. I wanted to beg for death to make it stop. I wanted to have never lived in the first place." Her voice got softer until the last line was a mere whisper of remembered pain.**

"**Bella?" I asked. "Why did you not cry out? How could you not cry out?" I was trying to understand what would make her endure such torture in silence. **_**I was reminded of my own painful transformation that began that night so very long ago. Crawling through the street to a neighbor's cellar where I'd hid in a stack of rotting putrid potatoes for the painful three days; biting down on the leather strap of my belt to keep the screams inside of me. I could hear the search going on around for me. I remember my name being called out from time to time as groups of searchers passed by. I knew if I'd made a sound they would've found me and my burning would've turned into the real thing.**_** I had somehow found the strength to endure in silence out of necessity. What had Samon said? Had she done the same out of love? Maybe, Bella would never knowingly cause Edward pain of any kind, especially after watching his face for the last few weeks of her mortal existence and knowing the 'hell' he was already enduring.**

"**Well Carlisle," She began with a guilty look on her face, "At first I couldn't scream. I didn't know why, I knew no one else said it was a part of their transformation story. It felt like there was a great weight on my body kept me all locked up. When my mind began to become clearer, I realized it was the morphine holding me down." I gasped as I remembered her lying so still on that table—not unaware, but burning, burning and not being able to even move a muscle in response to it. That must have been a living hell--an even greater nightmare for the biggest nightmare of each of our transformations. No if I chose to drink this potion, my transformation would definitely NOT be like Bella's.**

"**But the morphine eventually worked its way out of your system." I said, trying to make sense of what she was telling me. "It took quite a bit longer than usual because your blood was thicker and it was in your tissues, but still we could smell when it wore off. You were still for another thirty three hours and fifteen minutes. What happened then?"**

"**That was when I remembered why I had to be quiet and still--to protect Edward from pain. I knew he would hurt at least as badly as I did and I could keep him from that pain, but it took everything I had to keep myself from screaming. I didn't have anything left to me to be able to answer him, or squeeze his hand or look in his eyes. It would betray me and he would burn too."**

"**Thank you Bella for sharing this information with Carlisle. He did need to know about it. Now I'm going to bring everyone back and we are talking about your upcoming transformation Carlisle, you will get better and better at protecting your thoughts but for now, I am shielding you from Edward anyway." I nodded as I saw everyone 'unfreeze' around me as if there had never been a break in time.**

**Samon began again, "The reason it is almost painless is the ongoing parts of the transformation. When your neural net is expanding new pathways, it may give you a mild headache. When your body starts to mutate food for its own nutrition it may give you a feeling of indigestion at first. Things like that. You may have some 'human' symptoms from time to time, but for a very different reason." He smiled warmly and looked over to Alice, "I guess you can tell Carlisle what to expect from those headaches." He added dryly. "What other question do you have for me?" He probed, although I knew he already knew it.**

"**Well, what do I need to do in exchange for this gift?" I saw small nods of agreement from my family. They were also wondering what would be required of me'.**

"**Well, it should be a good thing but it depends on how you look at it. You would be required, like us, to fulfill certain responsibilities and tasks from time to time. In much the same way as you are here in the Amazon—helping us to restore the balance of good and evil. Your family can help you if you need them. It is highly rewarding and a great blessing to those around you. You won't be alone; you will always have friends and those who will help you with your tasks along the way. You will still spend a great deal of your time doing exactly what you do now, being a father, a husband, grandfather and doctor. I'll tell you," He added cocking his head to the side in humor that I was starting to recognize now, "The benefits are 'out of this world'"**

**I gave a startled laugh.**

"**One more thing though," Samon said sternly but not harshly, "I will need the word of everyone here that much like our discussion of Renesmee, this information does not get spoken of where others can hear. You will need to discuss it, but be very careful who is around when you do. Do I have everyone's word?"**

**He once again looked around and got his ascents from all. He looked back at me with an intensity that seemed to reach down to my toes. I was filled with nothing but the purest of loves from this man who would be a sibling to me. "Think it over carefully, Carlisle. Life is a journey and you're about to begin the adventure of many, many lifetimes. It would be an honor for me to call you brother." With that he brought me into his firm embrace.**


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty  
Kaure

Alice's POV

**We had been traveling in our roomy helicopter for three hours. It would be another hour and ten minutes before we would see the clearing for the Ticunan village of 'Pico da Neblina'. I could already see the peak of the majestic mountain that bared the same name as the town. It was breath-taking. We had also flown right over some of the most beautiful waterfalls I had ever seen before. Mostly, I sat behind Leah and Nahuel and practiced 'seeing' their future. It started out difficult but I finally got some glimpses of a beautiful wedding. It was a little frustrating though, because something was hazy there. I knew what that meant right away. It happened whenever there were outside decisions that will affect the outcome. What in the world could possibly influence Nahuel and Leah's wedding?**

**After I'd gotten myself all worked up, I decided to distract myself by practice with something else. I took out my other 'present' from Samon. The clear rock fit easily in my hand. It was an oval-sized quartz crystal, so clear it almost looks like glass. I peered into it and nothing happened. Then I started thinking of everyone around me and I was surprised to see all of us sitting and moving around while inside the helicopter. It almost seemed like I was watching a closed circuit video feed for a security camera…only much, much clearer. The view had the same depth and color as our actual images. I looked up and saw the same scene as it played out for real. I looked back in the stone and its images moved, shifted its focus. I saw Edward up front as he flew us higher and we gained altitude, and ascended the mountain. Bella sat beside him in the co-pilot seat.**

'_**Oh, it appears he's teaching her how to fly this bird.'**_** That was a little worrisome. Not that I could've been harmed if we were to have crashed, but it would've probably ruined my pretty dress I'd bought back in Manaus to help me fit in a little bit better with the Ticunans. The scene changed showing all of us as we gazed out the windows of the aircraft. Then it shifted again outside of our helicopter and I saw us flying over the mountain range as the village loomed on the horizon.**

**I thought about the village and immediately the focus in the stone blurred. When it cleared, I saw once more, the little village I had seen in my vision earlier today. It appeared most of the villagers had somehow been made aware of our arrival and awaited us in the main clearing. Some of them seemed nervous, some excited and a few were actually scared. The stone focused on the faces of the three people we were to pick up. "The Monkey Hunter' was a young man. He looked to be a friendly looking fellow in his early twenties who was apparently fond of the color red and had painted himself accordingly. He looked to be very agile and jumped around from foot to foot as if expelling energy while he awaited us. Perhaps his title of 'The Monkey Hunter' came from his movements. **

**Next I saw 'The Ancient Magi'. She looked very old. Her wizened face showed strength and fierce determination despite the years that had taken their toll. I could see her beautiful brown eyes and her still brown hair flowed gently down her back. She appeared to be in good spirits, calm yet happy. I suspected she may have been the reason the village was already aware of our approach. **

**The last face I was shown by the stone was a middle-aged woman who must've been 'The Woman Who Speaks from Her Heart'. She was tiny and her skin was the color of coffee as was that of most of her tribe's. Her long dark hair framed her very apprehensive face. She wore more modern clothes then others I'd seen in vision today. Her calf-length dress was a faded pink. The focus of the stone zoomed out, away from the woman to include others who must've been her daughters and grandchildren. They were leaving the river to come to the gathering place. She seemed like a force to be reckoned with somehow. I thought of her title again, 'The Woman Who Speaks from Her Heart'. I believed it--just from looking into her eyes. No one would ever have gotten away with much with her around.**

**I put the stone away and looked up to see my wonderful husband who gazed at me with the most peaceful look on his face I had ever seen there. I smiled at him giving him a wink.**

"**Were those the people we're here to pick up?" He asked quietly.**

"**Yes, I believe so. And it appears everyone is ready for our arrival." I told him back.**

"**I'll say!" Emmett boomed as he glanced out his window. We all looked out the sides of our now landing craft and saw we were indeed being welcomed by the entire village in the clearing I had previously seen…twice now already...once from a vision and once from just then in the stone.**

**We landed and opened the doors to our craft. Carlisle went to the front with the three Amazons. They stood together talking and I could just make out through the whirl of the slowing blades, as Zafrina advised Carlisle it was of the utmost importance we were presented to the tribe by Nahuel and Leah. She gestured them to the front. Nahuel had placed over Leah's head the necklaces she had received from the Jaguar People two weeks earlier. He then brought out both his and Leah's scepters and gave Leah hers to hold as they proceeded to the front of the line and the waiting village leader.**

**The chief was all decked out in his ceremonial attire, completed with paint and a full necklace of blue beads. He wore a yellow feathered headdress and I wondered idly if it could be turned into a hat to wear, accessorizing nicely with my yellow Porsche. He had at his side, a younger man of similar attire. The chief approached Nahuel and Leah and greeted them warmly. Then he nodded to the ancient magi in ascent that her vision had been true and the entire tribe bowed themselves to the ground. Nahuel spoke to the prostrate chief and he quickly stood back up. Apparently, our Jaguar King had accepted the hospitality of the great Ticunan People and asked that they please be at peace in our presence. Nahuel introduced Leah as his wife, The Wolf Goddess. The chief took her hand in his and bowed himself touching his forehead to the back of her hand and started to cry. I puzzled over that for a minute but when he raised his head the look on his face told me they were tears of joy.**

**Leah opened her mouth to speak and an amazing thing happened. While she spoke English, her words were understood by all of the villagers there. Another interesting thing was she seemed to know automatically the correct things to say to the village leader. She was a natural--like she had been born to do this.**

"**Brave Chief," She said kindly and he raised his eyes to meet her gaze. "Thank you for receiving my husband and I this day in your home. Your kindness is a wondrous thing indeed. Today we are here on a mission of great importance for the future of your tribe and your nation. We have come to your tribe today because you have served each other, your tribe and your people and have found favor with Samon and his family. They have sent us here to give your village the honor of participating in the opening of the Temples and Tunnel at the Ancient City of Chan Chan."**

**At her words the people arose from their prostrate positions and a cheer went up from them. The women of the tribe all crept closer. Each woman took Leah's hand in theirs and then put her hand to their foreheads in turn. When they finished, they led her away from the rest of us and set her in a wooden chair in the center of a covered patio area. All of the women gathered around and adorned her with beautiful tropical flowers. They put combs in her hair and added three more necklaces to her collection. Then the singing began. There were a dozen young girls who sang a beautiful little tune while an older woman played a reed flute. I could see Leah bewildered but not untouched by the attention. When the song was done, she clapped her hands and had each of the twelve girls brought forward and met each one of them.**

**I was surprised again, to see the woman of my vision, who spoke to Leah with that same stern look on her face. Apparently, she wanted a demonstration of 'The Wolf Goddess'. Leah looked around at the gathered women's faces and sighed. She removed the necklaces from around her neck, gave them to the woman to hold. Nahuel, guessed what she was about to do and asked the men to turn away from them, as he did himself. The rest of us did too. The next thing we heard was a gasp from the women. The men turned around and were just as startled to see a large grey wolf sitting next to the seat where Leah had sat moments before. This made everyone prostrate themselves once more. While they were thus, she quickly phased back and re-dressed. **

**Then she announced with a grin, "I'm back." The crowd arose and the woman carefully placed the gaggle of beads around Leah's neck once more. The men all nodded as though this were something they had seen every day. The women gathered back around Leah and once again started brushing her hair and adorning her with flowers. They then told her all about their lives here in this small village. It was as though they were her 'ladies in waiting' and she was their loving queen who was more of a dearly loved sister to them than the outsider the rest of us were.**

**After a good ten minutes of this, Nahuel spoke again to the chief and told of the urgent nature of our visit and the chief motioned us all forward to a second clearing where the tribe clearly met for councils and gatherings. Nahuel asked about Leah and the chief said the women would bring her to us when they were ready to. Nahuel went over to her through the throng of women and kissed her tenderly. **

"**We'll be in the clearing on the other side of this patio. Join us when you can." He cupped her face in his hand and looked at her, "I love you." He reminded her softly and then he left her to her company. Edward laughed quietly as the rest of us were led to the second clearing by the rest of the tribe.**

"**What's so funny?" Bella asked him confused.**

**He touched his head to hers and replied so only we could here. "Nahuel just showed affection for his queen in front of the entire counsel of women and in the presence of the chief. From now on ALL the married women in this tribe will be treated with the same courtesies as Leah just was. Nahuel is going to make a great Jaguar King. He knew exactly what he was doing. And all these women have already opened their hearts to Leah, now; she will be loved by them for generations to come. Like I said, Nahuel is a very smart man."**

**We made it to the second clearing where all the men and boys of the tribe were already seated. The king turned the 'floor' over to Nahuel who turned and introduced each of us in turn. He gave both our given name and our titles used earlier today at the temple ceremonies. As we were introduced, there were murmurs of apprehension from the crowd. Some of the elders spoke to their chief in hushed whispers. As their conversation became more pronounced, Nahuel did a most peculiar thing. He closed his eyes and appeared deep in concentration. After thirty seven seconds, he let out a growl that was answered by four distinct and separate snarls coming from different directions. Suddenly there were four spotted Jaguars at Nahuel's side. They snuggled right up to him and let out a low menacing growl in the direction of the arguing elders. Upon hearing the snarls, the elders broke off their argument and a look of shock took over their previously angered expressions. It was definitely a Kodak moment. Oh, wait! I DO have my digital camera. I took their picture. I guessed they'd seen cameras before because they all rearranged their expressions and smiled just in time for the camera to flash.**

**The chief apologized to Nahuel for the disagreement as he glared at the offenders. Nahuel then told of our assignment from Samon and our need to acquire three people chosen from 'The Morning Sun Star Sapphire'. Zafrina held the beautiful stone out for the gathered men to see. There was a collective gasp. Leah then made it to the back of the gathering; the women of the tribe surrounded her. When Nahuel saw her, he held his hand out to her and she walked forward to his side. The village chief, upon seeing this, gestured likewise for his wife and then all the men in the community did the same. At the end, it was only young, unmarried women and children left at the back. I guessed there would be more than one new tradition here when we left.**

"**There are three individuals we need to take with us as we journey to Chan Chan. They are, 'The Monkey Hunter'", at this there was a loud yell and the young man I had seen previously jumped up and did a crazy monkey dance as he came to stand beside Nahuel and the chief. The men in the company clapped and prodded him. He bowed in answer.**

"**Next is, 'The Ancient Magi'", Nahuel added. I looked towards the older woman I already had seen. She left her aged husband's side, who gave her a quick kiss in front of everyone to a splattering of gasps. He helped her up and with a smile on his face accompanied her to the front where she took her stand next to the young man in red paint.**

"**The last person we have been sent to bring is 'The Woman Who Speaks from Her Heart'. Everyone looked around as if they were wondering who this could be. Nahuel looked at me and I went to the woman I had seen in both my vision and the stone, She was seated near the back and had her grandbaby in her arms. When she realized I was looking for her, she handed the baby off to a daughter and came to stand at the front with the others. She was eyeing me wearily from her new vantage point. When Bella and Edward saw her, they both quietly gasped.**

"**Kaure?' They said in amazement together. The woman turned to the sound of her name and then her eyes got wide as she took in my brother.**

"**Mr. Cullen?" she asked a note of fear in her voice. Edward nodded. "Y..you are the Libishomen. Your wife…", She cut off mid-sentence as she realized anyone here with the Jaguar God was not to be mocked.**

"**Kaure?" Bella asked excitement in her voice. Kaure looked blankly at her for a long moment, then she took ten steps forward in Bella's direction as if trying to get a closer look.**

"**Mrs. Cullen?" she asked shocked beyond words. "Is that you?" Bella nodded. Her whole face was bright with a smile. "But how, you're alive. I quit working down in Rio and left. I was haunted with the thought of you dying. I moved back home to my family because I was so upset. But here you are. The baby didn't kill you then?" She was confused.**

"**No, Edward saved me and our baby only now she's not so much a baby anymore. She is a beautiful young lady." Bella further stated bringing Renesmee out in front of her. Kaure flinched back at the sight of Renesmee. Renesmee looked up at her mom in confusion. The tribe had a look of alarm at Kaure's reaction. **

**Bella, who still glanced down at Renesmee continued, "Perhaps you'd better explain it to her Nessie." She grinned and gave her eyes a private roll for her daughter's benefit.**

**It was only a second later I felt Nessie's broadcast to the entire tribe, her greetings with excitement and happiness attached to it**_**. 'Greetings from America, I am Renesmee Cullen and I am happy to meet all of you.'**_** There was a murmur from the crowd. Kaure looked at my little niece again she came even closer.**

"**You are a special little one aren't you?" She said in a hushed voice. Nessie giggled in response. Can you show us what happened at the temples today?" She asked her in that same quiet voice. Nessie nodded and at once we all had a vision, very quick yet very detailed. I guessed all that work with Zafrina was already starting to pay off. This vision was hardly see-through at all. I saw the ceremony at the Temple of the Moon play out quickly and then the Sun Temple's as well. There was audible gasp from the villagers when Samon showed up and announced who he was. Nessie let the vision fade. Now everyone was stunned.**

"**A very special little girl," Kaure breathed. "Well," She continued looking around at the others. "We don't want to keep a god waiting, let's go!" And with that she waved good-bye to her family and headed for the chopper. Everyone else trailed behind her.**

**After a few minutes, we were all situated and Edward powered up the engine. The three Ticunans sat together but often shot glances between Nahuel, Leah, Renesmee, and the backs of Bella and Edward. It was approaching evening when we finally crossed into Peru and went over the main mountain range of the Andes descending towards the rather large city of Pucallpa, nestled up to the Ucayali River. Edward landed at the airport and got us all gassed up.**

"**Where will we find the village here Alice? This seems a lot bigger than the last place." He was right of course. This was a booming metropolitan area. I wondered if he would mind if I hit up a few shops. I took out my stone and gazed at it and thought about the village I had seen in my vision. It came instantly. Not just that, but as I concentrated on it I could tell what direction we needed to head to find it. It wasn't very far away. **

"**It will be to the north, along the river." I said with confidence. I could be back from shopping in the time it would take Edward to go through all the pre-flight checks. I could even take Leah and Bella with me. Edward sighed. Of course, he would have just seen everything in my head, starting with the exact village location I got from the stone.**

"**Just hurry back Alice, Okay?" He said in resignation.**

"**Woohoo!" I sang out. I grabbed Bella and Leah as I flung my purse over my shoulder. "Come on, we've got to hurry."**

**It was very hard to pull myself away from the airport area shops after a mere thirty minutes. I had found some beautiful white lace to make Leah's veil with and a cute safari type utility belt that just screamed 'Emmett'. I was acutely aware of the state of my hands at the last shop as I presented my premium platinum MasterCard to the cashier. Three nails had the polish scraped and dirt was under my thumb nail.**

"**Maybe there's time for a manicure ladies?" I asked hopefully.**

"**I don't think so," Bella smirked at me. "But Renesmee's getting pretty handy with the nail polish if you know what I mean." **

**I had to laugh as I was reminded once more of Samon's parting words to us today in the Sun Temple. He had turned to leave, via the Sun Design mirror in the center of the in the inner chamber, when he looked over at Emmett and said in a very off-handed manner, "Oh, and Emmett, I like what you've done with your nails. It's very expressive." We'd all joined in as he laughed whole –heartedly. He waved and said directly to my mind **_**Good bye Alice. Your life is before you. Make it a good one! I'll see you again. I'm proud of you and I love you**_**. And then he was gone. **

**By the time we'd returned to the airport, Edward had everyone seated and waiting for us. Jasper shook his head when he saw our shopping bags. "Did you forget we need to pick up three more people still?" He prodded me in a teasing manner.**

**As we tried to find room to stash our bounty, I noticed that not just Nahuel, Jacob and Renesmee, but the three Tucuman 'guests' all had little white bags bearing the symbol of the Golden Arches on them. When Leah took her place next to Nahuel, he handed her another white bag. Well, at least they hadn't been just sitting around waiting on me.**

**Soon we were off and headed north along the river. After thirty minutes, as the night descended upon us, we made out the lights in the far horizon of the village of Pucallpa. Unlike the tribe in 'Pico da Neblina' where the villagers were prepared for our visit, this tribe was taken completely by surprise. We landed and there was a flurry of concern from the surrounding huts. Being close to a large city, I was sure a helicopter was nothing new to these people, they just weren't expecting to see one...especially such a large one practically land on them. Everyone looked out their windows and I heard Renesmee's startled gasp.**

"**Look Mommy, that man is stuck!" Sure enough, there was an Indian man with dread locks to his knees, but his right leg was wrapped around his neck. He reminded me of a pretzel. Was there something wrong with this man? Perhaps Carlisle could surgically remove and re-attach his leg properly. But just as we opened the side doors to the chopper, he swung his leg back down to its rightful place. Renesmee giggled and started to try it for herself.**

"**Not in your pretty dress, Nessie." Edward said, while still flipping switches at the pilot controls, "It wouldn't be lady-like." He turned his head back to her and winked. She laughed even more.**

"**Okay, I'll wait until I'm wearing pants but only if you try it with me later." Edward seemed to deliberate for a moment.**

"**Deal," He said.**

"**Hey, if Edward thinks he can do that…then I can too." Emmett boomed as he got out of our bird.**

"**You're on Bro.," Edward smirked. I got a 'vision' of the three of them, in Forks, in our back yard, trying out this new bizarre pretzel move. Renesmee did great and even hopped around like it was nothing. Edward managed it but got out of it just as fast. Emmett, well Emmett wasn't doing so well. He had gotten himself into the mess but was having serious problems with the extrication process. Edward had to stifle a laugh as he 'caught' the vision from my head.**

**When we were all out, Nahuel and Leah again led our group towards the crowd of villagers. Kaure had explained to us during our flight these were 'Shipibo' Indians and they were gifted ceramic workers. At our approach, the chief came forward. He was an older man, who wore a whitish-robe that had long vertical orange stripes on it and a hat made of the same material. He was very friendly and welcomed us all on the spot before even knowing who we were and what our business was with them. I looked over at Jasper to ask with my eyes if he was weaving some magic of his own to help out. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head at me. **

**It didn't take long for Nahuel and Leah to convince the chief and village leaders of exactly who they were and what our purpose was in visiting with them. Of course, Leah's performance of phasing for the women and Nahuel's of calling some Jaguars definitely helped much as it had before. This time Leah was given a Shipibo's traditional skirt, and a pink linen shirt. They took her into a hut and she came out looking exactly like the rest of the women of the village. Nahuel received a robe just like the chief's and they were both given hats with very long feathers coming out the top. A feast was prepared in honor of the Jaguar God and the Wolf Goddess and it was not until all of this was accomplished and the night was dark, that the chief finally was prepared to hear who we needed to accompany us. He insisted we stay the night with them and to take our leave in the morning--quite generous, considering there were now nineteen of us. Of course, my family, the Amazons and Huilen took our leave when the time came to went hunting instead.**

**Everyone had gathered around the campfire. Nahuel motioned for me to come forward with my stone. Then he began. "The first person we need to bring with us, is called, 'The Bead Maker'. The women looked at each other. I guessed many of them made beads. I gazed into my stone and immediately saw us around the fire. Then there was movement in the stone and I saw a young woman half way around the fire from where we stood. She was decorated in beautifully colored cloth, many beads, paint and an interesting headdress having flowers, tassels and feathers in it. She also had a baby in her arms. I hadn't counted on an infant, but she was clearly the one to come, and her baby was clearly too young to be left with Daddy. She came forward and the chief touched his forehead to hers.**

"**Will you go, my child?" he asked her kindly.**

"**Yes, I will, and I will return bringing honor to my people." She replied in what seemed to be a salutation of sorts.**

**Nahuel continued, "The next person we need is called, 'The Lost Leader'." If everyone was confused as to whom the first person was, they were down-right bewildered now. I sighed and looked into the stone. I saw me, Nahuel and 'The Bead Maker' up front with the chief. Then, as it had done before, it panned down the assembled people and finally settled on a man in the back between two bigger more burly looking men. He had short-cropped black hair and 'earrings' that looked like cymbals. The most unusual thing about the man was the long skinny bone through his nose and the paint behind it that gave the appearance of whiskers. The chief saw the vision rest on this individual and there was a murmur of surprise from around the crowd. When the chief walked up to him, he looked startled and confused. Then understanding dawned on him and the confusion seemed to only grow. Clearly this man had no idea he was supposed to be some kind of 'Lost Leader'. **

**The chief made the same request of him that he did with 'The Bead Maker'. He touched his forehead with the other man's and asked simply, "Will you go, my child?"**

**The man finally found his voice and intoned the reply, "Yes, I will, and I will return bringing honor to my people." There were murmurs of ascent as he said these words.**

**Then Nahuel continued, "Our third participant we are seeking is known to us through 'The Morning Sun Star Sapphire' as 'The Seeker of Truths'. Well this one apparently was easier for everyone to guess at. All heads turned to an elderly gentleman before my stone could locate him. But when it did, he was the same man the chief was already moving towards.**

**I blinked twice when I looked at the gentleman before us. I'd thought randomly he must've been a grandfather to 'The Bead Maker' because he had more beads on him than anyone else did. He also wore a huge shell necklace, a large feather sticking out of the side of his nose and an amazing headdress. It was so incredible that I wanted one--badly. His eyes were bright and his stance lively. The chief, who was younger than this man, asked simply, "Will you go, my father?" While touching foreheads.**

**The reply was as swift as it was strong and true. "Yes, I will, and I will return bringing honor to my people." The tribe's people obviously approved of his selection because they clapped and cheered him on.**

**It was shortly after that when the chief called the celebration to an end. Of course, he led Nahuel and Leah to the nicest hut in the village. It probably was his. I knew where I was going…I grabbed Jasper and went off to hunt. **


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One  
Chan Chan

Bella's POV

**After having a pleasant evening with the Shipibo tribe, Edward and I left Renesmee in the care of Jacob for the night and off we went to hunt. Nothing too exciting around but at least it was different. We found a tapir, an ocelot, and a few rather large Capybaras. We took our time, just enjoying each other's company. When the light of another day started to peek out, we headed back to the village.**

"**You know, Edward, I'm a little nervous about what to expect today. Do you think this Chandra will be as nice as her brother?" I asked him as we'd run at a VERY inhuman speed.**

"**I'm a little nervous myself, love. I never in a million years dreamed I'd ever find you. But that wasn't all…no I get to be a father, something I never even hoped to dream of. But to discover THAT wasn't all but I'd have a daughter of my own to love; and not just that, but I'd be the father of the 'Hope of the World'; well that was something I've never dared to hope to dream would ever happen. But wait--there's more, it was all done deliberately, and the person responsible for making it all come around, will be meeting me today for an accounting." Edward was more nervous than I'd ever seen him. His hand curled around mine tightly. "Yes, I think I'm more than a little nervous as well. I certainly DO hope Chandra will be as nice as Samon."**

"**Edward," I said coming to a complete stop. He ran a few more yards and turned around coming back to me with a sigh. "You know you're a good father, right?" I touched his face with my hand. I looked into his eyes and saw the slight tightening there. I knew his face to well to miss that. He was very nervous. Of course, so was I, but Edward seemed to be in the midst of a panic attack, I'd seen and heard them before.**

**He breathed and looked down at his feet. "I'm worried being a 'good' father may not be good enough for the role Nessie has to play. He kicked a log in our path; it shattered against an ancient Kapok Tree trunk. He looked me in the eye. His carefully controlled expression crumbled before my eyes. "I'm scared to death to meet Chandra today."**

"**You shouldn't be. Edward, you were chosen because of who you are. You're the best man I've ever known. Hey," I said. His gaze had shifted back to his feet and I waited until it returned to meet mine before I continued. "I love you mister. Don't forget we're in this together." I wrapped my arms around him. He lifted me off the ground to kiss me better.**

"**How did I get so lucky?" He asked as I braided my fingers through the back of his hair.**

"**Hey, you just stole my question." I told him as I kissed him with reckless abandonment. The feel of his lips on mine strengthened in intensity and before I knew it, we were changing 'activities' again.**

**After a few hours we made it back, still before the village was up and wandered hand in hand through the still quiet huts. All we had to do to find Renesmee was listen for the snores, not that we couldn't track them with our sense of smell, it was just with our highly sensitive ears, the snoring was the first thing we'd heard from over five miles out. We found a little hut and I pulled back the cloth door and peered in. Inside was Renesmee, who opened her eyes to the sound of our approach and Jacob, the source of snoring, the sound of which resonated so loudly a nuclear explosion would have been required to drowned out his racket and get his attention. Nessie smiled hugely and jumped into my arms. I quietly carried her outside to Edward. **

"**How's our little girl today?" I asked while hugging her to me. I spun her around and she giggled.**

"**Fine. Can I go hunting before we leave?" She asked with pleading eyes. "Please, please!!!" We couldn't have taken her with us last night because she needed her sleep, but there was probably a good hour before the sun brightened to normal 'morning' status.**

"**Why Nessie? You ate human food just last night?" I asked her gently but quietly.**

"**Well, we're leaving today for home when we're done at Chan Chan, and Jacob told me Grandpa was meeting us at the airport and I was staying with him for three days. I'm going to have human food a lot. Please can I hunt so I don't starve?" I laughed at her 'over dramatization'. **

"**Well, Mommy was suppose to meet Aunt Alice this morning to get all of our goodies from yesterday packed and your Uncle Emmett said something about needing me to help him hide something, though I have no idea what he's talking about. Let me see what our time frame is like here first." **

**Renesmee got a sulky expression on her face and sighed letting her eyes roll.**

"**You know what Bella Love, I'll take her." Edward said as Nessie started jumping for joy and leapt into her father's open arms.**

"**You're the best Daddy in the whole world!" She declared as she nuzzled noses with him.**

"**What did I tell you," I said with a nod. "Don't forget what Sarah Black said yesterday Edward,"**

"**What?" He had a puzzled look on his face. "To kick him in the shins?"**

"**No Silly, Nessie is ALWAYS right!" I said as Nessie nodded her head in agreement.**

**They took off, leaving me in the stillness of the village. After watching their departure, I heard the sound of someone's approach. As I turned to the sound, I saw the flutter of a doorway flap of a hut nearby. Hopefully I hadn't woken someone up accidentally. I completed the turn and was surprised when the approaching someone was Leah. **

**My initial thought had been, **_**'What have I done now?**_**' I had some adjustments to make where Leah was concerned. Don't get me wrong, I'd always wanted the best for her and I was beyond thrilled for her new future and the pain that has literally been erased, but there's still something that tensed inside whenever she was around. I guessed it was in reaction to her past antagonisms hurled in my general direction. I had noticed the same apprehension yesterday afternoon shopping, even with Alice there for a buffer.**

"**Bella," She said cautiously as she approached. She looked down at her feet on the dirt pathway. "I guess Jake is still sleeping." She said with a nod at the ruckus. I nodded once and looked down myself. I realized I'd unconsciously tensed; waited for a cutting jibe or worse, a violent barrage of words. The silence dragged on until I finally realized it would not come.**

"**You know Bella, I kind of got the impression yesterday that umm, well, that, uh," **

**Okay, now that was weird. Leah was tongue tied around me? Usually her mouth was in calisthenics mode doing high impact tongue lashings. What was going on? How did I react to this person who had been my greatest intimidator? I had no reference for how I should behave around her. She was Jake's beta; maybe I could just treat her like I would anyone else in his pack. Well I could give it a try.**

"**Just spit it out Leah" I said with a sigh; somehow, without the playfulness that would have accompanied these words otherwise, it kind of sounded flat, almost menacing.**

**Her face flashed to mine and I sensed she was extremely uncomfortable. I couldn't help it. I hated to see anyone in pain. No matter who it was. I leaned back against a tree and tried to give her a sympathetic look. She had obviously come out early to talk to me about something. She seemed like she was honestly trying to be 'nice' to me. **

"**Well," She stammered, "it's just a comment my Dad made yesterday at the Sun Temple. It kind of makes me think your Dad and my Mom, may be getting more serious than just dating."**

"**Oh," I said. I'd always liked Sue. She was Seth's mom and she came to my wedding. "I've actually been kind of hoping they would." I confessed, surprising myself with my candor.**

"**Me too," Leah said softly. She paused and then started pacing back and forth in front of me. Not quickly, but at a regular human pace. She was starting to make me nervous as well. Finally she continued, "I've been so worried for her ever since Dad died and this is the happiest I've seen her in the last three years. Your dad makes her happy."**

"**Well, hey," I added shrugging my shoulders. Maybe if I acted all casual, she wouldn't pace so much. "My Dad has been alone a lot longer than that. When I moved here he still had his old wedding picture up. I was very concerned for him. Now the pictures are gone and he's walking around on cloud nine all the time. Your Mom is responsible for that."**

**She paced back and forth a few more times before finally coming to a stop in front of me. It was so abrupt--it was startled. "So, if things continue to progress the way, they appear to be, then you and I would be kind of like sisters. I mean step sisters."**

**Oh, I hadn't thought about that at all. Well, if she hates on me from the Amazon most of the time, then it might not be too bad. We were both going to be around a lot longer than either of our parents would be. What exactly was she proposing here? A truce? Would we need one…it had been a pretty one-sided war so far.**

"**The thing is Bella, I made a huge mistake about you." That was unexpected. She took a deep breath and continued "You're really a great person. You're a fantastic mother, a loyal friend, apparently a loving wife and an exceptional daughter. I didn't see that. I blamed you for everything bad that happened to me when none of it was your fault. Some of the things that infuriated me, were things I just didn't understand, but now--I think I do."**

**Was it my imagination, or had Leah just apologized to me? **

"**Anyway," She continued. "I was kind of hoping maybe we could turn over a new leaf. You know kind of start over. I've never had a sister before and maybe I would like to have one. Maybe we could try to…well…I know it's really presumptuous of me to assume you'd…that…you'd forgive and forget…but, if you think you could, then I would really …like…no, appreciate that."**

**I couldn't help it. Her sincerity was evident in her every clumsily placed word. She was doing her best to apologize to me. How could I not do as she asked? **

"**Of course, I forgive you Leah. There is nothing I would like more than to be friends with you." Her relief was palatable at my words. Her tense stance relaxed.**

"**Really?" She breathed and caught me up in an awkward, tentative hug. She averted her nose, trying to be subtle about it. Goodness, you'd think she'd never hugged a vampire before. Hmmm, come to think of it, maybe she hadn't. She pulled back just as hesitantly a tiny smile playing across her lips. "Thank you Bella, really, thank you."**

**We started walking towards the sounds of early risers coming from around us and I saw that same door flap move as we passed. "You know what Leah, having sisters is kind of neat. I didn't have sisters or brothers before I got married…now I have some fantastic ones. I could show you all the perks of having a sister. It's kind of cool actually."**

**When we got to the main pavilion, we found Esme and Carlisle helping to prepare a fire for feeding our hungry traveling companions. "Good morning Bella, Leah" Carlisle called with a smile in his voice. Of course, they'd heard our entire conversation.**

**Esme smiled as warmly as ever clearly pleased at our new 'relationship'. "Would you ladies care to help me out here?"**

"**Absolutely," I said as Leah assented as well. Our traveling guests were almost as surprised as the entire Shipibo tribe was to wake up to the smell of breakfast cooking, by their Wolf Goddess and well, I didn't know what they made of the rest of us. Kaure knew what we were at least. Speaking of Kaure, she sauntered over to help out with the food preparations. Then the local women jumped in to help and before I knew it, breakfast was over with.**

**Jacob had been looking around for Nessie and I told him Edward had taken her out hunting. He nodded and wandered off to get ready for the day. I worked with Alice and soon we were all packed up and ready to go. Edward and Renesmee were still out hunting so I spent a little time watching the tribe's women paint beautiful ceramic vases. Leah had followed me over and before I knew it, the women had both of us painting our own vases with them our teachers. They seemed to take as much pride in instructing as they did in their own handiwork. When we were half way done, the elderly woman we had picked up yesterday stopped me to admire my design work. I was worried it wasn't up to 'par', but after she studied it intently, she had me add a few lines in a different design and finally received her nod of approval.**

**When Edward returned with Nessie, they watched us with rapt interest. Once I caught Edward very subtly tap his watch once and I made my apologies for our departure. Edward raised an eyebrow at the sudden attitude reversal between Leah and me but otherwise said nothing. We rounded up the rest of the family. I had been pleasantly surprised to find Rosalie and Esme surrounded by the children of the tribe, learning their songs and stories. There were three small children fighting over whose turn it was to sit in Rosalie's lap. Emmett watched the whole thing with an amused expression on his face. Esme got her face painted by a twelve year old girl who took her charge very seriously.**

**When we finally got everyone situated in the helicopter for takeoff, I looked back at the villagers as they waved good bye. For the first time since we'd arrived in the Amazon, I felt as though I was a part of something instead of an outsider. I wondered absently if some of it came from the relief…no, the freedom… I felt from letting go of the resentment I had all but unconsciously clung to towards Leah. It had been a truly liberating moment for me.**

**Edward had me run through the check list with him before 'lift-off', from my 'co-pilot' seat. Who would have every thought I would learn to …well; sort of learn anyway, to fly one of these things? Really Edward did all the flying, but he humored me. You know, letting me take over as 'Co-Pilot' for a minute or two.**

**I enjoyed the sights out of the front window of the helicopter today as much as yesterday. I'd gotten pretty comfortable with all the things Edward had taught me about flying the chopper and we were a good two hours into our three hour flight when Edward pointed out his window to me.**

"**Bella, look there!" He said excited. When I looked out, I saw the most amazing things. There were huge line drawings in the ground. I could only tell what they were from the sky. One was a humming bird, one a spider. There were large images of, fish, orcas, llamas, lizards.**

"**Wow!" was my brilliant response. "How old are these?" I asked him. I knew he'd know--after all Edward knew everything! **

**They are believed to have been created from between 200 BCE to 700 CE, made by the Nazca Indians. Named after them, in fact; called the Nazca Lines."**

"**I remember reading something about these once. Aren't they supposed to be for space travelers or something?" The memory was way too fuzzy because it was something from my human mind.**

"**That's one theory. Of course, with the flying ships Samon's family traveled in, who knows?" He was thoughtful for a minute. "See that one?" He said, pointing to one out my side. "They say that one is a landing strip."**

"**Yes. I could see how that could look like an airport or something. Huh!"**

"**Nessie," Edward called, "Come up here and let me show you the Nazca Lines!" She was in his lap in a flash. They enjoyed looking out the side and identified all the different shapes. In fact, everyone stared out the windows. I continued to check all the controls, my hand on my control stick. **_**'Hey, hello earth to pilot. Don't forget you're flying here.'**_** I was getting antsy. **

"**Edward…" I said in a strained voice. I felt the panic increase. The helicopter was going along just fine, but he wasn't paying good enough attention to his controls for my comfort. "Hello, Mr. Pilot…don't forget you're flying this bird." By the end I was speaking through clenched teeth.**

**Edward laughed low and gentle. "Bella, you're silly. You've been flying this bird solo for the last forty four minutes and ten seconds."**

"**What?" The horror of our eminent crash filled me with dread. The chopper dipped as if in response.**

"**Whoa, whoa", Emmett hollered. "We're all going to die!"**

"**Very funny Emmett," Edward practically hissed at him as he helped me right the craft and told me very calmly to just keep it going straight and keep an eye on my bearings. Then he went back to identifying Nazca lines with Nessie. When we were past them, he took over the controls and I let out a sigh of relief. Then again, I was FLYING a helicopter, by myself. That was really something! And we didn't even crash or anything! The feelings I had were surreal and excited, almost giddy. There was a huge grin on my face I couldn't get rid of it no matter how hard I tried. Edward had quite a smug expression on his face and let out a chuckle.**

"**What?" I demanded. Was he going to make fun of my little 'dip'?**

"**Oh nothing, it was just a lot of fun watching you fly the friendly skies. You're a pretty hot pilot you know, and here I thought it was just supposed to be the stewardesses that were that way."**

"**Right!" I rolled my eyes and sighed. Then I spotted ruins in the sand to our right. "Look there! What is that?" I pointed to the area in question. I could see it lined right up with our landing destination on our navigation system.**

"**That, my dear, is Chan Chan." He said grinning again.**

"**That is so cool!" I breathed. Then, deciding to play along with my 'duties' I added, "Well, I can multi-task. Watch me be a pilot and an airline attendant at the same time!" I held up our radio handset and spoke into it without pressing the button.**

"**Attention, passengers for flight 001 of Cullen Airlines. We are approaching Chan Chan, our final destination. The temperature here is a wonderful sunny 68 degrees Fahrenheit / 20 degrees Celsius. Please make sure all trays and seats are in their upright position. And as always, thank you for flying with us."**

**Renesmee and our guests all clapped. Emmett told me to not quit my day job but Alice cuffed him one. It was just after one o'clock in the afternoon. Alice informed us we had six hours before we needed to leave to get to Lima, for our return flight home. We were in luck. A bus full of tourist had just left and hopefully, there wouldn't be anyone around while we were there. Our landing kicked up a sand storm. It seemed to die down as the blades slowed to a stop. We exited our aircraft while our 'human/werewolf' friends stretched and looked for 'facilities'. That was one aspect of being human that I definitely didn't miss.**

**Within five minutes, we were all settled and ready to explore. Well not explore precisely, rather our task was to find the entrance through the Sun Temple ruins above ground to the lower level. It was a good thing that Alice made us all change before we left the village into long pants, long-sleeved shirts and hats with scarves and sun glasses. Otherwise, we would be sparkling for anyone in the visitor's center. I only hoped that if spmeone was in there that they wouldn't have noticed our arrival; right--with a chopper and a sand storm! Well when we approached the ruins no one came out of the small building so maybe they had left with the tour group? Or maybe it was more than luck. Maybe, Samon was somehow behind this, or maybe Chandra. When I thought of her I started getting nervous inside again. Yesterday was amazing with Samon, but no one knew he was going to come. No one had time to get apprehensive. This time I knew Chandra was coming--coming to talk to me. It made me as excited as it did nervous, as impatient as I dreaded the moment. **

**I began studying the ancient clay walls for a distraction. There was an unusual circular pattern to them. I read a plaque at the entrance surprised to learn that the ruins used to have over 100,000 inhabitants. Its enormous walls were generously decorated with raised geometric figures, animal stylization and mythological creatures. It looked pretty good for an ancient city that was over 2,000 years old. I went into the first open courtyard and started to study the art work that was so detailed and skillfully placed in the walls.**

"**What are you doing, Bella?" Edward asked as he came up behind me and wound his arms around my waist. "You're acting like a tourist here, not the 'Key Holder'." He chuckled once and ducked to kiss my neck. His chuckle had a nervous edge to it.**

"**You just made that name up to make me more nervous." I added trying to hide my own rising panic. "Honestly, right this minute, I think I'd prefer to be a tourist." I fidgeted with my hands. That by itself should have been the dead giveaway because I had never fidgeted since becoming a vampire.**

"**Don't worry, love." He said into my neck. "We're in this together. Besides," He went on with over done casualness, "If Chandra is anything like Samon, we'll be so happy to meet her we'll forget all about our nerves." **

**I sighed and turned around to kiss him. It was just about the only thing that helped to calm my growing apprehension.**

"**There you two are," Emmett said in mock surprise. "I guess, you think kissing will help us find the entrance to the Sun Temple." He added wiggling his eyebrows at us.**

"**No Emmett, I don't" I added, "But this just might." I gestured to a big sign behind him that held a map with the words '**_**you are he**_**re' on it. In the middle of the complex was a symbol and the word 'Temple of the Sun'.**

**He walked off muttering under his breath, "Just like a woman…get directions from a map."**

**We made our way to the remains of the crumbling Sun Temple. It didn't look like much at all. It was in no way preserved as the one in Akahim had been. We had to sneak around some barricades to get to the crumbling steps that led downward.**

**I remembered from yesterdays instructions read by Zafrina in the Inner Temple, that the Chimor people performed a ritual that moved the main temple plazas of the city underground. We would have to access it from the stairs leading down from the supposed remains of the Sun Temple. It would only be accessed by 'The Jaguar God' and 'The Wolf Goddess'. Well it seemed as though Alice was in charge of this show for now. She led us directly to the stairs that were hidden beneath a large slab of rock that she deftly lifted out of the way. Then she took us down a hole as dark as night. The staircase was very small and crowded. 'The Bead Maker's baby cried for the first time today. We proceeded despite the cries as there was no room to adjust positions or give the little mother room to care for her baby even if she could've seen. Our Indian company became uneasy because of the dark; I suddenly remembered how I'd felt in a dark underground passageway surrounded by vampires. It had pretty much terrified me too. I realized that I hadn't thought about our human companion's needs very much. Had I forgotten so quickly what it was like to be human? Shouldn't I remember best of all, since it was only two years ago that I **_**was**_** one? **

**When we got to the bottom, we were in a very small room. It reminded me of the one at the base of the stairs leading to the tunnels in Akahim. Of course I could see fine. Nahuel and Leah placed their palms on a panel by the side of the door and two things happened. First, small shafts opened in the ceiling just about five inches each, which allowed rays of sun to stream into the room. I heard a collective sigh of relief from the Ticunans and the Shipibos. The second thing to happen was that the heavy metal door ahead of us unlocked. Nahuel swung it open and we entered the underground city of Chan Chan.**

**We were along an outside ledge of what looked like a mountain face. There were about a six hundred foot drop from our ledge to the floor. We were about half way between the top and the bottom of the arena that loomed ahead of us and filled our vision. There were two complete pyramids, one slightly larger than the other. There were smaller buildings, walls, statues, even fountains in the main plaza that suddenly started flowing water from an unknown source and filled the water basins. Light streamed in through many openings in the ceiling. I guessed many of them had just opened up because there was a scent here of old dust. Just as suddenly a nice breeze of air came from our left. **

**I looked at the path ahead of us. It twisted around the inside of the outer wall for a good three and a half mile hike. This didn't bother me at all, I remembered a time when it would have been my undoing. Then I remembered our human companions. Many of them were older and one with a baby--a baby who still cried despite the mother's efforts. **

'_**Maybe we should help them get to the bottom safely.'**_** I thought as I went to the oldest lady there, 'The Ancient Sage' and picked her up carefully. She'd been having a hard enough time just getting this far and I chided myself that I hadn't try to assist her earlier. She was alarmed when I first approached her but I gave her my best smile and she seemed to appreciate my efforts. Not to be outdone, Emmett gathered up the elderly gentleman, our 'Seeker of Truth' and did the same. Thankfully, we could all still understand each other because the 'Seeker' told Emmett that he wasn't as 'pretty' as I was but he'd do. I thought it funny but Emmett just muttered something about everyone being a comedian. Esme offered to take 'The Bead Maker's' baby and when the child was in Esme's arms she stopped crying right away becoming very peaceful.**

**Before we knew it we were at the base of the underground city and Nahuel stood in front and addressed us as a group.**

"**Welcome everyone to the City of Chan Chan! We're here today, as you well know, to open the underground tunnel and inner chambers of the Temple of the Moon and the Sun Temple. Our first task will be to open the underground tunnel. This will be accomplished by 'The Monkey Hunter'." The young man in red decorations came to the front to stand beside Nahuel. "You will open it with this stone." Huilen opened the chest and handed Nahuel the smaller blue topaz. This topaz would fit nicely inside of Renesmee's hand. It was a wide oval shape to it but was multi-cut to sparkle like crazy. **

"**Alice, if you will continue to lead the way, as you've seen our path already," Nahuel said as he gestured with his hand. Alice led us through a few side passageways and before we knew it we were far away from the brightly lit arena and going in a path that looked as though it was carved from the stone. I still carried "The Ancient Magi', she was feather light and seemed content enough allowing me to do her walking for her. It was only fifteen minutes of twists and turns before we came to another small room. As with the one in Akahim, this one had three stone doors all sealed shut. The center one had a small indentation above it that matched the size of the Blue Topaz exactly. 'The Monkey Hunter' placed the stone to the indentation and 'voila' the three doors opened with a grinding sound. 'The Monkey Hunter' gave the gem back to Nahuel and Alice led us back through the maze until we were once again in the arena.**

"**Now we will begin our ceremonies at The Temple of the Moon." Nahuel began. "This will be the smaller temple to the left of The Sun Temple. For this to happen, we will need, 'The Bead Maker'," The young mother gratefully handed her baby once more to Esme and went to the front by Nahuel. "And 'The Woman Who Speaks from her Heart'," Kaure came forward and joined them. She was actually starting to smile. Nahuel proceeded to explain what would happen in The Temple of the Moon. I noted it was exactly the same process that had been done in Akahim…even down to it just being for women and Nahuel inside the inner chamber. We climbed the steps of the pyramid and I did not put 'The Ancient Magi' down until we were in the outer chamber. She actually gave me a hug when I did. Hopefully that was out of kindness for the assistance and not because she was grateful I'd finally put her down. 'The Bead Maker' placed the same oval Blue Topaz gem in the Keyport by the side of the door and it slid open to reveal the inner chamber.**

**The only difference here was that the room glowed with a bluish light to it whereas in The Moon Temple in Akahim, it glowed with a green one. Of course, we had used a jade gem in the temple yesterday and this one used a blue topaz. Maybe that was the difference. All of the women poured into the tiny room. There were fifteen of us crowded in the room that was the size of a small gazebo. I immediately sought out the bench behind me. I was surprised that Kaure made a point of deliberately sitting next to me. I was afraid I'd had accidentally scared her yesterday although I couldn't have been more delighted to see her. As soon as she sat down, Nahuel motioned to her to join him so Kaure looked me in the eye and told me to save her seat. I smiled at her and said I would. Rose had Renesmee in her lap and Esme still held a very happy Indian baby. Nahuel gave Kaure the Blue topaz and she placed it into the block Keyport. The gem slid down and locked into place. The entire Keyport began to glow blue. Kaure came and sat back down, only this time she surprised me again by taking hold of my hand. She must not have been scared at all. I was so happy in that moment that I looked at her smiling face and smiled back. Nahuel and Leah placed their hands on the 'Bar of Light' which started to pulse with a stronger and stronger blue light. Then just like yesterday, we were bathed in light, blue this time. It got brighter and brighter and as it did, the connection I felt to every other woman in the room intensified. **

**What was interesting this time, was that with Kaure holding my hand, my first connection was with her. As soon as I felt it, she spoke to my mind. Actually it was stronger than just speaking to my mind, it was more like somehow, our souls were connected, shared. I could sense her feelings and thoughts as if they were my own. I felt her feelings two years ago when she came to Isle Esme the first time. I felt her terror for my safety. I felt her try to keep her terror from showing and thinking she must be a crazy woman to believe the old stories…she was seeing demons that didn't exist. Then the second visit where she had come bearing a fish dinner as an excuse to make sure I was alright. How she had checked the color in my cheeks and was so relieved, only to see me get sick and clutch at my stomach…my stomach that was clearly rounder than it had been a week earlier. The horror she had felt at that moment. She knew then for sure what Edward was. She knew he had brought me here to kill me bearing his demon spawn. She was so infuriated that she yelled at him. She didn't even care if it was the last thing she would ever say. In fact, she was sure he would kill her. But she could not let him go on thinking he had fooled her. Then he had stopped speaking Portuguese and started speaking Ticunan. She was startled. She asked him if he was a blood drinker and he had quietly said yes. She had crossed herself, just in case he killed her now, so that she'd make it out alright. She started to accuse him of luring me there to breed his monster spawn and told him that I was as good as dead. But then he had surprised her. His expression had become agonized. He pled with her to tell him what to do to stop it. She had no answer that he wanted to hear. It was in this moment that she realized that although Edward was a monster, he was not a demon. He hadn't brought me there to kill me and had no idea that offspring was even possible for him. She'd understood in that moment that Edward loved me and was really there on his honeymoon with me and was in more agony over my 'condition' then she was. A deep sadness had filled her as she watched the comprehension settle over Edward of how grave things were. I saw her come towards me and place a hand on my stomach in response to Edward's question of what will happen to me and she said with infinite sadness, 'Morte'. **

**Then I saw her leave that night on the boat and how she had gone to her small home in Rio and prayed all night for my safety. She'd cried for two weeks. Then she left for her jungle home, shattered.. She had desperately tried to get the haunting images out of her mind. But I saw her efforts had been unsuccessful, and that the memories caused her great sadness. Then I saw how shocked she was to see me yesterday when she saw that I had become like Edward. She realized he must have changed me to save my life. I felt the joy that filled her when Renesmee touched her mind and shared the visitation of Samon. I saw how this great woman was able to put all of the fear aside from herself and knew that if we were in the company of The Jaguar God and The Wolf Goddess, and sent by Samon, that we were okay and could be trusted despite what we were. Then she showed me how she had watched me throughout the day: flying the chopper, playing with my daughter, talking to Jacob, being affectionate with Edward, talking to Leah, helping feed people even though I didn't eat food myself, and taking an interest in the traditions of the Shipibo. She was no longer afraid but admired me and thought I was a great woman. This so surprised me that I opened my feelings to her as well.**

**I let her see how I felt upon realizing what she had done to come out to check on me and how brave I thought she was to risk angering a vampire to check on my safety. I let her know how that gesture had made me feel. I let her see that I thought she was courageous and that I believed that she was 'The Woman Who Speaks from Her Heart'. **

**I gave her hand a light squeeze. I was so focused on Kaure, that I didn't understand that the connection I had with Kaure had been experienced by every woman in the room. When we lifted our gaze from each other, we were both surprised to see everyone looking at us. Then the connection was strengthened even more and feelings were shared between all of us. **

'**The Ancient Magi' showed me what an honor it was to be here today and how happy she was because when she was shown the vision and knew that she was old and wouldn't be able to have the stamina to endure the hike. She was shown she would be carried by one who loves with her whole heart. She thanked me for thinking of her and her needs. I felt a connection to 'The Bead Maker' and her baby, to my family and my sweet little girl. I loved the feeling of 'reconnection' once again with Alice and the feeling that came from Rosalie had a subtle change from what they had been yesterday. They were now more tranquil. Also the feelings I got from Leah were more calm and peaceful than before. As exhilarating as the experience had been yesterday, today it was an entirely different feeling. Had I changed as well to notice it? I didn't know. I'd have to think about it some more. **

**Finally the light began to lessen with each pulse and with it the inner connection as well. In a matter of three minutes and twenty one seconds, the room had returned to its previous illumination and we were released from our 'shared' connection. We looked around at each other with broad smiles. It was even more exhilarating than before. I thought over why that was and decided it must have been that I, being more in tune with myself and those around me, was better prepared for the experience. I looked over to Kaure who threw an arm around my waist. There were tears in her eyes. That was how we'd left the Inner Chamber of the Temple of the Moon. I didn't get a chance to go to Edward, as not only Esme, but Alice and Rosalie all threw their arms around him, as their sharing in Kaure's memories of the scene from Esme's Island had played out for them as well and they were affected seeing the stress Edward had faced anew.**

**We made our way to the Sun Temple, where Nahuel stopped us before entering and once again went over our parts in the ceremony. Then I helped 'The Ancient Magi' up the many steps to the top of The Sun Temple. We entered and went to the Outer Chamber where 'The Lost Leader' set the larger trillion shaped Blue Topaz to the indentation to the side of the door and it opened soundlessly to an already lit Inner Chamber. When I entered this Inner Temple, it was very similar to the one in Akahim, but it had colorful murals on the walls and a different sun symbol design on the floor. Everyone took their place at the outer ring of the design on the floor. Edward took my hand and squeezed it tightly. I looked at him and saw the slight tightening around his eyes. His panic was back. This brought mine back to the surface again. I took a deep breath to steady myself. **

'_**Oh Help'**_**, I thought.**

**Nahuel, called me to the Keyport, where he handed me the trillion-shaped large blue topaz. I held it in my hand, went over to the Keyport and set it on top of the block. It slipped effortlessly into place. The entire block glowed blue and it lit the room even brighter. It looked like the morning sun was shining around us. I went back to my place beside Edward.**

**Next Nahuel called 'The Seeker of Truth' forward and we all heard the sound of stone grinding as a stone chest came out of the floor. The elderly gentleman reached in and took out a skin scroll. After opening it and looking at it for a minute, he started reading. As before, he read in his native tongue but I heard it in English. He read from the Chronicles of Akakor:**

_**So they went forth, the warriors of the Chosen Tribes, armed with bows and arrows. They went as far as the High Mountains and down to the Great River. They passed through flocks of animals and birds, with their knives at the ready and with sharp bamboo lances. And they also went over the Great Cataract where they were to keep watch. They stood at the four paths, at the Blue and at the Black, at the Red and at the Yellow Way. There they stood and stabbed to death the White Barbarians who dared to advance toward Akakor.**_

_**The Gods kept us waiting. Although the priests had calculated their return to be close at hand, their golden ships did not appear. My people were alone in their fight against the White Barbarians, who slowly and inexorably were integrating the Great Forest into their empire. But the Ugha Mongulala were not defeated yet. Men still lived according to the laws of Lhasa, protected by the knowledge and the wisdom of our Former Masters.**_

_**To make the following comprehensible, I must once again tell about the Golden Age when the Gods still ruled over a vast empire on earth. For thousands of years, the priests have kept and preserved the Gods' bequest. Nothing has been lost, neither the knowledge of the Ancient Fathers nor the secret documents that are kept in the underground Great Temple of the Sun. These are mysterious pictures, maps, and drawings made by the Gods, telling about the enigmatic and dark prehistory of the earth.**_

**Next, Nahuel called Edward to the center of the Sun Symbol and gave him 'The Morning Sun Star Sapphire' to hold out in front of him. The light hit it and, like yesterday, sent a shaft of light to a specific area on one wall where Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri set to work at once deciphering the writing. After a few minutes, Zafrina turned towards our circle and spoke as Senna and Kachiri read the ancient text.**

"**The Instructions for the next ceremonies are as follows: The ancient city of Macchu Picchu. You will find those for the ceremonies from the Murunahua and the Yanomami Tribes." She then went on to tell the titles of those who would perform the rituals and ended by giving a listing of the remaining nine ancient cities where ceremonies would be held within the next year. They were Ofir, Cajamarquilla, Cuzco, Nara, Paititi, Cadira, Chavin, Salazere and finally Akakor itself.**

**After the three Amazon vampires returned to their position in the circle, 'The Ancient Magi' went to the Keyport and upon placing her hand over it had her sight opened to the same vision that Alice had told us about yesterday with a few differences. This vision did not focus on us so much as other Amazonian people who would be in attendance. There was mention of the battle that would wage to prevent the ceremonies from finishing along with the warning to beware of 'The Two-Faced Man' and 'The Pale Warrior'. The one difference here was the addition of a fearsome beast.**

**When she returned to her spot in the circle, Nahuel and Leah went to the 'Bar of Knowledge' and placed their hands on it as the light pulsed brighter and brighter in response. When the bar released them they returned to the circle. Immediately upon their return, 'The Morning Sun Star Sapphire' that was resting in Edward's hand immediately started glowing brighter and brighter until it was as bright as looking into the sun. It burned into a pillar in the center of the sun symbol where Edward had stood earlier. As yesterday, we began to see movement in the center of the intense light. Then the light began to fade and we were looking at a beautiful woman. She had shoulder length blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She wore a simple blue floor length gown and a gold necklace with the sun design on its front. **

**Edward gasped.**

**At the same time, she turned towards me and looked me in the eye. I heard her musical voice in my mind, **_**'Hello Isabella Marie Swan Cullen. I am Chandra. Welcome to the Sun Temple here in the ancient city of Chan Chan. I am so very happy to finally get to speak with you in person. Please be at ease here with me and know that you are dearly loved by not just me but my entire family.'**_

**As soon as she released me from her gaze, Edward whispered to me, "My reckless angel!"**

*****Disclaimer: The Nazca Lines…while in Peru, were NOT on the way to Chan Chan…I…umm…moved them :)**


	22. Chapter 22

Part IV: The Edward and Bella StoryChapter Twenty Two  
The Reckless Angel

Edward's POV

**There I stood in the circle around the sun design in the inner chamber of 'The Sun Temple' in the underground ruins of the ancient city of Chan Chan. My gift of mind reading had annoyingly stopped once again, the minute I'd stepped across the threshold to the Inner Chamber. It was so much quieter than I was use to that it felt disconcerting. This did nothing to help my apprehension. I held in my hand, 'The Morning Sun Star Sapphire' that had just a mere ten minutes previously shone ancient writing on the wall for Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri to decipher. The same gem that had suddenly became active again, and burned with a greater light by the second. Its light was blinding and seemed to shoot into a column in the center of the sun design. When it was as bright as the sun itself, I sensed movement within its brilliance. The light then finally lessened in intensity until it burned out, leaving the gem as it was before and a beautiful goddess stood before me. I knew her at once, though I'd never met her. I thought her to be something I had conjured up in my mind to explain Bella's presence in my life--as if I were in some way worthy of her. This woman went far beyond the image I held for her in my mind's imagination from that night four years, five months and ten days ago; that night after saving Bella from the human monsters in Port Angeles, while watching her sleep, I had fancied an angel with sky-colored eyes that brought Bella to me as my reward for trying to overcome my 'monster' nature. Chandra was that angel, responsible for the mischief that brought Bella into my world. She turned and looked directly at my beautiful Bella and I felt my wife relax at my side. As soon as her gaze shifted from Bella to Alice at her other side, I whispered to her, "My reckless angel." Even my whisper was laced with stress.**

**As she turned in her circle, I considered her face as opposed to that of my imagination. I had thought my angel to be foolish but Chandra looked very intelligent and wise. I had thought her careless but Chandra looked to be very thoughtful, taking care with the things she did. Her face was full of kindness. Why did I even bother to compare the two? One was a mere errant thought I'd conjured in my mind to give me hope, the other was real and standing a mere five feet away from me. It took eight minutes and thirteen seconds before she had completed the circuit and I found her penetrating blue eyes pierce me with a gentle probing intensity while I heard her clear and musical voice ring in my head like wind chimes in a summer breeze, **_**'Hello Edward Anthony Mason Cullen. I am Chandra. Welcome to the Sun Temple here in the Ancient City of Chan Chan. I cannot tell you how very happy I am to finally get to meet you in person and tell you how you are everything and more that my family and I hoped you would be. Be at peace here and know that you are loved more than you know.'**_

**Chandra then addressed everyone speaking out loud for the first time. As with anyone's 'mental voice' I had heard, Chandra's actual voice matched the sound it had when it rang through my head. "I would like to invite the Amazons to join me first in my 'home chamber'." She gestured to a side wall, where a door opened to reveal like yesterday, a hidden room. "I'd also like for 'The Jaguar God' and 'The Wolf Goddess' to join us." She turned to lead half our group into the smaller room, but turned back, and added, "Jacob Black, you need to eat. You will find sandwiches left for you in the outer chamber. My dear Cullens, please be at ease and I will spend more time visiting with you after I have counseled with the Ticunas and the Shipibos. With that she turned and went into her chamber. **

**She left the door open though and it was possible to hear what was being said in the room beyond. I tried to distract myself from the conversations that began in the other room by thinking of Chandra and what Samon had told us about her yesterday.**

**Just her names and titles were enough to send me reeling inside. I knew that this alone was at least in part, responsible for my anxiety of the last twenty four hours. It was rather convenient to have a vampire mind with which to hear lectures once twenty years ago from a 'Mythology of the World' course and recall not just every word spoken by the professor, but all of the names and meanings from the thick text's glossary I'd previously perused as well. I pulled this data from my vast stores of memory to reflect on the meanings of what Samon told us about his sister.**

**The name Chandra itself was the name of a Hindu goddess meaning, 'Glowing in the Moon'. She was a goddess of love and fertility. **

**Samon said she was called Aphrodite, this was of course the Greek goddess of love.**

**Named Isis to the ancient Egyptians--Isis was the mother earth goddess to them. She was also wife of Osiris. **

**He also called her Briget. To the Celtics and Irish she being 'the exalted one'. **

**He called her Juno-the ancient Roman goddess of fidelity and marriage, also the protector. **

**Also to the Romans she was known as Venus-goddess of love, beauty and fertility. **

**Sarasvati, a goddess in India, of wisdom and learning. **

**Deborah—****the****queen bee goddess of early Mycenae and Anatolia, identified with the 'Tree of Life'. **

**Zorya, to Russia, who was the 'Morning Star' who opens the heavenly gates at day and allows the chariot of the sun to enter. **

**Kuan Yin, Chinese goddess of mercy and love. **

**Estsanatlehi, American Navajo Indians, means 'the changing woman'.**

**No wonder Samon had shaken his head and said she was busy. I idly wondered if he had even given us a full accounting of her many names, picked up over the last ten thousand years or so. At least she seemed to be friendly and thankfully, not disappointed in me.**

**My beautiful wife came up to me and wrapped her arms around me. It never ceased to amaze me that she was mine. That she was alive and loved me. Whenever she wrapped her arms around me I felt so much love burn through me it was hard to focus on anything else. I couldn't imagine how I'd survived my first one hundred and five years of existence without her. I stared into her beautiful eyes. Even though they were a buttery-honey gold, I still somehow saw a familiar chocolate brown swimming within their depths every time I looked into them. Once again, I was hypnotized, trapped in those eyes and the silent thoughts they guarded. Yes, Bella had been the pivotal person to me. She turned my existence into a life. A life I'd never dreamed to have. I had been forever changed by her love. I had in no way, deserved her, yet here she was still by my side—my joy, my happiness, my everything, my wife, my Bella.**

'_**What are you thinking about Sweetheart?**_**' she opened her shield to my mind. I was always a little pleasantly startled when she allowed me in unannounced like this, but as I was hearing no one just then, it was a particular relief. I guessed Chandra was allowing this sort of shared mental communication.**

"**I was just thinking about you actually," I said, bending down to touch my forehead with hers.**

'_**That sounds boring**_**.' She thought back with a dubious expression playing on her face.**

**I shook my head--if she had any idea. "Silly, the boring part was **_**before**_** I met you." I said, as I tightened my arms around her.**

'_**What do you think of Chandra?**_**' She mentally quarried me. **

"**I think I'm about to find out from Chandra that I'm even luckier than I've ever imagined." I responded in breathless amazement.**

'_**I kind of got that for me as well**_**.' She leaned up on her toes and kissed me quickly. '**_**Although, getting you was the luckiest thing I could have ever asked for**_**.' Just when I thought I couldn't get any luckier lost in this perfect moment with my beautiful wife, my sweet daughter suddenly jumped on my back and tried to pry my face off of her mother's.**

"**Daddy," She giggled. "Let my poor mommy breathe." I swung her around so that we could both hold our little miracle. The moment was one of pure bliss. At moments like these, when I had both of my girls in my arms, I'd swear I could almost feel my heart begin beating again. **

"**Wow, who is that?" Renesmee said, as she pointed over my shoulder. Bella and I looked over to see a translucent being appear in the center of the sun design and start to walk towards the open door where Chandra held her council. As he walked he gained substance until he was practically solid upon entering the next room. I heard Kaure let out a startled cry. Apparently her gift was a visit from her husband who had drowned in a boating accident some thirty years ago. I was happy for Kaure, happy that she could see the love of her life again. I cringed at the thought of being without my Bella for even a day, then Chandra gave Kaure the knowledge that she would be with him again someday. Kaure was given a charge to start to catalog the plants in her region for medicinal purposes. She was further instructed to enlist the help of Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri in receiving the necessary materials to begin her library. I focused on the others in the ante chamber and heard as the other gifts were presented.**

'**The Ancient Magi' received strength and knowledge with a charge to teach those in her tribe the ancient ways of truth and prepare them for the day of deliverance. 'The Monkey Hunter' was given the strength of ten men and a charge to make and prepare weapons dipped in the sap of the ****Curare vine and to prepare an elite fighting force that could fight from the cover of the jungle. He was charged to learn from the three Amazon vampires the art of 'invisible fighting' that was lost with the fall of the twelve ancient cities. The Ticunas were given a bag of gems to convert and help the tribe fulfill their charge.**

**The Shipibo Indians also received a bag of gems to convert and help in the fulfillment of their charges. "The Bead Maker' was given the gift of becoming a seer and was charged to use that gift to find all the descendents of the Ugha Mongulala within a hundred mile radius of her village. Once located, she was to have them meet with 'The Lost Leader' who was of the ancient royal line of the Machica, whose descendants became the Chimor nation that founded Chan Chan. When they were gathered, they were to return here to Chan Chan and prepare the city to become their home and a metropolitan area again. That should be interesting, considering it was an abandoned ruin and an archaeological preservation area. I saw another man appear then at the center of the sun design. This one was also Indian but was quite a bit older and was finely arrayed in colorful robes of an earlier time. He turned out to be this young man's ancestor who was the last known ruler of the Machica people. The elderly man who was 'The Seeker of Truth' was given greater wisdom and more mental stores to utilize in acquiring more knowledge, with the charge that he use this gift to enlighten and teach his people, thus preparing them for their destiny as a people of great learning.**

**When Chandra was done with these representatives from the Ticuna, Shipibo and apparently also the Machica tribes, she gave them their leave to go to the outer chambers where food was prepared for them. As I heard them get up to leave, I remembered Jacob getting the same charge and saw that he still had yet to return to the inner chamber. Hopefully he'd left some for our hungry human companions. Jacob could really put it away. He'd eat as much as you put in front of him, no matter how much that was. Once I bought his pack an entire 16" pizza and an 8 piece order of buffalo wings. He scarfed the whole thing before it hit the dining room table. When poor Seth came to get some, Jacob got a mortified expression on his face and commented, "That was for everyone?" Just then Jacob re-entered the Inner Chamber packing in the remains of what appeared to be a sandwich into his mouth and chewed vigorously. I shook my head and was glad that his poor mother, who was so worried about his manners, wasn't here to see this today. Sometimes he was just so uncouth! Then I was startled to remember that Sarah Black told him she was always close by. I hoped for Jacob's sake, it wasn't too close just then.**

**The Amazons came out of Chandra's 'home chamber'. They were visibly changed from their time with her as much as we had all been yesterday from Samon's visit. They quietly went out to the outer chamber where I hoped, due to a lack of moaning, that Jacob had left them something to eat. I heard Chandra's melodic voice again as she told Nahuel and Leah to go ahead and get some food but to bring it back into her 'home chamber' to eat so they would be included with our visit as well. Nahuel and Leah left her room hand in hand, smiling warmly at everyone and made their way to the Outer Chamber. **

**Chandra came to the doorway with a beautiful smile that lit her face up. She looked at Carlisle and Esme and asked them to bring their family in. Carlisle motioned us all forward into her 'home chamber' ahead of him, bringing up the rear himself. Chandra's chamber was different than Samon's but they had similar elements. This room was decorated in warm earth shades with hints of pink that brought a warm glow to the room. It was accented by tropical floral arrangements. There was a large modern-looking fountain at the south end, which had multiple tiers with water gently flowing down from each level. There was even a lit fireplace on the north end that had a rich polished granite mantle to it. Shields and gold motifs decorated the walls and the room had four large tan colored couches scattered about--all facing east. On that eastern wall, was an interesting crescent-shaped large blue couch. **

**As we entered the room, Chandra addressed each of us by name, embraced us as warmly as if we were her dearest friends and directed us to our apparent 'assigned' seat. I realized that my nerves had reappeared when Bella and I were directed to the blue crescent couch with our little Renesmee--her curls bouncing in time with her little jumps. Her 'nerves' appeared to be more of an excited nature than mine of apprehension.**

**After she had everyone placed, she came and sat to the right side of the crescent couch and motioned for the two of us to sit across from her. Because of the curve in the couch, I could sit right next to Bella but easily face her as well. My wife took both of my hands in hers and I tried to give her my best crooked smile when I looked up to meet her eyes but my nerves were back and they gave me away. She squeezed my hands tightly. I briefly remembered all of the times when she would give my cold stone hands, her tightest squeeze with her then warm, fragile human hands. It made me smile to remember the warm and gentle feelings they use to invoke, the feelings were… 'amazingly pleasant'. Now, her hands, not blazing heat pads, but still warm and not gentle because they are feeble and weak but now smooth and strong, still caressed my check with the softest of touches. I was once again amazed how just thoughts of my sweetheart could calm the restless beast within me—even now. Of course, Renesmee somehow managed once again to wiggle in between our clasped arms making her the focus of our attention.**

"**Renesmee?" Chandra asked, holding out her arms to her. That sounded great to my daughter who leapt straight out of our 'lap' and into our hostess's strong embrace. Everyone laughed at her antics. "You're as nice as your brother but you are a lot prettier." Nessie confided to her. **

"**I get that a lot." She replied softly shaking her head. "It's embarrassing." Chandra's voice took on a whispered tone to it, "Especially since he's not just my brother, but Samon is my **_**twin**_** brother. Plus, he's the one who says it the most, except the way he phrases it, he IS the nicest but I'm a lot prettier." She sighed in mock resignation.**

"**Well," Chandra continued looking around at my family gathered around her, "I would like to welcome each of you to my 'home chamber' here in the Sun Temple at Chan Chan. I have been anxious for our meeting today, especially after yesterday when Samon repeatedly tried to steal my story from me." She again sighed shaking her head. Nessie sighed with her and Chandra bit back a smile. "I'd like to start out by telling you about myself and my family. I know that yesterday Samon tried to intimidate you Edward, by giving you a run-down of many of the names and titles I've accumulated through the ages. But I am not the only one to have done so. So I will give you a better idea of who my family is.**

"**Since you met Samon yesterday, I'll start with him. As I said, he is my twin brother. He has picked up a few interesting titles from different cultures over the centuries. Some of them you may recognize. He was known as Apollo to the ancient Greek; Khepera to the ancient Egyptians; Baldr to the ancient Norse; Saturn to the ancient Romans; and from different angelic assignments, he has been given such names as Hizkiel, and Remiel."**

**I did a very fast mental check through my old textbook glossary again. Apollo was the beautiful god of light, medicine and music. Khepera was the rising sun, god of the resurrection; Baldr was the god of beauty, joy, purity and peace; Saturn was the god of agriculture. The angels? They weren't covered in that class or text. I'd have to look those ones up later. Still I had to fight back a gasp at the realization that yesterday, I was hugged by none other than Apollo, who was revered by the citizens of ancient Greece.**

"**Llasa is our older brother and his acquired names include: Poseidon to the ancient Greeks, Nun to those of Ancient Egypt; Adad to the ancient Babylonians; Neptune and Vulcan to the ancient Romans; and from a few of his angelic missions he has picked up the names of Nathaniel and Uriel."**

**I quickly found the titles associated with these gods of ancient mythology. Poseidon and Neptune were gods of the sea and earthquakes. Nun was the god of primeval waters. Adad and Vulcan were both gods of thunder. Again, I had no real reference for the angelic names, but I had read once that the name Uriel meant 'light or fire of God'. I also remember Zafrina telling us that Llasa was the brother that returned with Samon and stayed for a time in Akakor while Samon was in Akahim. And wasn't there a Llasa the Tibetan Buddhists revered as well?**

"**Dagda, while considered by Samon and Llasa to be a brother, is actually my mate. He has been known at different times as Prometheus, Osiris, Hephaestus and my personal favorite, Cupid." She said with a brilliant smile. "He is known from angelic calling as Raphael."**

**Nessie looked up at her with a confused look. Chandra looked down at her silently chuckled and answered her unspoken question. "Yes Renesmee, he is as good looking as your Jacob and even your Daddy."**

"**Wow," Nessie exclaimed, "He must be REALLY attractive." Chandra smiled and nodded her head at my outspoken daughter.**

"**Oh, he is." She added with a laugh. "Of course, we made sure Jacob was cute for you but your Daddy we went to a lot of extra trouble with to make sure he was just right and that wasn't for your benefit at all."**

'_**Please stop now Nessie'**_**, I mentally pled to her. I was being embarrassed to death. It had always been the greatest feeling in the world to have known how my little angel viewed me--like I was some kind of perfect super-hero. Like Bella she only saw the best. I'd always assumed that all little girls viewed their Dads this way, so I had just quietly enjoyed it and never thought to correct her assumptions. Now, that oversight had come back to bite me--hard.**

"**If you didn't make my Dad the most handsome man in the world for me, then for who?" my sweet little princess soldiered on.**

"**Who do you think?" Chandra asked her as she looked over at Bella. "We did such a great job with your Daddy so your poor Mommy didn't have a chance. Did you Bella?" She added her grin now wide. **

**I looked up at my Bella's smug expression, just in time to hear her reply, "Not a chance." For the first time in the last ninety one years since becoming a vampire, I worried about blushing. I wanted to hide my face in my hands but Bella held them strongly in her own and wouldn't let them go**_**. 'Dang! She's strong'**_**.**

"**Edward, you had her so tongue tied and dazzled with just your looks alone, half the time she turned her head away from you before speaking, it was just so she could form a coherent sentence." She sighed and Bella was actually starting to look a little embarrassed too. Then Chandra continued. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. Where was I? Oh yes, My Dagda, who is good looking and sweet and kind and really smart like your Daddy too." She said, throwing the last comment in as an amendment for my daughter who appeared to be about to ask if he was as smart as me. It would seem that I needed to clarify a few things with Nessie in terms of the ludicrous way she regarded me.**

"**My father's name is Sampsa. He has carried such personas as: Atlas, Ra, Kronos, Mercury, Ravi, Savitr, and Uranus. Some of his angelic names are: Amitiel, Adoil, Sabriel and Uzziel. I was so flustered by all the misrepresentations Renesmee put forth to Chandra regarding me that I was completely distracted from checking on the meaning of these names. Of course, I automatically knew that Ra was the Egyptian Sun God and Atlas held the world on his back.**

"**My mother's name is Aurora. She has been known as: Athena, Nut, Gaia, Aditi, Amardad, Amaterasu and Dina. Her angel name is Shekinah."**

"**Is she as pretty and nice as you are?" My daughter was certainly full of questions today. I looked up at Bella but she was looking at Renesmee in Chandra's arms with a pleasant look on her face. Was I missing something here? Was I so stressed out that I couldn't see the love and joy Chandra had in simply holding my daughter and answering her simple child-like questions? **

"**Oh, yes she is Renesmee. I have the absolute best mother in the world!" She said gently but fervently. Renesmee got her little dent in her forehead and I could guess the next words to come out of her mouth without the benefit of my gift. Apparently so could Chandra because she quickly amended, "…the best mother in the world, next to yours that is." Everyone laughed and now it was Bella's turn to duck her head in alarm.**

"**Well before I get into my story, let me explain some of the rules that govern the activities of perfected beings, who walk in the path of truth and light. This will be important for you to understand as well Carlisle. Now these rules are:"**

"**1.) We must always give our mortal charges at least one choice. They can never be forced into something against their will. Also we must make sure that their choice determines their consequent actions. You can't have someone choose to spend all their money on a vacation and then magically provide them with more money to pay all their bills. We have to work within the natural consequences of mortals choices."**

"**2.) We must work to preserve the balance between good and evil; also, along those lines, work to preserve the balance of opposites. There is a physical law of nature that bears this out. It is that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."**

"**3.) We have no influence over the powers of darkness. We can try to persuade them but they are usually not receptive to our promptings. This includes all 'creatures of darkness'. To try to force our hand with them is to risk alerting the 'forces of darkness' to our involvement. Now, you may wonder about the status of vampires and the answer is 'yes' vampires are included in 'creatures of darkness' but there is a catch here. When any 'creature of darkness' by their own preference chooses to walk the 'path of light', then they become more and more open to our influence; thereby freeing themselves from the influence of their own nature and the 'forces of darkness'. This is the state that we found Carlisle in, when we set out to put tabs on the 'creatures of darkness' that had been wrongfully unleashed on this earth."**

"**4.) We must test and prove the strength of character of our charges under pressure to help them reach their full potential."**

"**And of course, we must always behave in a moral and ethical way. It sounds easy, but is often a pretty fine line as you will see. All of these rules come into play in my story today. And that story is the one of Edward and Bella."**

**I believed my expression froze on my face. I had been staring at my beautiful wife while Chandra spoke about the rules and I most certainly was listening to her but as I did so often, I was trapped in the gaze of my beloved. It took an entire eight seconds for the last sentence to register through to both of us and we finally turned our shocked faces to Chandra at the same time. Yesterday, when Samon had said he didn't want to ruin Chandra's story for us, I thought he meant just that—that Chandra had A story for us. Not that she had the story OF us. **_**'This should be interesting.'**_

"**Now I know that Samon told you yesterday that sometimes we carry out assignments for deity and just such a charge came through for our family shortly after the directive came to help locate Carlisle a family to help him reach his potential and be our 'double agents' so to speak. This new assignment came down for two purposes. The first of which was to be a 'rite of passageway' for myself, Dagda and my brothers. We were responsible for keeping our parents informed and that information got passed along the chain of command, so to speak. We often had visitors show up unannounced to see how we were accomplishing our task with our charges."**

**Now I was wondering, despite myself, of exactly what kind of a 'rite of passage' there would be for a perfected being? Samon had said yesterday that there was constant progression and learning for 'their kind'. That was very interesting indeed. Chandra smiled at me as she picked my musing right out of my head. Wow! That was a little unnerving. Well, I supposed now I knew how the rest of my family must feel all the time.**

"**There are all kinds of levels and tests for our kind. We are in a constant state of learning and becoming. Edward." She voice was soft yet informative. She looked from me to the rest of my family. "So, this assignment came down for Llasa, Samon, Dagda and I. We needed to work it out between the four of us and be ready for these unexpected visits from others to check our progress and our methods."**

"**The second and main purpose of our assignment was to prepare the way for Renesmee to come to earth as a 'Hope of the World'. As you have all gotten to know our little Renesmee," She said as she touched her finger to my daughter's nose. Renesmee just sat contentedly in Chandra's lap and grinned. "You have noticed that she is a very special individual and we knew she would require unique parents to help to not only provide the unique biological characteristics to give her the talents and gifts she would need to fulfill her calling, but also to carefully and lovingly guide her and teach her the many things she will need to learn in a short period of time. She would need parents who had strong characters and morals themselves who would teach not only by their word but by their example. Next, we had to make sure those parents had the necessary support system of a strong extended family. We were already searching for the right family for Carlisle and we realized that a vampire hybrid would, with the correct parents, in the right family, possibly give us the correct chemistry needed for our assignment. We were allowed to initially discuss our plan with our parents. We were able to persuade them and they sent it through for approval with the stipulation that it would have to be done through Carlisle's family. Which was the only way our plan could work anyway and we knew it."**

**I sat there in disbelief. She set this up before I was born, or at least before my transformation? Was I hearing this correctly? **

"**Well the plan was conditionally approved. The condition was that when we picked the parents we had to get approval before continuing. So the four of us put our heads together and divided up the different aspects of putting together Carlisle's family with the necessary gifts needed to be the support system for the family unit of 'The Hope of the World'. Then the assignment of finding the perfect father began. We knew the father would have to be the vampire and that after he was changed then we would have time to find the perfect mother."**

**I felt the stares of my family on me. I could hardly breathe. I felt as though some missing puzzle pieces from my past were about to be snapped into place. I kept my gaze on my Bella's face. It kept me calm. I concentrated on her hands in mine.**

"**We were looking at Elizabeth Masen's family line. We knew that fate would lead her, along with her husband and future son, to die in Chicago nineteen years later during the Spanish Influenza epidemic. There was a strong telepathic trait through her line and we knew that this would be a powerful gift that we could manipulate during her pregnancy in such a way that later when Carlisle changed Elizabeth's son, it would transform into the gift of 'mind-reading."**

"**The four of us play to our strengths, and so Samon, being deeply involved in the study of science and medicine was put in charge of our 'enhancements' to you while you were in embryo. Of course, I made sure that he put my specifications in there. I wanted you to have your mother's bronze hair but with a tuft that would always leave it a little unruly. I wanted you to have a strong jaw line and a perfect crooked smile--tall and lanky and with a runner's stance. Dagda helped me out by giving you a sense of charm and poise—actually he's such a match maker that he gave you enough to make you very debonair. Llasa put in the twist that made your inherent telepathic abilities become strong enough to not only read minds upon your transformation, but to be able to do so at a distance. Finally Samon gave you a thirst for knowledge and an aptitude for music. He knew music would help to ease your soul after your change." She added matter-of-factly.**

**My gaze turned unwillingly from my wife to meet the penetrating gaze that Chandra leveled at me. They had manipulated my 'creation' from inside my mother's womb. That was unsettling for some reason but before I could fully understand how that knowledge made me feel, I heard Chandra's soothing voice in my mind calming my nerves with her wind chimed thoughts. **_**'Be at peace Edward. Everything that has been done has been done so for your benefit, for your family's benefit, for your wife's benefit, and as you will come to understand, especially for Renesmee's benefit.' **_

"**Of course, we were there by your side watching the drama unfold that we had helped set in motion. We knew it would be soon. Your father had already died and your mother, lying in the hospital bed, weak and burning with fever, was panicked that she would leave you behind alone, but also even more panicked that you would follow her in death shortly thereafter and alone. She often looked over to you in the bed next to her, your own condition actually worse than hers. She would find hidden reserves of strength to rise from her bed to give you water and place a cool cloth over your head. With her telepathic gifts and with the veil thin before her, she sensed our presence."**

"**My brother's gave me the lead and I told her that we were there to help her be at ease as she transitioned from her mortal life to the next. She pled for your life Edward. Her every thought and energy was consumed with a mother's love for her son. Her distress was acute. I told her that we were there to help her if she wished. I then explained that Dr. Cullen was a very special being--that he wasn't human but was turned against his will to become a 'creature of darkness' but he fought against the darkness and had won. I told her what a great and caring person Carlisle was. She said that she already knew him to be a man whose character was beyond reproach. I told her that he had the power within him to heal Edward but it would have to be done in such a way that he would become as Dr. Cullen was." **

"**She was worried if you could handle this new existence. I assured her that while it would be a challenge, that with Carlisle's help and the truths she and your father had taught you, that you would be okay. Her distress was still great and so I told her of the 'role' we had in mind for you as father to 'The Hope of the World' and how it would be necessary for you to have this change take place to fulfill that role. I showed her a vision of you and your family. The time was close for her to pass."**

"**Carlisle came in to check on the two of you. With the vision fresh in her mind, she grabbed Carlisle's arm and looked up at him with more strength and fervor than her condition allowed. **_**'Save him!'**_** She commanded him. Dr. Cullen looked at her with his face full of the depths of the compassion he possessed. **

'_**I'll do everything in my power'**_**, he said trying to sooth her. **

'_**You must, you must do everything in your power. What others cannot do--THAT you must do for my Edward.'**_**"**

"**And that, Edward and Carlisle, was a piece of the transformation story that you didn't know. We knew that Carlisle was prepared and thought about changing someone to be a companion for himself, and as Samon explained yesterday, we also knew that he would never change someone who had a chance at life. But we knew that he was as yet undecided. We knew that we needed to enlist Elizabeth's aid in getting you, Carlisle, to commit Edward to becoming your new son."**

"**I don't know what to say," I heard Carlisle say. I would have echoed his words but I could not locate my voice at that moment. I was lost in the memory of my mother. As a parent now, I was reminded how it felt a year and a half ago, when the Volturi came to destroy my precious little angel. With new understanding my heart ached for my mother and her caring and love she had shown for me with her dying act. No, I could not speak. I looked up at Chandra and her eyes held the tears mine could not produce.**

"**She loved you very very much, Edward. Do you understand now?" Chandra asked very softly. I just nodded my head and she reached out her arms to bring me into her warm embrace. An embrace that was shared with Renesmee, still seated on her lap.**

"**Don't be sad Daddy, your Mommy loves you too," Nessie whispered in my ear and stroking my cheek with her little hand, "…same as me."**

**I sat back down and Bella wrapped her arms around me. I was a mess but it was comforting to understand and be surrounded by the love of my wife, my daughter, my family and my Reckless Angel.**

**She gave me a few minutes to settle myself before she continued with MY story. "It was touch and go for a bit there as you chose to leave the guidance of Carlisle and by then your new mother Esme and give in somewhat to your 'creature of darkness' natural cravings. Remember our rules…Number three was that we cannot influence 'creatures of darkness' because they will not listen. We were worried you would not return; that the more you acted on those baser instincts the farther away from the 'path of light' you would put yourself. This was of course why my brothers put me in charge of bringing you and Bella together. Because I am the risk taker and I have nerves of steel." She stopped seeing the chagrin on my face as shame for my past decisions flooded me with regret. **

**Finally she went on even quieter, "Don't forget rules number one and two. The first rule played out here because, while you didn't have a choice in the vampire conversion, you did have a choice of how you handled your new life. But the reason behind your choice…to use your mind-reading gift to only hunt human monsters…allowed us to stay close by your side for a little bit longer. The other reason was because of rule number two that there needed to be a balance of power between the good and evil in your life. Being a vampire, you had to work out that balance. Thankfully, with your great reasoning abilities, you started to see that you could not make yourself other's judge and jury and you returned to Carlisle, much to all of our relief, and recommitted to following his vision."**

**Just when I thought my shame would consume me and my head was hung in remorse, Chandra reached over and placed her arm on my shoulder again and waited for me to look at her. When I finally sighed and met her gaze, I was shocked at the intensity of her eyes as they seemed to go straight to my inner core and speak directly to my heart. I could not deny the sincerity of her next words. "You will never know how very proud I was of you that day. Edward, that was a glorious moment for me and my family--we rejoiced to see you overcome the demon inside of you. It was at that moment, we knew that we had chosen the correct man for the father of 'The Hope of the World'." I felt Bella's arms tighten around me and I was grateful for her support. There I was sitting on this crescent couch, my beautiful wife holding me on one side, Chandra holding me on the other with her gaze still locked on mine, and my little angel, who was reaching out from Chandra's arms to kiss my cheek repeatedly.**

"**That was when we sent in our first report to our parents with you being the main topic. Your approval for the assignment was almost instantaneous. You remember what I said before about that approval coming from up the chain of command?" I slowly nodded my head. My eyes locked on hers. "That approval came from the top, Edward. Your approval came from the being who gave us this most important assignment. There are no mistakes. You were ultimately chosen and proven for this task by Deity."**

***

Bella's POV

**There I was, once again in a Sun Temple, in the presence of an angel, and having the unexpected **_**blow my mind. **_**I did rather like hearing about all the thought and preparation that was put into making my wonderful husband the amazing man he was today; especially his crooked smile that had always been my personal weakness. Then to hear the drama unfold with Edward's mother at the time of her death was heart-wrenching. I knew how it felt to have your child's life on the line. I felt as though I were in the hospital room as Chandra described the agony of Elizabeth's final days. I was of one heart with my mother-in-law who gave me the greatest gift that day, when she begged Carlisle to save her son…to save him **_**for me**_**. Then my protective side burst through as Edward was exposed for his past crimes and I knew how he would loathe himself. '**_**Why Chandra, would you bring this up?' **_**I wanted to demand of her. I'd trusted her somehow and I was shocked that she would do this to my sweetheart. Then I understood when she finished the story by telling of the joy there was at his return. That he had passed the test in rule number four. I put my arms around him just in time to hear her final words, **_**"**__**There are no mistakes. You were ultimately chosen and proven for this task by Deity."**_

**In that moment, the world could have come to an end and I would not have noticed. Time could have stopped and I would not have noticed. Martians could have come down with ray guns and shot me with proton bursts and I would not have noticed. After a long pause, Edward pulled me away from his embrace and kissed me tenderly. Again, I don't know how long that action occurred. I did eventually notice sound though. It seemed as though my daughter was clapping her hands and Emmett was clearing his throat to get us to stop. I looked into the eyes of the man I loved and was dazzled once more.**

"**Well," Chandra began again finally ready to continue OUR story, "We knew we needed to give Edward time to learn to control his thirst before he met up with Bella and we knew we had some time to prepare for her arrival as it was not yet time for Nessie to be here. So we spent a great deal of that time, preparing Carlisle's family, as Samon explained to you yesterday."**

"**So now we turn to you, Isabella." Chandra, who had by now returned to sitting normally in her seat on the couch with my daughter contentedly sitting still in her lap, continued.**

"**We had our eye on your father and mother's blood lines as soon as Edward was selected. Your father had a particularly strong sense of values like loyalty, love, and level-headedness and believe it or not Isabella, your father has a line of very hearty nerves. This is a trait that has been in the Swan line for generations. That was why going into law enforcement was a natural choice for him as a career. Your Grandmother Swan came from a different line. This line we played around with a little bit to get a partial mind-block going. It got stronger with your father."**

**Chandra turned to Edward and asked, "How was it for you when you tried to listen to Charles Swan when you first started hanging around his house?"**

"**At first I thought he wasn't thinking anything at all because I had trouble finding his 'mental voice.' Then after a lot of practice, I could start to get mental images of what he was thinking about, but it took a good year before I could really hear and understand what he was thinking." Edward shook his head at the memory. "It was almost as frustrating as it was to try to hear Bella." He added with a reluctant smirk.**

"**That's right," Chandra said, "Charles Swan has a partial mental block but it still wasn't powerful enough to give our Isabella her shield that would be strong enough to accomplish everything that it would need to do. So we went looking for the rest of the genetic traits we would need to make your shield unbreakable."**

"**Now for the part that is a little hard to explain." Chandra began with a small sigh. Her smile disappeared and she looked intently at me. **

'_**Good grief is this going to be bad?'**_

"**You're father was originally destined to never marry. He just wasn't going to have anyone he would meet in his life that was available that would be 'the love of his life' so to speak." I thought of my dad with sadness, remembering all of the ball games on TV, all the fishing trips with 'the guys', all those years after my mother that he never went on a date, never even thought about women…or so I thought. But now he had Sue and I knew he loves her and was very happy with her. Oh wait, Chandra said WAS available. I guessed that Sue must've been already married to Harry when my dad met my mom. Chandra nodded her head, listening to me reason out her statement.**

"**We went looking for your mother, Renee, because of her characteristics that when joined with your Father's genetic code would give you the strongest shield possible. And consequently, in reversing that shield, would give Renesmee just as strong of a 'push'. That is what we call when you reverse a shield. In your daughter's case she 'pushes' her thoughts, images and any attachments out to others. Anyway, that was one of the reasons we picked your mother. Another reason was because we knew that she was impulsive and would marry your Father without considering all of the ramifications of that choice. We also knew that Renee was restless, flighty and immature and not by any means ready to settle down. I hate to say this, as I am a proponent of marriage and fidelity of the highest order, but after counseling as a group with my brothers and Dagda, we decided to give them opportunities to interact. We actually put your mother in the path of your father repeatedly in hopes that some sparks would ignite…and boy did they." She paused, seemingly lost in thought.**

**I was starting to get a little mad that my parents would have been manipulated like that just to bring ME into existence**_**. 'My poor father!'**_** I thought briefly of all of those years he'd sat around pining away for my mother while she was off dating guy after guy and doing her own thing.**

"**Bella," She gently warned me, "Remember rule number one, we gave them choices; more than once actually. But we knew that it was highly probable that your mother would leave your father for what she considered 'greener pastures'."**

"**Why," I whispered. The pain in my plea was undisguised, "why would you do that to them? Why would you purposely bring them together like that if you knew how it would end? Do you have any idea how that hurt Charlie?" I accused her, "So what about my shield, my poor Dad!"**

"**I am more sorry about the necessity of that than you will ever know." Chandra said solemnly. She paused a minute until I collected myself. I felt Edward pull me closer to his side and he kissed the top of my head. After I minute and ten seconds, I nodded for her to continue. **

"**So, we arranged for Renee to visit some friends after graduating from high school who lived in Seattle for the summer and they took a few long vacations out to First Beach, where they met up with Charlie, Billy and Harry a few times in passing. Then one day, your mother conveniently stayed longer than everyone else for some 'soul searching' and rather conveniently had her car break down across from the Forks Police Department, where your father just so happened to be starting his new job as an officer of the law. Yes, I did set that up. But I can assure you Bella that was all I set up. Their relationship developed on its own. Rather quickly too, I might add. Renee never did make it back to Seattle. Well, that's not exactly right, they did stop by to gather her few things she'd left at her friend's house on their way back to Forks following their hasty wedding in Las Vegas. I was surprised at how quickly they hit it off but it wasn't hard for someone like your father to get swept off his feet by someone like your mother. It was a good thing too. We needed to get you conceived, delivered, and grown-up and in back Forks in the next 18 years."**

**I took a deep breath and let it out slowly through my nose. I didn't even know what to say to that. They had manipulated my parents, put them together so that they would fall in love; all the while, knowing that they were not meant to be together and would not last…and why? Just to reproduce 'yours truly'; my poor parents! I wasn't even that good of a daughter for them to go through all of that drama. It was a good thing I didn't know what to say. If I had known, I would have strangled on it.**

"**Sorry Bella, but things have worked out for them now right?" She added on a brighter note. I just looked at her with incredulity on my face. "So, where was I? Oh yes, Vegas. So they came home and set up house. Literally, your father had a small inheritance from when his Grandfather Swan died and he turned it into a down-payment on the house he has lived in ever since. Your father always meant to stay married to your mother. He was very in-love and committed to her. That's where you get your loyalty from."**

"**So Samon, Llasa, Dagda and I got busy deciding exactly what we wanted to put into the daughter of Charles and Renee Swan to attract Edward Cullen's attention. We, of course, had been studying him for the past eighty some odd years and we had a pretty good idea of what 'didn't' catch his eye and so we set about to create his perfect match in such a way that he could not pass you up**_**." **_

'_**Oh no, here it comes.' **_** I thought in a panic. **_**'Please Chandra, feel free to stop anytime.'**_

**Chandra looked at me with a puzzled expression. "You want me to stop?" She asked me. I was still unable to speak. "Edward?" she asked in quiet amusement. "Do you want me to stop?"**

"**No, I would like very much for you to continue." He said though his voice was somewhat strained; his arm tightening again around me. It was a good thing I was a vampire now. I might have been crushed to death with the grip he had on me otherwise.**

"**Okay then," Chandra continued brightly. "Well, we knew you wouldn't want anyone with blonde or red hair. Dagda made me promise to not go for anything too flashy because we knew that would NOT catch your attention. So I went with the color of your father Charlie's hair, a chestnut brown but I added deep auburn highlights. Then I made sure that your eyes were not just brown but a beautiful chocolate brown with a lot of different shading to add depth to them. I gave you a slender frame and an ivory clear complexion—we didn't want it to stand out to much next to Edward. I made sure that you had a little dimple of sorts between your eyes that would let Edward know when you were deep in thought. See," she added simply, "It's there right now." I tried to smooth out my forehead. Much to my embarrassment there were chuckles throughout the room--of course, the loudest being Emmett's.**

"**As far as your personality, Samon gave you an aptitude for learning, a love for reading. He made you observant and able to keep and maintain a strong sense of 'moral right'. I know that Edward likes to blame me for all of your bad luck, but really that was Llasa's doing. As far as all of the clumsiness, that was simple enough. All he had to do was add a hole in your inner ear drum. When you later became a vampire, the venom sealed it right up."**

"**I had a hole in my inner ear?" I asked in disbelief.**

"**Um-hum," Chandra said, her eyes sparkling at how ingenious her brother was. "The rest of the bad luck was trickier, but hey, they don't call him the thunder god for nothing!" I was shaking my head…well, what was left of it anyway. "It was also his choice to leave your scent so strong to Edward. It was a by-product of making your shield powerful. If we brought it back a bit, the scent wouldn't have been quite so bad. But we needed your shield to be that strong and Llasa said Edward here had to learn a great deal of self-control before he'd be able to mate with a human and not kill her, so why not start with the outrageous aroma surrounding you."**

**Edward surprised me by speaking up, almost too loudly, "Do you have any idea how close I came to killing her that first day she came to school?" He hurled his words out as an accusation. Although I wasn't as far away from furious myself, I couldn't have him upsetting Aphrodite.**

"**We knew precisely how close it got that first day Edward, as I will show you in a few minutes." Chandra added gravely. **

"**Well, Dagda gave her one of her most important characteristics, that of self-sacrificing. I added in her forgiving, generous nature. Your sense of humor was Samon's doing, heavy on the sarcasm, of course. Llasa wanted to make sure that you were innocent and easy to see the best in others."**

"**I made sure that you would be very fertile and that by the time you arrived in town, your system would be naturally producing a large amount of pheromones to attract the attention of every boy at Forks High School."**

**I was slowly shaking my head in disbelief, "Well, I guess that does explain a few things. I never could understand why some of those guys wouldn't leave me alone." I admitted reluctantly. "But I feel kind of cheated somehow. It feels like you're telling me that my whole life has been one giant manipulation. That nothing was really even me."**

**Chandra waited until I turned my pained gaze in her direction. "All of it has been you Isabella. These characteristics and traits we gave you were 'buds' of tendencies. They were there to bloom and grow and become part of who you were if you chose to nurture them. You did that all on your own."**

"**I did?" I asked in a small voice.**

"**Of course you did. Not all of them bloomed but at least the important ones did." She added gently, her eyes still sparkling with enthusiasm. I raised my eyebrow at her. "Well Dagda gave you an aptitude for music. He thought that would be something you could have in common with Edward, but you stopped your piano lessons before you could really explore that option." She shook her head. "He was really disappointed in that."**

"**Oh well," She added changing gears and preparing to return to her tale. "So, Renee discovered she was pregnant four months after she and your Father were married. Your Dad was so excited, he went right out and bought your crib and started to buy stuffed animals for your room. Your Mother was excited but she was starting to panic a little bit. She had no intention of putting down any long-term roots in the dreariest place in the world. And somehow, a house, a husband, a baby and a nursery seemed kind of permanent to her. She never told Charles how she felt. She chalked it up to hormones and played the part of a happy homemaker." She seemed melancholy for a moment.**

"**Then came the day we were all waiting for, our little Isabella Marie Swan was born at the Forks Community Hospital. All four of us were there that day on pins and needles wanting to make sure you were alright. Your Father was even worse than us. He put your mother in the police cruiser and drove the six miles to the hospital with his lights on. Not that anyone was awake at 2 a.m., well not until he hit his siren anyway." Emmett must've thought that was very funny if his boisterous laugher was any indication. "And it wasn't as if the speeding got you here any earlier. You kept them waiting a good thirteen hours before making your arrival. But you made it okay and you were perfect. I don't think I've ever seen a father happier than yours was that day."**

**For some reason, this knowledge didn't make me happy. I remembered the photo that had adorned Charlie's living room since then and I saw how happy his face was, how tired Renee's face was and how red-faced from screaming and wrapped up like a burrito I was. Somehow, knowing his happiness would be so short-lived was bitter-sweet to take. And I knew that was the next part of this tale.**

"**No Isabella," Chandra said softly, "you're right, it didn't last. But you must know that if your father had never met your mother, he never would have known the joy of being a Father. You have been the greatest gift to him in his life and so marrying your mother was a decision that your father never regretted; and Renee, even though she did eventually find happiness, she would have never known the joys of being a mother." She sighed and lifted my face with her hand and peered intently into my eyes.**

"**Do you understand that Isabella? You were a gift to your parents. You have been their greatest joy and their love for you has always been unconditional." Her words sunk deep into my heart and I felt like crying but couldn't. I managed to nod my head twice. Chandra released my face.**

"**I won't go too deeply into your parent's separation. You know that after only eighteen months of marriage, your mother left your father--you were only five months old. Your mother moved to the place that had the least amount of rain fall that could still have enough excitement to keep her happy. That place was Phoenix, Arizona. Through the years, you grew and matured, literally taking care of your mother. This helped you become a very mature, sensible, down-to-earth teenager. Your lack of funds taught you to be fragile and being around kids that did have a lot helped to give you perspective you wouldn't have otherwise gained. But you noticed that you had few friends. No one was on the same page and you tended to be a loner, not out of meanness or conceit, but just because you were comfortable with yourself and the actions of your classmates were often juvenile for your liking. Kind of like our Edward--seventeen, but much 'older' and a loner." She said smiling wanly at him.**

"**Of course, then Renee met Phil and we all knew what that would mean, as we timed their meeting perfectly for your self-sacrificing nature. We knew that you would see how important it was for your mother to be close to her husband and with your added maturity; you would see the need to give them some space and time. When you sent yourself to live with your Father, it was the first major selfless act you performed to let us know that we had gotten it right. You see Isabella; selfless acts are a defining characteristic of your shield. It was this need to 'protect' your Mother from another 'failed' relationship that 'clicked' your shield into position so that it was in place to protect your thoughts from Edward when you arrived in Forks."**

"**You mean, if I had come to Forks for the summer or sometime before I made that choice and I crossed Edward's path, he would have been able to 'hear' my thoughts?" I asked her.**

"**Maybe, it was still partially there like your father's but we needed it firmly in place first. Plus, there was no way we were going to let you meet up with Edward until we were ready to do so. This is actually about where our story is now anyway." She added with a sigh. **

"**So to set the stage, we have Edward already attending Forks High School for his third year as a junior and bored out of his mind. He was worried about keeping Jasper from attacking a fellow student at lunch because of his 'thirst' issues. We also had him listening to hear what the new-student, Isabella Swan would make of him and his siblings because his job was that of 'look out' for the Cullen clan."**

"**Now we have Isabella, who was sleep-deprived, miserable and apprehensive in the cafeteria—being what she hates most—the center of attention. It wasn't bad enough that she had to sit there, trying to feign interest in idle 'chit-chat' with those who would be her friend for an assortment of reasons, but as her pheromone levels were, unbeknownst to her, off the charts, she had almost every human boy on campus hot on her trail. Ahhh," Chandra sighed. "That was genius on my part. It played out so beautifully." She smiled at the memory. I remembered thinking of Mike Newton with a wagging puppy dog tail and scowled. "Don't get put out Isabella. That wasn't to get Edward attracted to you. It was to get him to notice EVERY OTHER GUY in school noticing you. It was also to help keep you alive after Biology class was over. He knew you would be missed by the boys if you left and they would notice if he took off with you. Of course, it attracted more than just the boys at school didn't it?" She added as an afterthought. I thought of the murderous jerks in Port Angeles and also Jacob on the beach while I 'flirted' the truth about Edward from him and in his pre-fabbed garage with him and his friends Quil and Embry when I went to repair a certain motorcycle. I shook my head to clear it.**

"**Of course in the cafeteria, Bella, you did notice the Cullens and was particularly drawn to Edward's beauty. Little did you know it was all for you. And Edward was frustrated as he was unable to hear your mental 'voice' and dealing with the 'twin thirst issue' as he left for his biology class with Mr. Banner and his first fateful meeting with destiny."**

"**You know," Edward said in an even tone, "You could have given me some kind of warning. Some kind of a heads up so I wouldn't have reacted so badly." Edward said. He swallowed hard and I knew he was remembering my overpowering scent that day in Biology and just the memory of it had his throat burning and venom pooling in his mouth right now.**

"**Calm down, Edward. It all goes back to the four rules." She looked around the room and seemed to get an idea. "You know what, for just this scene I think I'd like to try something out on everyone." She closed her eyes for the briefest of seconds and there was an audible gasp as, against the right wall, my old biology classroom appeared. It was even three-D looking. Like the room suddenly extended out to the exact size of the classroom. Then I saw students start to appear. Mike Newton was there, Austin Marks, Lauren Mallory and there was Edward, sitting at his desk with his books strewn across the other half of the table. But that wasn't all I saw. Chandra was there and so was Samon. There were two other men there that I didn't recognize that would probably have been Llasa and Dagda. The four of them seemed to be actively engaged in looking at air ducts, and seeing where everyone's paper supplies were and an assortment of things. There were also two other forms standing in the far back of the room that I could not make out and I almost missed altogether. Then I noticed myself walk in the door with Angela Weber on my one side and a shadowy figure on my other. It was here that Chandra stopped the 'visual'. We could all see it but it was frozen in place. Frozen in three-D place that was.**

"**Any questions on what you're looking at here?" Chandra asked, looking directly at Edward.**

**He had a puzzled look on his face. "You were all there that day in the Biology class with us?" His tone was one of disbelief and amazement.**

"**Of course, we worked too hard to have it all get blown without doing what we were allowed to do to help." She thought for a minute. "Not that there was too much we could do at that moment." She added quietly. "Bella hadn't even been submitted or approved yet so technically it was just a 'possibility'." I wondered who in the world the shadowy figure standing next to me was.**

"**What about those two invisible guys in the back?" Emmett asked with evident curiosity.**

"**Those were our 'surprise' observers that came that day of all days, to check up on our progress. You can imagine what that did to my brother's stress level. That was why I was in charge of everything that day--me and my nerves of steel!" She smiled. "Bella, go ahead and ask your question."**

"**Who is that on my left side, the shadow?" I asked my crease very much in evidence.**

"**That, my dear Isabella, was your guardian angel." She said smiling hugely now.**

**I was a little startled, "I have a guardian angel?" I asked incredulously.**

"**Well, you had one." Chandra clarified. "All humans do. And we made sure that you had the very best. One who was uniquely qualified to help you with the difficulties you would face, help guide you through some very dangerous situations, and could work with close proximity to your vampire."**

"**Be careful what you think Edward. Bella's guardian angel did an amazing job. She knew just which situations to let you handle and which ones to lend a hand in. You might think she didn't do a very good job but you don't know of all the things that were prevented because of Bella's unseen protector. In fact, she's here to meet you both today."**

**Chandra broke off and nodded her head in the direction of the door where a very solid 'ghost' was already a mere three feet away from us. She had on a long dress with old fashioned yet stylish shoes and her reddish-brown hair was tied back in a braid and under a pretty bonnet. She was beautiful. When Edward saw her he gasped. At that same instant we were both in her arms. I caught just a fleeting glance at her sparkling emerald-green eyes…the sparkling emerald eyes of Elizabeth Masen. As soon as we were in her embrace, I heard my husband's tearless cry, "Mother!"**


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three  
Biology 1st Contact

Edward's POV

**To say it was intensely interesting to hear about Bella's past and how it was manipulated by Chandra and her family would be a gross understatement. It did leave me with a sense of wonder and purpose to realize that so much effort had been expended for my personal happiness; and that much was definitely the truth. I looked at the beautiful face of my beloved and marveled at how completely my life had been changed because of the love and acceptance of this kind and selfless woman. She had literally 'tamed' the monster within me and restored to me my humanity. I held her tighter when Chandra's words of her parents' separation brought distress to her gentle eyes and I knew how she would ache for her father's past trauma resulting from the event. **

**Chandra started to set the stage for the first time I'd seen my beautiful wife in that crowded cafeteria and I remembered the frustration and unease I'd felt at not 'hearing' her thoughts. Then she went on to talk about the first and one of the most painful moments of my existence, the first of many where Bella was concerned. That first day in Biology class where her potent scent had nearly undone me and as I now understood, would have deprived me of my reason for living.**

"**You know," I said, as I tried to speak calmly, "You could have given me some kind of warning. You know some kind of a heads up so I wouldn't have reacted so badly." I swallowed hard as a sudden memory of how potent Bella's scent had been for me that first day had venom pooling in my mouth in response. I fought it down with effort and concentrated on the feel of my sweet Bella in my arms and breathed her scent in, to dispel the burn in my throat as her scent was all freesia and floral without the blood to scorch from that past memory. It had surprised me really, how potent that memory remained—since I had overcome my thirst for Bella's blood before her change. I shook my head to dispel the monster that was now all but gone thanks to my love.**

**I was just as surprised as Bella and the rest of the family were to see my old biology classroom appear as if it were an alcove to Chandra's 'home' room. There I was already seated along with three-fourths of the class, when Bella appeared in the door, flanked on one side by Angela Weber and on the other by a shadowy figure of some kind. Although I puzzled at what that was all about, I was initially more surprised to see that Chandra, Samon, and two others that I assumed to be Dagda and Llasa were there in the classroom conferring with each other and also there, were two others in the back who were all but invisible. I even asked Chandra about it and her response was to tell me that of course they were all four there. Emmett inquired about the two invisible beings, who turned out to be observers present to not check up on me so much as to check up on the four 'perfected beings' in the room. **

**Then Bella asked about the shadowy figure at her side. Chandra's response left my mind reeling. After I got over my initial shock at hearing that Bella had, as a human, a guardian angel, I was incensed. In hind sight, I'm ashamed to say that my thoughts were derisive; as I considered the poor job she must have done…especially where I was concerned. Chandra had to caution me against the thoughts that were in that instant ready to burst through into unrehearsed vocalizations. I would always be grateful for her caution, along with her insight to me that I did not know all that Bella's guardian angel had prevented.**

_**Good grief! What more could there have possibly been that could have made things worse! **_**I had scoffed at her mention of Bella's angel being uniquely qualified to work in close proximity to me and my vampiric nature…that this 'angel' knew which situations to lend a hand with and which ones to just let me handle. Right! What kind of an angel would understand me good enough to be able to know all of that? She would practically have to be my mother or something along those lines! I was shaking my head at the ridiculousness of Chandra's words, when she added some new ones about Bella's guardian angel, **_**'…Bella's guardian angel did an amazing job… In fact, she's here to meet you both today.' **_**That was a surprise in itself. I swung my head around in the direction she indicated and rose without realizing it; gasping as recognition from my last human memories flooded into me. In that instant, more and more memories of this most precious and loving woman came back to me. As her arms encircled both me and my beloved, I was reminded of those arms so many times before, when I fell as a child, when I came home from school, times I had turned to find her there. Her smile always had been so warm and loving; her touch always had been so sweet and tender. I remembered that touch as I lay dying of fever and sickness and how it had brought with it a measure of relief. All those memories were strengthened and renewed in that instant as I once again felt her touch. I could not speak clearly. A tearless sob rose out of my throat for this woman who had given me so much more than life, this woman who gave up everything for me to have a life, this woman who had protected my Bella so I would have meaning and love in that life. I took in a ragged breath and cried into her shoulder as I buried my face in her embrace, "Mother!" **

"**Oh, my dear sweet boy!" She said. As she spoke her voice sang out sparking previously hidden memories; further solidifying my fuzzy memories of the past. Her voice now added to the broken floodgates of my human life. I remembered her praying for my safety and knowing my preoccupation with becoming a soldier, praying that the wretched war would end. I remembered her reading to me from the Bible and talking to me about my friends from school while I helped her tend her rose garden. I remembered her musical laugh as I told her of my assorted antics of the day. I remembered her voice from the many times she had told me that she loved me.**

"**Mother, I love you," I told her. Words I thought I would never say again to the woman I believed I would never see again. She pulled back slightly to get a better look at me. Her smile was far more beautiful than my old fuzzy human memories.**

"**I love you too, my Edward." She said her eyes shining like glistening emeralds. "I am so proud of you. Do you know that?" I shook my head once, my eyes not once leaving hers. "You have been valiant and true to the things I taught you, despite tremendous odds. You have become everything, and more, that I hoped. It has been a great honor to be your mother." My insides were as warm as when I used to embrace Bella while she was still human. I knew it was the other way around. That it was I who was the lucky one. My beautiful mother turned her attention to my wife, who shared in our embrace. "And you, my sweet Bella," She continued in the same gentle tone, "Welcome to the family. It is truly an honor to finally meet you in person, although as I have had the pleasure of watching you grow up. I feel as though you have been a daughter to me your whole life. Your love for Edward has been the greatest gift of his life, and I am in awe of your courage and your strength of character. Do you have any idea how proud I am of you?" Bella shook her head as well. Her face stunned but slowly recovering. "I could not be more proud of you or love you more if you were my own flesh and blood. It has been an honor to have served as your guardian angel."**

"**Wait," I said in a hushed tone. "You mean you're not anymore?"**

"**No," She responded quietly. "Guardian angels are for those who are human. I have a new charge now."**

"**Who?" Bella asked in a quiet voice. **

"**My little granddaughter of course," She answered fondly with a little nod of her head in Renesmee's direction. Nessie clapped her hands and then blew my mother a kiss in response. My mother gave her a smile and a wink. "Of course, Nessie is only half-human. But it came from the top that she needed to have one and I guess they thought I did pretty well with Bella, so…" She said with a slight shrug to her shoulders. "I get to stay around for a very long time and I couldn't be happier."**

**Chandra spoke up then. "I'm going to have Elizabeth stick around for a bit, so if you could take a seat, we'll get started with an explanation of what happened that first day in biology class." My mother took Bella and me, still with her arms around us and sat with each of us tucked under an arm. My daughter bounced over and was in her lap in the same instance and kissed her cheek. My mother laughed and smiled in response. Was it just earlier today that I had said I couldn't be happier than with my two girls in my arms? Here I had to make a revision already. I couldn't be happier than right now with my three girls in my arms. I looked across at my Bella and saw the love burning through her eyes for me and our family and knew that she was as changed as I was by this sacred moment in time.**

"**Okay, so here we have the classroom. Edward is sitting at the table that will soon become center stage. Bella is at the door with Angela and her guardian angel, Elizabeth." As Chandra said my mother's name, the shadowy figure by Bella's side in the 'visual re-enactment' took on definition to look like my mother. She was still semi-transparent. It reminded me of visuals we got from Nessie sometimes. "Of course, I am there, as are Dagda, Samon, Llasa and our two unexpected guests. The problem was that they weren't the only ones there that day." I started scanning the room looking for any other sign of another presence in the presentation. I almost missed it twice. Then I saw it, there was a slight disruption of the visual right next to me. It almost looked like a very weak, faint mirage.**

"**There!" I called, surprising myself and everyone else by my outburst. I pointed to the area. Chandra was nodding her head in agreement.**

"**That's right. We were not expecting those scoundrels to show up and it really complicated things. Those are 'dark beings'."**

"**Dark beings?" Bella asked apprehensively. "That doesn't sound good."**

"**Oh, they're not, definitely NOT good." Chandra said sighing. "Dark beings are our counter-parts in the balance between good and evil. They are chaotic and do not follow rules. They are most definitely not moral or ethical. It is because of this lack of structure, that we can go undetected to them, if we are careful with rule number three especially, while their behavior makes their presence quite noticeable."**

**I quickly reviewed the third rule**_**, perfected Beings cannot influence powers of darkness—or creatures of darkness—because they will not listen and can alert the 'powers of darkness' to the immortals presence. She had told us that creatures of darkness would not listen to them if they were on a path of darkness.**_** I was starting to understand the complexity of the situation that fateful day in Biology class not that long ago.**

**Chandra looked at Bella and I, then her gaze shifted until she had looked at everyone in turn before continuing. "So you see, the stakes were high; we were forced to walk a razors edge not just because of our observers, but because dark beings were right there and would be alerted instantly if we interfered with Edward directly."**

"**Why were the dark beings there in the first place?" Carlisle added thoughtfully. "Do they follow us around all the time?"**

"**That is a very good question, Carlisle," Chandra said smiling at him. "They are not around all of the time unless you are 'walking the path of darkness'. No one in the Cullen house was doing that…although it was a struggle for Jasper at the time." She gave Jasper a gentle smile before continuing. "But to borrow a phrase from the Volturi, **_**la tua cantante**_**, they could sense the arrival of your singer Edward--a very potent singer at that. They wanted a front row seat. They were a bit put out with you years ago when you recommitted to Carlisle's vision and escaped their clutches. Here they were particularly eager to see you plummet down to their level; a mighty Cullen walking the path of darkness, and hopefully taking an entire classroom out in his downward spiral." **

**I felt a shiver go down my spine that rocked me to my stone core. I felt 'cold' somehow; at the knowledge of how close they came to rejoicing that day. My mother patted my shoulder. I looked over at her and saw the love she had for me in those eyes. I knew that she'd never doubted my strength of character and I was glad that I had somehow managed to keep my control for that longest of hours. **

"**Just as a side note, there were many more unseen beings in that room that day. Every mortal has a guardian angel and they were definitely all there, but since they aren't so central to our story…even though they were very antsy to say the least…I have left them out of our visual."**

**The visual started moving again. The first thing that happened was that Samon tried to direct Bella to go down a different isle where the heater vent would not blow her scent in my direction immediately, but Austin Marks and Lee Stevens had the isle blocked half way down with their backpacks and she went instead down the middle isle where she walked right over the vent and her scent hit me like a tidal wave. Once again, just the memory of the potency of her scent that first immersion, had my throat burning again. My muscles tensed in reaction to seeing my 'visual's' reaction. It was almost as painful to watch this scene play out a second time as it had been to live through it. **

**Then something interesting happened. Chandra went with Bella towards the front of the room while my mother went and wrapped her arms around me from behind. I tried to remember feeling this from my memory of that day but there was nothing. Just remembering the certainty that I was about to kill Bella Swan as soon as she sat down next to me. Chandra instructed Bella to turn her head in my direction and look me in the face. When she did so, I remembered seeing myself reflected in her deep yet startled brown eyes. That face was the face of the monster. I saw the 'displacement of air' to my left shift and become slightly more solid. I could almost make out a form there. **

**I saw my mother whisper in my ear, "Do you see that Edward? Do you see the monster there in Bella's eyes? Don't be that monster. Do you hear me Edward? You are a good son. You are NOT a monster. I could see the 'beings of darkness' react to that. They sensed my mother's influence but they seemed unaware of Chandra and her brother's presence. I saw Bella's face pool with a deep blush of embarrassment. I felt the 'beings of darkness' laugh in response. In the visual, I looked positively sick but my eyes were orbs of dark hatred. Bella lost her footing and slammed into a table at the front of the room. The 'dark beings' snickered at her cowardice. I knew what was going through my head during those few steps it took my Bella to get to the front of the room that day. I was determining the best plan of attack to kill everyone in the room and save her for last.**

"**No!" My mother cried out to me--directly in my ear. "No Edward. Listen to me. Remember that face of the monster in Bella's eyes. You don't want to be that monster. You're strong Edward. I believe in you." **

**I remembered the internal war as I continued to make my plan of attack. The dark beings grew more substantial as I entertained those thoughts. I watched the visual as Mr. Banner signed Bella's slip, gave her a book and directed her to her seat—by me. Then I watched as Bella turned and in mere seconds my attack would commence.**

**My mother's pleas became more frantic. I saw Samon standing next to Lauren Mallory. This was to my left and one row up. He told her to pick up her notebook for math. She did so and then realized it was the wrong one, he picked it up at a precarious angle while she held it awkwardly until it fell out of her hand and it dropped down on the desk, pages flying in the process in such a way that they fanned out in the fall. That folder's movement wafted a draft of clean air directly into my face. I had gulped it in greedily and I remembered it giving me a momentary clear head. Lauren would have only seen her folder slip out of her hand. I never cared for Lauren Mallory but her action in that moment had been my salvation…and hers as well. I also noticed that none of the immortals had tried to influence me directly, only the humans around me. The only ones trying their best to influence me was my dearest mother and the 'dark beings'.**

**My mother's petition took on more shape in that moment of clarity. She told me to think of my father and how he would not want me to become a monster. That he would want me to do the right thing. I remembered thinking that very thing as Bella approached 'our' table. In my mind I had seen very clearly the face of the monster and the face of my father, Carlisle. As I did so, the 'dark beings' shimmered lightly.**

**Then Bella came and sat in the seat next to me. I saw myself leaning as far away from her as the desk would allow. Bella trembled in fear and opened her text book trying her best to focus on writing meticulous notes—her trembling made her already clumsy scrawl completely illegible. My mother went back and forth between telling Bella to look only at her books and to not make any sudden movements. And then back at me telling me to calm down and to behave myself. I could see the look of pure hate burn out of me at my poor Bella. It was one thing to have to have lived this scene; it was something else to see it play from the outside--to watch the monster tremble with desire. The dark beings seemed to try to wiggle their way between Mother and I to crowd her out so her influence wouldn't be as strong.**

**Mother ignored them, refusing to give an inch as she told me to quit breathing if I couldn't handle it. I stopped breathing in response. She turned back to Bella and told her to let her hair fall over her left shoulder to keep me from seeing her blush of humiliation and also to keep me from concentrating on seeing the blood hammering in her carotid artery. There I sat, hating Bella, hating her for turning me into a monster. Funny, since she turned out to be the one who'd removed the monster from me forever. Maybe she had to flush him out first…there in that biology class. Maybe that was a festering wound that needed to be exorcised. . I remembered that just the memory of her scent had still filled my head even after I had stopped breathing and I pulverized the corner of the desk from using it to restrain the monster within from controlling me. I then had to re-mold it so there would be no collateral damage.**

**I watched Bella's response to my violent glare and my heart ached for her. She was trembling more and more. Three times she moved only her eyes to see me through the tresses of her hair. Once she noticed my tensed arm muscles as I physically tried to restrain myself from attacking her. The last time she looked into my black hate filled eyes and I saw the red stain her cheeks to an almost purple color. As the monster in me rejoiced in anticipation of this, the 'dark beings' became more and more discernible. I could almost make out their faces now.**

**Suddenly, I was pulled away from the scene being replayed in front of me as I felt an arm over mine as I held onto my mother. It was my wife. She had reached behind my mother from her other side to comfort me as I watched the stress in the Biology room mount to an even higher level.**

**Then back in the classroom drama I heard the bell ring and saw myself jump out of my chair and leave the classroom without causing injury or death to one child in the room. At my departure, the 'dark beings' shimmered and left with me as did Samon and Llasa. Chandra and Dagda looked at each other and let out a sigh of relief. My poor mother and my Bella both looked as if they would burst into tears; my mother out of profound sadness, Bella out of fear, disbelief and anger. The two observers came up to Chandra and Dagda and appeared to be talking to them. Mostly I just saw them nod their heads and saying 'yes' and 'I understand'. **

**The two observers left just as Mike Newton sauntered up to Bella and asked, "Aren't you Isabella Swan?"**

**The biology classroom darkened then, although it was clearly still there to be seen. Chandra started her narrative again. "The 'dark beings' followed you out to your car. They were furious about your choice and were sure that if your mother's ghost was not with you that they could get you to act on your instincts. They could see your mother, she being a 'ghost', but they could not see us, because we were not interacting with you directly. So what the 'dark beings' didn't know when they followed you out to your car, was that Samon and Llasa were there with you as well. As soon as you left the building Llasa caused a cool 'rain cleansed' breeze to blow in your face and bring with you some measure of relief. They could gauge your faculties returning to their normal levels. Samon was humming 'Clair de Lune' softly to himself until you turned it on your car stereo. That in itself was a good sign because that meant that you were open to our suggestions somewhat. But we knew we were nowhere near 'in the clear' with the volatile situation."**

"**Samon and Llasa followed you into the front office as school was preparing to dismiss for the day—of course, the 'others' did as well. They all watched as you tried to manipulate Mrs. Cope into changing your schedule. Of course, we couldn't allow that after all of the trouble we had gone to making sure that you had the shared biology class in the first place so Samon went right up to her and put the thought in her head that there were no openings in any other class and that you really needed parental authorization anyway. In the end, no persuasion you could give would've outmaneuvered Samon. That just wasn't going to happen."**

**Bella arrived in the front office to get her slip signed and Chandra had her stand still against the far wall and to your back. Dagda told her to be very quiet. You were doing great until Samantha Wells dropped a doctor's note in the 'excused absences' basket and the wind that entered with her swirled Bella's scent right at you before Llasa was able to still it. Of course, the 'dark beings' relished that scent and prepared once more for their awaited victory. They reasoned with you that you would only have to kill two people here instead of over twenty from the Biology classroom—what a great trade! Your mother begged you to remember who you were and reminded you that there was always a choice. The four of us positioned ourselves between you and Bella. Not that we wanted it to come to anything in that moment, with 'dark beings' acutely aware of the situation. But you plowed your way out the door to your waiting family and, we hoped, the support you desperately needed. We didn't let out a sigh of relief until you were in Alaska.**


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four  
Biology-Physics-Chemistry

[A/N: I did use a great deal of this chapter directly from 'Twilight' and 'Midnight Sun', both great works of our own dear Stephanie Meyer!]

Edward's POV

_(Biology)_

**Momentarily caught up in my memory of that flight to our cousin's home in Alaska and the vision of Bella's bewildered stare that haunted my retreat; I was called back from reflection by Chandra's musical voice.**

"**Well, of course things went better for 'take two', with Edward better prepared to sit next to Miss Isabella Swan." Just then the lights came up on the 'biology room' alcove and this time it was Bella who was already seated at our table, looking down and drawing a swirly design on her notes. I knew her face well enough by now to notice the tensing around her eyes and mouth and the way her shoulders slightly hunched. My poor Bella was scared to death. The rest of the class had taken their places but chattered as Mr. Banner distributed microscopes and slides. In the visual, I took a deep breath as I entered the room and quickly approached our table to have my first conversation with destiny, making sure to let the chair scrape against the floor, announcing my arrival. The only indication I received she'd heard me was a missed loop in her random design. I'd known she was scared—even then, and I vowed to leave her with a better impression of me that day. Of course, Chandra and my sweet Mother were there as well, but none of the other supernatural beings appeared to be present.**

"**Hello," I began. I remembered trying to make my voice be friendly and quiet and worried about showing my teeth as I had smiled at her. She looked up at me in shock and her cheeks blushed a beautiful shade of rose. I almost asked Chandra to stop the visual. While I could recall Bella's human blush with perfect clarity, the sight of her was so vibrant and three-dimensional that it truly felt as though I was there again.**

**Once more I was pulled from my memories, this time by my mother's voice inside the visual**_**, 'Do you see this beautiful young lady Edward? She isn't someone who deserves your hate. She is the essence of innocence and trust. She is someone worthy of your love not your hate.'**_** I was startled to realize some of her words had come through to me in that moment in time as I had thought while looking into Bella's eyes she was vulnerable and not deserving of hate of any kind.**

"**You know what?" Chandra started. "Let's make this a little more interesting. Let's add in the thoughts Mr. Cullen and Miss Swan were having running through their minds at this first exchange. I think it would be rather enlightening."**

**Both Bella and I grimaced in horror at the thought while from behind me, Emmett chuckled low and added, "This should be interesting."**

"**My name is Edward Cullen. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Bella Swan." I said from the visual.**

**Bella in the visual stammered, "H-how do you know my name?" Her feet were fidgeting underneath our table. I laughed my practiced quiet laugh to put her more at ease. **

**My mother, as Bella's guardian angel continued chiding me, '**_**Do you see how badly you've frightened her. That is not good Masen manners. . I know you can fix this Edward. You ARE strong enough. You can do anything.**_**'**

'_**I feel kind of bad; I must have really frightened her. She can hardly talk. She is so…defenseless.**_**' My voice spoke in the visual but my mouth didn't move. Of course, I knew I had only thought those things. I didn't know how I felt about having my thoughts out there for everyone to hear like this.**

"**Oh, I think everyone knows your name. The whole town's been waiting for you to arrive."**

**I laughed for real at the mortified expression that then crossed my Bella's face in the visual. Then I heard Bella's voice as crystal clear from the visual as if she was actually speaking, though these were just her thoughts from that day. **_**'I knew it was something like that!'**_

'_**Is this news unpleasant because she's so shy?' **_**I mentally puzzled from the visual**_**. 'Most humans are just the opposite…though they don't want to stand out from the herd, they crave the spotlight for their individual uniformity.' **_**I grimaced at my casual then thought of humans as cattle.**

"**No," The visual Bella continued, "I meant, why did you call me Bella?"**

"**Do you prefer Isabella?" I asked in the classroom**_**. 'I don't get it. She made herself clear enough to everyone on her first day she wanted to be called Bella. Where is she going with this? Are all humans this hard to understand without a mental guide of mind reading?'**_

"**No, I like Bella," She piped up then but seemed very embarrassed. "But I think Charlie—I mean my dad—must call me Isabella behind my back—that's what everyone here seems to know me as." Then I heard Bella's mental chatter at herself from inside the classroom visual. **_**'I am a total moron. He's going to think I'm a babbling idiot.'**_** Her face blushed a deeper red in response.**

"**Oh," had been my brilliant response. **_**'I don't believe it. I get her question now. I just screwed up. If I hadn't been 'listening in' on all of the conversations surrounding her that first day, I would have addressed her as Isabella the first time not just 'Bella'. This is not good. I'm getting a bad feeling. But I'm out of air and I can't say anything else. She's my lab partner. How am I supposed to do this lab with her without speaking? That would be rude and make her even more suspicious of me…more afraid. I can do this.'**_** I saw myself lean as far away from her into the aisle as I could and take in a blazing breath. I heard gasps around the entire room as my family experienced the burning in a somewhat vicarious manner, still for them, it was more in empathy for my torture in that moment.**

"**Get started." Mr. Banner said. I watched myself slowly turn back to face the classroom Bella. My mother was giving me encouragements all the while.**

"**Ladies first, Partner?" Bella looked up at me and her eyes got wide and went blank. **_**'Is there something off in my expression? Did I scare her again? Why isn't she speaking?'**_** I mentally panicked.**

**Then I heard Bella's internal musings and my jaw dropped. '**_**He has the most beautiful smile I've ever seen. Is he even real? Wait? Did he just ask me something? Great, I'm standing here staring like an idiot.'**_** I always knew the way my Bella regarded me was ludicrous but I had no idea she had such vision problems.**

"**Oh, she sure is scared there Edward!" Emmett boomed from behind me. There were catcalls mixed in. He was laughing freely. Rosalie was trying to stifle her own chuckle that burst free in the end. They were finally silenced by a look from Chandra.**

"**Or, I could start, if you wish." I said, my smile disappeared.**

'_**Obviously he's starting to wonder if I'm mentally competent.'**_** I heard Bella's mental self-loathing coming from the visual. How could she have possibly thought that? I had always thought her to be of sound mental competence. **

"**No, I'll go ahead" She said, her face going from white back to a perfect blush. **_**'Thank goodness this is a lab I've done before. Now maybe I can make up for being a moronic idiot by finding what I already know to look for.'**_** She adjusted the microscope as she looked through the eye piece. **_**'Yep, there it is.'**_** "Prophase." She started to remove the slide.**

**In the Biology Room visual, Chandra turned to my mother and said with a smirk, "Watch this!" **

"**Do you mind if I take a look?" My voice rang out from the classroom. I reached out to stop her from removing the slide and our fingers met for the briefest of seconds. Chandra put both of her hands over ours in that instant. **

**The mental chatter from Bella and I was intense but overridden by Chandra still talking to my mother. "This is a great way to start sparks flying. They've already got everything they need to get a cozy little fire started. They just need a little jolt every now and then. My mother nodded her head with a grin. I couldn't believe Chandra did that. I began wondering what else she had instigated. **

**Then the mental chatter first picked up from Bella who had jerked her hand away from mine. **_**'Ouch…that stung like an electric current or something. Funny, his hands must still be cold from playing in the snow before lunch, but why did it burn so hot? That was strange.'**_

**Mine started as I continued to reach for the microscope. **_**'What was I thinking? I can't touch her? Now she'll be scared for sure. Her hand is hot it actually felt like I was burned with some kind of electric pulse. Surely it was more than a mere 98.6 degrees?'**_** I then looked into the microscope, "Prophase." I agreed. As I wrote the answer on the lab sheet my internal debate continued. **_**'Why is she being so quiet now? I must have scared her badly. I need to be more careful. What was I thinking?'**_** I continued to berate myself as the class continued.**

**We worked our way through the lab with one word sentences but our internal chatter spoke volumes. I heard everything from Bella not wanting to write on the lab sheet because she was intimidated by my elegant script and not wanting to spoil the page with her clumsy scrawl. To my thoughts of feeling like I was sitting next to a heat lamp and warming up slightly to more to her temperature, all broadcast for everyone in the room. Well, it was kind of funny in retrospect and it was clearly amusing to my siblings—Emmett especially.**

**Chandra and my mother just kind of 'sat back' most of the time, with contented smiles on their faces and allowed things to proceed on their own. Chandra had a good handle on my breath/thirst levels and would often give me needed distractions; Mr. Banner walking by at just the moment I needed another breath and about to lose control of myself; pushing Samantha Well's purse on the floor from the desk with another small gust of almost bearable air in it. Once my mother mentioned to me, **_**'Isn't it interesting how it is getting easier to breath being around her?'**_** I remembered thinking that myself and was amazed at the level of understanding I was open to from her suggestions. **

**Then there was the time Bella didn't listen to her prompting and swung her hair around at the same time I was trying to take a breath and it took both Chandra and Mother's counsel to keep me in my seat and somewhat under control.**

**I watched her while my mind wouldn't shut up. **_**'Oh, get over yourself Newton! It isn't like she's beautiful. Well, she is pretty though…in an unusual way. Yes, she's even better than beautiful because her face is interesting.'**_

'_**And don't forget her beautiful eyes Edward.**_**' My Mother prompted me in the visual.**

'_**Her color contrast between her dark hair and her fair skin is striking…and her eyes are just brimming over with her mental secrets. Oh, she's looking into my eyes. This is very fascinating. Maybe eye to eye like this I can lift some of her mental thoughts right out of that secretive, pretty little head of hers.'**_

**My musings were answered for all of us by her own, **_**'What is it that's different about him today than last week? Sure he's nicer…but there's something about his appearance. **_

'_**She is observant.' **_**Chandra commented smiling widely in the biology visual**_**. 'Look at his eyes.' **_**She said right in Bella's ear.**

_**That's it! It's his eyes!' **_**"Did you get contacts?"She asked.**

"**Score one for Bella" Emmett boomed from behind us. There were light chuckles from around the room in response.**

"**No," I said with a smirk. **_**'What a strange question--as IF my eyesight in anyway needed medical enhancements.'**_

"**Oh, I thought there was something different about your eyes."**__**Her internal war began at this.**_** 'Of course there is a difference. Last time they were pitch black. They stood out so clearly against the pale background of his skin and his auburn hair. Today they are a kind of ocher, darker than butterscotch but with the same golden tone to it. But that doesn't make any sense. How could it possibly be…unless he's lying about the contacts? Well, it's either that or Forks is making me crazy in the literal sense of the word.'**_** She looked down and saw my hands in tight fists**_**. 'Why does he keep doing that? Is he in pain or am I just being one?"**_

**Her internal chatter was drowned out now by my own from that day not so terribly long ago. **_**'Uh oh, I'm getting a very bad feeling about this. Apparently I'm not the only one trying to ferret out secrets today. Of course there was something different about my eyes since the last time she stared into them. To prepare myself for today's ordeal, today's temptation; I'd spent the entire weekend hunting. Satiating my thirst as much as possible--overdoing it actually--another slip. If only I could have read her mind to see where she was going with her question; I could have just told her 'yes' I got contacts. I've been sitting by humans for two years in this school and she is the first one to get close enough to notice. The others, while admiring the beauty of my family, tend to look down when we return their stares. They shy away, blocking the details of our appearances in an instinctive endeavor to keep themselves from understanding. Ignorance is bliss to the human mind. So what is it about this girl? Why would it have to be Bella who would see too much?' **_

**Then with our lab done early, we spent the rest of the class period getting better acquainted and I started my list of qualities that made up the enigma in my mind of 'Miss Isabella Swan'. Her answers to my rude questions always left me about to implode with curiosity. More startling to me was Bella's internal dialogue during our conversation. She couldn't understand why someone as 'gorgeous' as me would be interested in the details of her boring life. Here was my proof she never saw herself clearly. She was the most interesting person I had ever met and she thought she was dull and boring. Plus the way she regarded me was of course, absolutely absurd. I was also surprised to see how often I 'dazzled' her during our first conversation. How many times had I agonized over why Bella couldn't see me the way I wanted her too? And there she was, definitely affected. Maybe she was a better actress than I gave her credit for.**

**Bella laughed out loud at my mental gymnastics of pulling up whole 'rosters' of ball players in an effort to figure out which 'Phil' was her step-father. She was surprised to hear my analysis of her selfless soul when she told me she had sent herself to Forks so her mother could travel with Phil. **

**It got particularly interesting when I got around to commenting, "You put on a good show. But I'd be willing to bet you're suffering more than you let anyone see."**

**Bella had looked over at me in the visual and anger glinted with all of its tiger-kitten rage. Her mental thoughts had the room laughing in earnest. **_**'Stick your tongue out at him…No! Don't do it, you'll look like a five year old. So what, do it now!"**_** She very carefully stared to the front of the classroom and away from me.**

**I looked at my wife's face. She wore a sheepish expression. I gave her my best puppy dog look. "You were going to stick your tongue out at me?"**

"**Sorry Sweetie," She said with humor in her eyes. She reached out from under my mother's other arm and kissed me tenderly. Our moment was interrupted by my internal chatter.**

'_**Hah! I'm right. But she's not the average martyr. She doesn't want an audience to her pain—very interesting in deed. So Bella is selfless. She puts her own needs way down on her list of priorities. She is not average or ordinary in any way. So Bella, you took care of your mother, then you move away to help her and her new marriage and when you arrive in Forks you start to take care of your father. But who takes care of you Miss Bella Swan?'**_

**And finally our conversation turned to how hard she was for me to read, and she said I must be a good reader. Again the internal chatter was fascinating. Of course, mine was embarrassing and Emmett wouldn't let me live it down.**

'_**This girl is absolutely amazing. She is upset because she thinks I'm figuring her out too easily. Bizarre might be a more apt description. I have never expended so much effort to understand someone in my entire life—well existence rather—as I don't have any kind of a life to speak of. Why do I have a strangely weary feeling here? Like there is a hidden danger I'm missing? The problem is I'm starting to find her interesting--fascinating really and that isn't fair to her. Bella cannot afford for me to find her interesting. But I want to know about her mother, her relationship with her father. What was her life like before she moved here? The curiosity is drawing me to her. How strange. Okay Bella Swan'**_

**My chatter was broken off by Bella's mental angst as she turned to the front of the room and Mr. Banner's comments, **_**'Thank you Mr. Banner for getting me out of this conversation before I make an even bigger fool of myself. What was I thinking? What is wrong with me? I can't believe I just explained my dreary life to this bizarre, beautiful boy who may or may not despise me. Oh, his hands are clenched into fists again. He seemed like he was engrossed in our conversation, but he must have just been being polite while I monopolized the conversation, with my senseless babble. Maybe my Dad will let me home school myself after this…"**_

**The bell then rang and I was out of my chair and gone as fast as I had in the visual of Biology class from her first day…leaving her staring after me once more. My chatter faded with me. **_**'Arrgggg…Here I go, leaving with as such an appearance of rudeness that I just destroyed any attempt at being a polite, civilized 'person' I may have constructed today. But the thirst is killing me after that last breath and her hair toss. Way to go Edward…very suave.' **_

_**(Physics)**_

"**You understood she needed someone to watch out for her—a protector even, but we had to 'teach' you Edward that it was YOUR job to take care of Isabella. You had already talked yourself into leaving her again and your leaving would have ruined everything. After everything we had…well…arranged, she definitely needed you to be there as her…how did you say it…as her 'guardian vampire'?" Everyone in the room found was amused**_** 'Lovely.'**_

"**We made a good team." My Mother said patting my knee. "Not only did we need to teach you your new job description, but I really wanted to let you know how it felt to hold this sweet young woman in your strong arms." I looked at my mother like I was seeing her for the first time. She was quite adept at playing the matchmaker.**

**Then Chandra continued, "That's why I requested Llasa bring in a special snow storm overnight with the roads still slick with rain, so we could manipulate Tyler Crowley's van the next morning."**

"**You did that on purpose?" I asked Chandra, my tone almost accusatory.**

"**Of course," Chandra answered matter-of-factly. "There are NO accidents."**

"**Edward," My Mother gently prodded, giving my shoulder a little squeeze. "Be nice to Chandra…she had everything under control."**

"**Control?" I demanded. "How is throwing a full-sized van at my Bella having everything under control?"**

"**Do you want me to tell the story or not?" Chandra asked me pointedly.**

"**I want to hear it," Bella answered earnestly. **

**I was still fuming. **

**Chandra tried to coax me by waving the proverbial 'carrot' in front of me. "Do you want to know what she was so emotional about when she was looking at the snow chains on her truck tires right before the van went out of control?" Her blue eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. Of course she knew that would be exactly what I would want to know to keep this insane story going. I nodded once. I could hardly contain my anger. Reckless angel was an apt description after all. **

**Chandra clapped her hands. "Bella was wondering why she wasn't having as much trouble with the black ice as everyone else seemed to be having. When she got out of the truck, she saw something silver and she walked holding to the bed, to the rear and looked down to discover the snow chains." Chandra turned to Bella, "Do you remember what you thought next?"**

**Bella shook her head. "I remember the accident, but all of the finer things got fuzzy from the vampire conversion." She seemed so sad and frustrated by this knowledge. **

'_**Poor Bella,' **_**I'd thought.**_** 'Here I remember everything of our courtship and although I'm surprised at how much she does remember, what a terrible thing to lose.'**_

**Chandra gave her a knowing smile. **

"**Here, let me help you with that." Chandra said and she leaned over to Bella and for the briefest of moments placed her hand over Bella's eyes. Afterwards, Bella let out a small gasp, her eyes getting wide. She was excited.**

"**I can remember! Not just what I thought about the snow chains…but everything!" My sweet Bella enthused. I was so happy for her. This was truly a wonderful gift for her. Her eyes danced with excitement. She looked at me with so much love and happiness I was caught up in the moment with her. After a time she collected herself and told me, "I looked at the snow chains and I thought, 'Charlie didn't even tell me he had put them on, I didn't have any idea how early he had gotten up in the freezing cold snow and ice--quite possibly it had been before it'd even gotten light outside. But his concern for me and my safety had completely taken me by surprise. I wasn't used to being taken care of. It actually made me want to cry."**

**I took my free hand and reached out for hers, squeezing it tightly. "I love you." I said simply as I became trapped in the depths of her gaze and for a moment, I forgot how irritated I was at Chandra. **

"**Okay," Chandra said eager to get on with her tale. Edward was out of his car and watching you Bella while you slipped all over the blacktop. What were you thinking here Edward?"**

**I took a deep breath as I remembered watching her in fascination while she tried to keep from falling on her backside as she carefully made her way to the back of her truck. **

"**I knew Alice was watching me and it didn't bother me because I was too preoccupied being fascinated and amused by your antics."I told Bella. "I was thinking perhaps you would come over and talk to me. I was anticipating it actually. Then I thought maybe instead of waiting I should go and talk to you because you could use my hand getting off the ice."**

**My Mother looked up at me with an impish grin that looked amazingly similar to my own. "Did you know I was right next to you encouraging you to go help her because it was the gentlemanly thing to do?"**

"**Thanks Mom," I smiled at her. Once again I was taken by surprise as a wave of emotion crashed over me. I was actually sitting with my mother's arm around me. My mother whom I'd never in my wildest imaginings ever thought I would be near ever again. It was a surreal moment--literally in time.**

"**Of course," My Mother continued looking up at Chandra, then to Bella and lastly back to me. "That was the moment Tyler turned the corner to fast on the dry ice, Alice had her shifting vision, and Chandra gave the van its first 'push' off the ice at exactly the right angle for her objective. I yelled with my whole heart 'NOT HER!!!' directly at you and in response you moved at lightning speed to save your Bella."**

"**It was you?" I asked in bewildered amazement. My mother just nodded and I took her into my arms again for another embrace. "Thank you Mother! Thank you!" What more could I say? "You were still my guiding light—even after all of those years--I just didn't realize it was you. Thank you, Mother." I felt my wife's arms around me; as well as little Nessie who, being in my mother's lap, was once again… the center of attention.**

"**Elizabeth was at Bella's side when you grabbed her and made sure there was no debris where her head would hit the pavement. I was on the other side of the van. Since your mother could 'read' you Edward, as well as I, I asked her if it looked like you understood yet." Chandra said with excitement. It was almost as if she was reliving the moment.**

"**Understood?" I asked perplexed.**

"**That it was your responsibility to keep Bella safe." My mother quietly reminded me. I nodded in response. My temper was kept in better check with the knowledge my mother was involved.**

"**So when I asked Elizabeth if you understood yet…she responded, 'No, you'll need to give him another lesson.' So I pushed the van along the back of the truck so you could save her again."**

"**I saw that you understood the danger you were exposing yourself and your family too," My Mother said, "But we had to make sure there was no question in your mind where your new responsibilities lay. Plus you had to release your hold on Bella to throw both hands out to block the van…and we wanted her in your arms when the 'situation' was resolved. So as you were basically being slammed into the next car to act as a protective shield for Bella, I told Chandra it was time to 'drive' the point home. She knew exactly what was needed and she rocked the van in such a way you'd need to grab Bella and hold her to your side very tightly while dropping the van in such a way as to not hurt Tyler, still in his radically out of control van."**

**I shook my head. "It was all a set up." I said in disbelief.**

"**Of course," Chandra said. "There are no accidents."**

"**So it's not against the 'rules' to break the laws of physics then?" I asked perplexed to how these 'perfected beings' operated. **

"**Oh, I didn't break any laws of physics. I'm not allowed to do that." Chandra responded innocently. "I just have a more perfect understanding of those laws and how to work with and manipulate them to behave as I needed them too."**

"**Then I got to interact some more with the two of you." My mother said excitedly. "I told you to make sure she was alright and Bella was safer in your arms. I even asked you, 'Doesn't it feel nice to hold her in your arms?' But then Bella's shock wore off and her questions began and with it your panic overrode your self-control and you let her go and sought the safety of the farthest corner you could find. I did tell you you'd want Bella to trust you and that trusting her was of the upmost importance to you. In part, because Bella was trustworthy and in part, because you needed to start to understand she could be trusted with who and what you were."**

_**(Chemistry)**_

"**Next was the trip to the hospital. We were very excited for Carlisle to meet his new daughter." Chandra went on. That was a new twist our hospital adventure. I glanced back at Carlisle who smiled broadly. "Elizabeth and I knew we had done things correctly as we watched Edward's frantic observation of you, Bella, from his father's office; as he snuck a peek at the x-rays, and spied on you through Tyler Crowley's head. Of course, he didn't like the thoughts Tyler was having while he talked to you and saw for himself what his good buddy Mike Newton had been going on and on about—where your looks were concerned." Chandra laughed. So did Emmett. I looked back to shoot him a glare when I realized the entire room was fighting back laughter. **_**'Great!'**_

"**Of course you finally couldn't stand it any longer." She continued. "You went in to see her briefly before being joined by your father. Even then, you were envious of how Carlisle could examine her so gently you longed to have the control to do the same."**

"**But we had a problem and we knew it." My mother took over. "You were still planning on leaving and you were thinking by doing so you would be protecting her. It was twisted and backwards and we knew it would ruin everything. Bella was intent on getting her answers and had followed you out to the hall. You were barely in control of your thirst for her. You were prepared to play the part of a cad." My mother shook her head in actual disgust. "You treated her account of events like she was a crazy person and then came the most shocking words from her mouth you had yet heard. Words you didn't deserve to hear after the abominable way you had just spoken to her. You were so uncouth Edward. Your manners were in a very sorry state." I was actually feeling a little wave of guilt at my mother's gentle chiding.**

"**Sorry Mom," I said a little sheepishly.**

"**Oh," She said as she lifted her hand to ruffle my hair, "Save that for the big things Edward." She'd kissed the top of my head while the room filled with quiet laughter again.**

"**And the words Isabella spoke were, 'I'm not going to tell anybody.'" Chandra said, taking over the narrative. "And you realized in that instant, even furious and betrayed, she would keep your secret. That was the crux of your relationship. Another important lesson you needed to learn. It being, that she was extremely trustworthy to you and your family; important information for you to understand later that day when the Cullens met together to have a 'family council' of sorts." She shook her head and shot a disparaging look at Rosalie and Jasper. I was thankful to have the pointed stare directed elsewhere for a moment. I had a feeling I might be getting a lot of those with all the mistakes I'd made."**

"**I decided since Isabella and Alice would become the dearest of friends and later sisters, I would open up some visions for Alice that would put her solidly in Edward's corner and further thwart Jasper's plans to 'deal' with the situation." Chandra continued. Then she addressed my sister, "Alice, why don't you tell us what the visions you had were that day?"**

**Alice responded, happy being included in the story. "Well my first vision after the accident was actually before the council on the way home from school. I saw Jasper go to attack you Bella. But Edward grabbed the vision out of my head and used it to make his plans. He decided to cut Jasper off and the vision started again. Every time it played out, Edward was there to block Jasper and it was getting further and further away from the Swan's house. I was very upset to see my sweetheart and my dearest brother trying to hurt each other over a human." She stopped and suddenly looked at my wife, "Sorry Bella," She interjected. **

**Bella just mouthed the words, '**_**It's okay**_**.'**

**Alice shook her head slowly, continuing to direct her story to Bella "But the real visions came during the 'accident, when Edward was too preoccupied to pay attention to me and believe me, I made myself scarce so I could think them through without his interference. Every vague vision I had of Edward's future in that moment became crystal clear and you was in every one of them. You would become very important to him and to our family as well. You would become my friend, not just my friend but my best friend. The best friend I had ever known before in my life. I had never had any friends I could remember from my human life and I'd never had a real girlfriend before. I saw a vision of you and me with our arms around each other, yours human and mine vampire, in trusting friendship. I was so excited. But then the vision shifted and we were still arm in arm but you were a vampire also. The last vision was of you dead." Alice's voice became soft at the end remembering her feelings when these visions came.**

"**When we got home for the council, I masked my thoughts from Edward, hiding them from him. I had already seen what his response would be to any of them. He would leave and I couldn't bear for him to be gone again. So I focused my visions on whether or not you would tell others what Edward did to protect you. Nothing came to me because of how resolved Rosalie and Jasper were. Rosalie caved when Carlisle took the high road, as well he should have, but Jasper was going to be harder and I knew Edward needed my help. After all, you was more than just any human…you would be my best friend. Jazz knew how much I had wanted this experience for so long. If he understood what I had seen, I knew he would change his mind, but there was no way to tell him without telling Edward. So I took a deep breath and told Jazz I would appreciate it if he didn't try to kill you because first of all, Edward would act to stop him and I didn't want them fighting, and second because you were my friend or at least you were going to be. I told him I was going to love you someday and I would be very put out with him if he didn't let you be."**

"**Jazz responded as I knew he would and when his resolve faded, a vision of you not telling anyone became clearer. Of course Edward immediately saw the first vision I had firmly affixed in my mind with you and I; our arms around each other with yours still human, but he could tell from the tenor of my thoughts there was more I hid from him. He asked if what I hid from him was about you and for the slightest fraction of a second the second vision with you a vampire slipped through." She shook her head.**

**I remembered that day and the stress of it. I had seen all of the visions Alice had seen for me and my beloved and all of them horrified me. I couldn't consign her to any of the fates I had unknowingly hurled her way--Bella as a vampire or Bella dead.**

**Chandra took over the narrative, "Of course Edward wanted to leave to try and prevent you from having either of the 'fates' that were now in store for you. Luckily we had already manipulated the conversation in such a way Edward's presence was required to keep people from talking. Then we had Alice bring our message home when she questioned you about leaving Bella unprotected. Then even more to the point, her admission that she loved Bella too. Of course, you heard the implied comment there…the one where you loved her as well."**

"**Then when he started to question me," Alice said, speaking again to Bella. "I told him, **_**'You**__** are so blind, Edward. Can't you see where you're headed? Can't you see where you already are? It's more inevitable than the sun rising in the east. See what I see…'**_**I opened her mind to him and the flood of visions I had of him earlier that very day—and there you were Bella, in all of them. He said that neither fate--of you a vampire or you dead were going to happen— he would change fate." Alice added shaking her head. "I tried to warn him what he was about to try was practically impossible, but he was just all the more determined to protect you from himself…somehow."**

"**And I knew in that moment this was going to be a problem." Chandra commented, holding my gaze. "I had to let you, have your choice, but that didn't mean I had to go easy on you when you chose wrong. I knew it was your ethics, which made you the correct choice to become Renesmee's father, were also making you so difficult to work with. I thought perhaps if you were going to play this the hard way, the chemistry was definitely there so maybe I could teach you a few lessons in the process." Chandra concluded with a smug smile.**

_**Oh help'**_**, I realized from the look on her face that Chandra was just winding up for her first pitch.**

*******


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five  
When the Sun Rises on a Forever Midnight

[Again, I am taking much of my dialogue directly from both 'Twilight' and 'Midnight Sun'. Thank you Stephanie Meyer :D]

Edward's POV

**The drama unfolded with the lights returning to our wonderful biology classroom. This time I was seated and facing the front, where Mr. Banner would normally have been writing on the chalkboard, but instead, of the blackboard, my eyes were looking forward unseeing into the faces of everyone present in Chandra's 'home room'. Chandra was standing behind me, leaning casually on the desk at my back. Bella walked in, my mother at her side and sat her things down beside me. I, of course had been spying on her through everyone's mind and I knew she had already kept her promise to me repeatedly so far by telling everyone I was standing next to her and pulled her out of the way when Tyler's van came streaking out of nowhere. She had even got quite inventive during lunch, when Mike Newton refused to be swayed by her cover story of me already being there. Apparently, he had his eye on her before school the previous day as well. She had told him, that since I had missed a week's worth of class she had agreed to let me copy her class notes but forgot them in her truck and I was retrieving them from the front seat.**

"**Hello Edward," Bella said in the biology room visual. Her voice was pleasant and friendly. **

'_**I wonder why the change from the anger her voice held the last time we spoke? Is she not angry with me anymore? But I must focus on my ability to keep her safe—safe from me.'**_** I saw myself in the visual turn my head an inch in her direction without shifting the focus of my gaze from off the front of the room and give her one small stiff nod before turning my head back where it had been. I saw Bella's smile slide off her face in response. She sat down and quickly found her place in the text and pretended to read it to catch up for the day's lecture. I knew she was faking. Not only was she a terrible actress, she was too responsible to come to class unprepared. **

"**I can't believe it." My Mother said in indignation. "That is just plain rude."**

"**Believe it," Chandra sighed. "He's too noble for his own good." **

"**But he has better manners than that! Bella doesn't deserve this kind of a snub from him. How could he do this to her? Doesn't he understand anything about how, with her self-sacrificing nature, this will make her feels about herself? "**

"**Yep," Chandra replied looking down in disgust. "It's not going to be good. She will get depressed and think he feels he was wrong to save her life." They both shook their head. **

**Then the scene changed. It was still the biology room but the passage of time, basically six weeks' worth of time, was marked by slight movements of the people in the classroom and everyone clothing changing as the lights slightly shifted to reflect the weather outside. Chandra and my Mother were there each day, and each day Bella became more and more dejected. She would look directly at the back of my head on her approach to our table, sigh and then come and take her seat resigned to ignore me the best she could. Each day, she seemed a little sadder. Every now and then when she would flick her hair or drop something and make a sudden movement, her scent would overpower me again and I would clench my fists in response and stop breathing, but never look her way. Each day Mike Newton got closer and closer to our table until he was actually sitting on the corner of it to talk animatedly with Bella before class started. I remembered wanting to throw him across the room.**

**Once Chandra got so irate at me, she made some kind of energy light ball, and bounced it off my head. I continued to look forward unaffected. She shook her head sadly. "He isn't ready to listen." She said sighing. "But it's getting harder for him to resist."**

**I took my eyes off the visual and looked at Chandra, "What was that you were bouncing off my head there?"**

"**Oh," She said with a smirk, "It was just an energy ball. Don't be put out—it didn't do any damage. I was just testing to see how hard your head was. And as I already knew…you were very hard headed—in more ways than one."**

**The scene continued to change and I could see my mother become more alarmed with the passing days about Bella's depression. Finally the scene slowed a bit and the Chandra in the visual turned to my Mother and told her, "Don't worry I've been working on Jessica Stanley for a while and things will change tomorrow because it's time to take another approach." With that my Mother started grinning.**

**Then the scene shifted slightly again signifying the next day and I knew which day that would be. It would be the day Mike Newton asked my Bella to the 'Girls-Choice' dance. Right on cue, they walked into the classroom. This time Mike wasn't his usual cocky self.**

"**Oh, let's spice things up again and turn on Bella and Edward's thoughts as well." Chandra said with satisfaction.**

"**Yes, Lets!" Emmett enthused rubbing his hands together. "It certainly makes it more interesting!" I turned to give him my best sarcastic glare but once again I was taken aback by the eagerness on everyone's faces. Even Jacob's and that surprised me, as I knew if Chandra kept this game up for long, this current trend would backfire on him as well! In the visual Bella was taking her seat, while Mike perched himself on the corner of OUR table; neither of them looked my way.**

**My shocked reverie was broken as my own mental voice picked up the narrative. '**_**To think it has come to this! I am completely fixated on the petty high school dramas I once held so in contempt. Look at him, Hah, not so smug now are you Newton? You've been waiting all this time for Bella to ask you to this dance so you could know she preferred you but she didn't. Now your hand is forced because Jessica asked you instead. You are nothing but a weak coward. It would be so satisfying to hear the sound of your bones shattering from being hurled….'**_

"**So," Mike began his eyes on the floor. "Jessica asked me to the spring dance."**

**Bella's thoughts kicked in now, '**_**I know she did. She already asked me if I minded—which I don't. Is it your fault she has been so sulky with me today? Well, I better play 'dumb' here and try to salvage this. It means a lot to Jessica.' **_

"**That's great!' Bella responded her voice excited, happy. "You'll have a lot of fun with Jessica." I saw my mouth in the visual twitch for half a second before returning to its passive state.**

"**Well," Mike stammered, trying to decipher Bella's smile. **

'_**Look at him floundering! Loser!**_**' My mental commentary interjected. **_**'You're going to chicken out now aren't you? No, wait…Drats, maybe he has more guts than I figured him for.'**_

"**I told her I had to think about it." He added**

'_**Well, thank goodness he didn't give her an absolute 'no', **_**Bella mentally added,**_** 'I have to help him understand he's hurting Jessica's feelings.**_**'**__

"**Why would you do that?' Bella asked. In response Mike's face flushed red and he looked down for a minute.**

'_**Dang it! Way to go Bella, now you're hurting Mike's feelings.'**_** Bella chided herself.**

'_**Wait a minute,' **_**my mental chattering began**_**, 'Sure that sounded disapproving but there was a hint of relief in there as well. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?'**_** My face in the visual became stone cold and I remembered the fury that was building inside of me at that precise moment. I was a walking time bomb. My mother and Chandra were clapping their hands in anticipation from the visual. **_**'Look at Mike blush; are you ringing the dinner bell Newton? I would happily have you for lunch right now.'**_

"**I was wondering if…well, if you might be planning on asking me."**

'_**Oh, this is just great! How in the world do I fix this while making Jessica and Mike both happy? It isn't possible. Well, I'm not going to a dance where I can fall flat on my face in front of the whole school regardless so I pick Jessica. Still, Mike has been the nicest person to me at school so far. I don't want to offend him…' **_**Bella mentally debated with herself.**

**My anguished thoughts overrode hers, **_**'The girl may say yes or no to Mike, and it doesn't matter. Someday soon she will say yes to someone. She's lovely and intriguing and human males are not oblivious to that fact. Whether she will pick someone in this lack-luster crowd or wait until she escapes this dreary place, the day will come when she will say yes.' **_** I remembered the despair I started to feel in that instant of realization.**

**My mother had her arms around me from where she knelt between Bella and I as though she were some sort of referee. **_**'Of course she will say yes to someone, Edward. That someone is you!!! Look at her Edward, she is your future! She is here for you. Listen to me my sweet boy, Bella is here not for Mike Newton, she is here for you to love.'**_

**In the visual, Chandra who was still standing behind me put her hand on the top of my head for the briefest of seconds and then my eyes closed as my mental anguish continued. **_**'This girl deserves her future. She deserves to go to college, have a career, to fall in love. She will look so beautiful as a bride, on her father's arm, dressed in gauzy white, her face flushed with excitement as she walks to Wagner's March.' **_

**My Mother's voice took on a soothing tone, **_**'It isn't meant to be this way; you are supposed to be her destiny. Not someone else. You are her future. Don't let her slip away from you Edward. Follow your heart, Son.'**_

**While my Mother played on my sympathies, Chandra played on my temper. 'You're not going to just sit here and let this farce play out are you? Are you going to take this like an unmoving stone while the love of your life is taken away from you by the likes of this guy? You have more sense than that. So what are you going to do about it?'**__**She challenged.**

'_**I'm not sure, but did Edward just look in my direction for a second? I think he did? No, I must be wrong. No, I'm sure he did.' **_**Bella's mental thought added.**

'**Uh, question," Emmett said stopping the visual. "I thought you said you weren't allowed to interfere with 'creatures of darkness'?"**

**Chandra looked over at him. "No, we usually cannot because they won't listen and it can alert 'dark beings' to our presence. However Edward was trying to do the right thing here. His reasoning was flawed, but his intentions were noble and so I was able to get through to him. Since there were no 'dark beings' present, I took the risk." Emmett nodded seemingly satisfied. He sure was 'Mr. Question' today. I sighed and was surprised when I turned my head back to see Chandra looking at me. "But that wasn't all. What can you tell everyone about the vision you had of Bella as a bride?" Her eyes sparkled.**

**I remembered that vision from my past and gasped aloud. "It was the same!" I said startled. "When I closed my eyes, I visualized Bella walking down the aisle on her father's arm…and it was not my imagination. It was a vision. She was wearing that same beautiful dress Alice designed for her and her hair was braided in the same intricate design Rosalie twisted for her, and she had the same blue comb in her hair her parents gave her. It was Bella as my bride, only I just didn't know it." I looked up astounded. Chandra just nodded. I reached across my Mother and gave my wife a kiss again. Then I kissed my Mother's cheek just as the visual started again.**

"**Mike, I think you should tell her 'yes'." Bella said softly. My face was beyond distraught in that instant. I remembered the battleground my insides had become during that fateful afternoon when my resolve was shattered into a million pieces.**

'_**Alice is right.'**_** My mental voice trembled with the aftershocks of the emotional anguish I had just endured. **_**'I'm not strong enough to stay away from her. Oh, right now Alice will be watching the future spin and twist, mangled again. Will this please her?'**_

"**Did you already ask someone?" Mike asked dejectedly, his face peered slightly in the direction of my visual self. **

'_**I can't believe, by turning my head so subtly towards Bella, I betrayed my interest in the girl so much even Newton caught it. What? Mike's wondering if it's me Bella prefers to himself. Huh? And now he's thinking of every boy in the class in turn to see if it might be them. Listen to him; he's so…so…jealous. Ha! Wait, he's jealous…and so am I.'**_

"**No," Bella said quickly, trying to smooth things over with Mike, "I'm not going to the dance at all."**

**Bella's mental dialogue picked up here**_**. 'No sense having the entire student body in stitches on account of my extreme klutziness.'**_

"**That's for dang sure." Emmett chortled. I heard Rose smack him with her hand. "What?" He continued innocently, "I'm just saying that…" I imagined Rosalie had silenced him with one of her world famous glares.**

**My mental musings took center stage next, **_**"Oh, thank goodness she isn't going with someone else! That's a relief. But who would she go with if she were going? Would it have been Mike? Eric? Tyler? Maybe it's someone who hasn't made a move for her yet? I know there are at least thirteen more boys today alone who have thought about her with a romantic interest besides these three. Who are my rivals here? Which one does she fancy? And what am I going to do about it?'**_

'**That's right Son,' Mother said folding her arms with a quick nod of her head, 'Stake your claim now. Don't let any of these other guys intimidate you.'**

"**He won't do that." Chandra replied confidently. "He's high on something more potent than a super charged adrenaline rush. Edward is high on infatuation."**

"**That's all?' My Mother asked anxious. **

"**For the moment but we'll change that soon enough." Chandra reassured her.**

"**Why not?" Mike replied in the visual. **

'_**That is so rude, Newton. How dare you talk to her like that…I ought to…? No, I can't growl at him in the middle of this classroom.'**_** My mental thoughts all but snarled at him. **

'_**Come on Mike' **_**Bella's mental voice said with a mixture of humor and embarrassment.**_** 'You've seen me in gym class. You know how deadly I am. Well, I'm not going to spell that out for you. There's no need to get into the safety hazards my dancing would present…**_** (Emmett chocked back a laugh)…**_**so I need something else to do.'**_

**My mother was thinking. Her hand on her chin, she leaned over to Bella and said, 'Seattle?'**

"**I'm going to Seattle that Saturday." Bella answered quickly. Her mental chatter picked right up, **_**'Whew! Well, I needed a trip out of town and that Saturday will do nicely!"**_

**Chandra from the visual turned to me, "I'll bet you're just dying to know all about that trip, Hey Edward?" She said, her voice challenging.**

**Right on cue my mental thoughts picked up, **_**'Oh, you just wait Miss Swan, I'll figure this out. I have every intention of knowing ALL the when's and the why's of this little revelation!'**_

"**Go Edward!" Jasper said in approval behind me.**

"**He's the man!" Emmett said in agreement, not to be outdone.**

**Back in the visual I heard, "Can't you go some other weekend?" As Mike pled for an appeal. **

"**He doesn't give up, does he?" Jasper whispered to Emmett.**

"**No, guess that's why Edward dislikes him so much." Emmett answered him back.**

**Chandra shot them an amused glance with a raised eyebrow.**

"**Am I bad?" Emmett said abashed.**

"**Sorry No," Bella said, "So you shouldn't make Jessica wait—it's rude."**

"**You go girl!" was Rosalie's smug response. That surprised me. Considering how much she hated Bella during the time period all of this played out. Bella looked over warmly at Rose who gave her a wink.**

**I wished I could ask Chandra to turn off my internal musings but leave Bella's going. Mine were becoming quite embarrassing to say the least. Chandra looked over at me and just grinned, shaking her head. I was startled to remember I wasn't the one doing the mind reading here today.**

'_**Why is she so worried about Jessica Stanley's feelings? Doesn't she have any idea how Jessica feels about her? Did she just say no for her friend's sake? Would she have said yes if she didn't know of Jessica's preference for Mike? This Seattle trip is clearly just an excuse. Yes, she could have said no out of loyalty. Bella is plenty selfless enough for that. What if I'm wrong about all of this? What if she actually wished to say yes…or are both guesses wrong? Does she like someone else?'**_** The tenor of my thought voice gave away my angst. **

"**Oh, this is sad." Emmett said softly in a tone of mock despair. **

"**Yeah, you're right," Mike said in a dejected tone. He turned to walk back to his seat. Bella bowed her head. She shut her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temple as if trying to hold back a bad thought.**

'_**That was terrible.'**_** Her mental anguish was plain in the tremble of her thought voice. **_**'He has always been nice to me and this whole time he has been a true friend. How could I be so mean to him? What's the matter with me?'**_

**All the while my mother had her arm around Bella and patted her reassuringly on the back, **_**"**_**Don't worry about him, dear. Edward is finally going to get his act together and play nice. Everything will be alright now. You'll see."**

'_**Great, much as I'm glad Newton finally left; he just cut off my sight of Bella. Well, I'm not going to stand for that!'**_** my mental thoughts were resolving.**

**They got some supernatural help and Chandra commanded me, "Look at her, Edward! Look at Bella." In that moment I did exactly what I had promised myself I would not do again, I unknowingly followed Chandra's orders and gazed into the face of MY angel, Bella.**

'_**Her eyes are closed, hands pressed to the sides of her face, shoulder's slightly hunched in a defensive manner and her head is shaking ever so softly back and forth, kind of like she's trying to dispel a bad thought. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? This creature is fascinating and frustrating at the same time. I don't know what to make of her.' **_

**Mr. Banner chose that moment to start class and Bella opened her eyes in the visual. She immediately looked at me and our eyes locked. **

'_**He's looking at me!'**_** Bella's voice rang with a hope that was as shocked as it was happy. **_**'He's still looking at me. How does he do that with such intensity? Dang it my hands are starting to shake. Stop that! Why can't I look away? Why would I want to?'**_

**My mother stood to the back of us and said to me with an arm on my shoulder in the classroom visual. "**_**Isn't she beautiful? Like a finely crafted porcelain doll with fine features and she is here for you Edward. Isn't that exciting! You're the man she dreams about. You are her hero. I am so happy for you, Son".**_** She threw her arms around me. I didn't recall from my memory of the event having felt any other presence there let alone arms around me in that moment. But I did recall feeling like I was giddy almost like ridding a jittery high.**

**Then my thoughts cut into the others, '**_**Finally, What a relief it is just to look into her eyes. What is she thinking? Can I try again to lift them from her eyes? She don't look away. Her eyes are so deep I can see my own reflection in them--me and my black eyes. Not the safest of days for my will to crumble. Still, she don't seem afraid? Do I scare her? Who is she thinking about?'**_

"**Mr. Cullen?" Mr. Banner's voice cut through my mental probing. **_**'Why are you disturbing me now, Mr. Banner? If I look for just another minute I bet I can get something from her mind. Oh well, I guess if not from hers, I'll just have to pick yours--whatever the answer your looking for is'.**_** I reluctantly turned my gaze from Bella's liquid eyes to answer Mr. Banner. As soon as I did so Bella looked down to find her place in the text. "The Krebs Cycle." **

"**I knew it! Edward uses his mind reading to cheat!!!!" Emmett crowed as he jumped up from his seat, startling everyone with his exuberant outburst. "Did you all hear that? Did you see that? Edward cheated right in class!" He looked around at everyone's startled expressions, "Well, we caught him red handed…so to speak.**

**Bella moved her hair over her shoulder to hide behind. Her mental chatter began immediately**_**. 'He looked at me! I can't believe it.' **_**The thrill in her mental thoughts was unmistakable but the tenor changed and become full of self reproach. **_**'Honestly what is the matter with me? I can't allow him to have this level of influence over me just for looking at me for the first time in a half dozen week. It's pathetic. No, it's more than pathetic it's…unhealthy.'**_

**My mother was my greatest advocate, "But he is very good looking. And he is really so sweet after you get through all of his pretenses. Plus you haven't heard him sing have you? Well, I know you already love his speaking voice…just think of **_**that**_** singing. It will melt your heart. That's not even the half of it. You should see him play the piano. I'll bet he'll write you something special. You'll see. He is your perfect match Bella. Isn't this exciting?"**

'_**I have to pretend he's not sitting there. It feels like he's looking at me again. No he's not there. Well, I'm pretending he's not sitting there.'**_** She started twisting a lock of her hair with her finger while she blushed a deep rose color.**

'_**Oh, the thirst is killing me from that last breath. Oh great, my monster is back and stronger than before. He likes that blush and his fifty-fifty chance of getting what he craves so viciously.' **_**My voice was full of self loathing. **_**'How could I let the third shaky future I was trying to create from my willpower alone be crumbled by something as mundane as common jealousy? What have I done? Well, it's too late to try to rebuild that third future…I don't have the strength for it. I might as well look at her again.'**_** My gaze shifted to her and I watched as she continued to twist her hair with her finger-- a sign of stress. **_**'Her fingers and wrists are so delicate so fine. It would be nothing to snap them. I could probably do it with my breath alone.'**_

"**Edward, I can't believe you just thought that! I don't care if you are a vampire. You stop that this instant!" Mother scolded me in the visual. In reality I felt her pat my shoulder and lean in and kiss the top of my head. It was a little embarrassing, but reassuring to know it had ended well.**

'_**No, no, no, I cannot do this.**_**' I mentally chastened myself**_**, 'She is to breakable, too good, too precious, to deserve this fate. I cannot allow my life to collide with hers…and destroy it. But I can't stay away from her either. Alice was right about that. What is right? What can I do? How can I make this work? Should I even contemplate it?' **_

**The bell in the classroom sounded and everyone started gathering their books. Bella, as had become her custom over the last six weeks of my isolation, turned her back on me to gather her back pack, but unlike my regular custom, I didn't leave post haste. **

'_**Oh she's not looking my way. That won't do.'**_** I mentally moaned.**

"**Ha!" Chandra scoffed, "Like you don't deserve it after the abominable way you've treated her the last six weeks. What did you expect--her to welcome you into her arms? Good luck with that!"**

'_**That is so disappointing—but not unexpected. After all, I have behaved inexcusably towards her this last six weeks.'**_** I mentally echoed Chandra's rebuff**_**. 'Well, since my willpower is already torn to shreds, I might as well try to salvage this…'**_

"**Bella?"I said in the classroom.**

**Bella's mental lamenting started**_**. 'He's speaking to me. Why oh, why does his voice have to sound so familiar to me like I've heard it my whole life instead of just a few short weeks? I know what will happen if I look at him. How looking in his eyes will make me feel like my insides are melting. Like I could stop breathing from just a look from his 'too perfect' face. I have to turn and look at him. He's speaking to me. Well, I think he's speaking to me.'**_** Her head turned slowly towards me in the classroom. Her expression was guarded, weary. **

**My mental commentary was next, **_**'Why is she looking at me that way--so distrustful? Oh, I guess she has every reason to feel that way. What am I thinking-? She shouldn't trust me! Can I read her thoughts from her facial expressions? She said her Mother called her an 'open book', so open up then. What are you thinking?'**_

"**What?" Bella finally asked her voice full of resentment. "Are you speaking to me again?"**

'_**That is so cute! The edge of petulance in her voice, it's as endearing as her anger is. But wait a minute here…her question. How do I answer her question? Am I speaking to her again--at least in the sense she means it? I wanted to, but no I would not. Not if I could help it. I would try not to help it.' **_**I thought trying to resolve myself.**

**Chandra threw up her arms in aggravation in the visual.**

"**No, not really," I told her in the classroom. At that remark my Mother was next to throw up her arms in frustration.**

**Bella lowered her head and closed her eyes. She took a long slow breath through her nose. Her jaw was locked and she was grinding her teeth.**

"**This is hysterical," Jacob said to Emmett, who laughed in response. "Can I have some popcorn?" My wife turned him an icy stare.**

"**Perhaps you'd like to leave for the rest of this Jacob." She said icily. My sweet Bella is truly one scary monster. Any normal man would have had a coronary on the spot. Unfortunately Jacob was not any ordinary man.**

"**No thanks, I wouldn't miss this front row seat for the world." Jacob crowed.**

"**Good," Chandra said smoothly, "I'll remind you that you wanted to stay later in the story when your thoughts are audible to all." I can't tell you the satisfaction I got as I watched his eyes get big from digesting that little tidbit. Popcorn—indeed!**

'_**This will not do,'**_** My mental voice continued, **_**'I can't read anything with her looking down like that. Come on look up! Please?'**_

**With her head still bowed, Bella spoke. "Then what do you want Edward?" **_**'Huh? It's easier to talk to him this way. I actually am still coherent.'**_

'_**Why is she doing that? Normal people don't converse in such a peculiar manner. Still what is the matter with me? I can't believe how my name on her lips has me all twisted up inside. What is that?'**_

"**It's love Edward!" My mother was clapping her hands. "It's love and if your heart still beat it would be going double time right now!"**

'_**How do I answer her question? I guess I'd better go for the truth. I owe her that much. At least as much truth as I'm allowed to share. I'll give her that from now on. Even if it's impossible to earn her trust, I don't want to deserve her mistrust.' **_

"**I'm sorry," I said in the visual, "I'm being very rude. I know. But it's better this way, really."**

'_**Well better for her at least if I can continue being rude. But can I?'**_

"**Yes Edward," My Mother scolded me, "You are being very rude. Not to mention obstinate and high minded. Straighten up and be a gentleman."**

**Bella looked up into my eyes but her expression was still very guarded. "I don't know what you mean."**

'_**I need to get as much of a warning through to her as I'm allowed. She's a bright girl. She'll understand.'**_** I gave myself a pep talk.**

"**It's better if we're not friends." I said seriously, "Trust me."**

**Bella's eye's narrowed in the classroom, **_**'Oh, that's rich! I've heard that before!'**_** "It's too bad you didn't figure that out earlier, you could have saved yourself all this regret!" She spat out between clenched teeth.**

**I watched as shock crossed my face. **_**'What does she know of my regrets? Did I let something slip?'**_

"**Regret? Regret for what?" I demanded of her in the classroom.**

**My Mother and Chandra from the visual both froze. Then Chandra sighed and said to my Mother, "Well, he wanted to know what she was thinking…he's about to get his wish."**

"**For not letting that stupid van squish me!" she snapped back. Then it was my turn to freeze.**

'_**How in the world could she be thinking that? Saving her life was the one acceptable thing I've done since I've met her. The one thing I'm not ashamed of. The one and only thing that made me glad I existed at all. Doesn't she understand that I've been fighting to keep her alive since the moment I caught her scent. How could she think THAT of me?'**_** My thoughts became hard and angry. **_**'How dare she question my one good deed in all of this mess?'**_

"**You think I regret saving your life?" My voice echoed my thoughts.**

"**I know you do." She retorted.**

"**You don't know anything." I replied angrily. **_**'Her estimation of me is irrational and completely unacceptable. Her mind works in such a confusing and incomprehensible way. She must not think like other humans at all. That's got to be the explanation behind her mental silence…she's entirely 'other'.' **_

**Mother and Chandra were both clucking their tongues in disapproval. Bella quickly turned away from me and gathered up her books. Her cheeks were flushed with anger and her teeth were clenched. **

**Emmett and Jacob were both repressing laughter.**

'_**Don't say anything. Don't tell him he's an insensitive jerk and the meanest person I've ever met. And definitely don't tell him how obsessed I am by him and how I can't stop thinking about him. I'm so mad I could just scream--but I won't. No, I'll just dramatically glide out of the classroom.'**_** Bella thought while she left our desk and stomped towards the door without once returning my stare. Of course, I knew what would happen next and I knew how it would be received by Emmett and Jacob. Bella tripped at the doorway as her boot hit the door jam and everything went sprawling out of her hands as she spent her energy righting herself. She stood erect and didn't even try to gather up her things. **

"**Graceful exit indeed!" Jacob chortled beating Emmett to the punch line. I was surprised when Nessie leaned forward out of my Mother's lap and fixed Jacob with a disapproving stare. That shut him up.**

'_**Maybe I should just leave them. I learned all this stuff last year in my AP class anyway. Well, except the Math. Maybe I could come back after school when he's not looking. Right.' **_

'_**You know she is quite entertaining when she's angry.' **_**I'd fought a laugh as I watched her exhibition.**

**Mother, standing next to Bella scolded me, "Now do you see what you've done? You've really upset her. Well, get over here and TRY to do the gentlemanly thing maybe you can salvage this after all. I said' now', Edward!"**

**As if in response to my Mother's prompting I flitted to Bella's side as no one was there and stacked her books before she bent to retrieve them. When she did see me she froze half way. I handed her the books.**

"**Thank you," She said coldly.**

"**You're welcome," I retorted back. Bella stomped off while my visual remained in the doorway watching her retreating back.**

"**That could have gone smoother," Chandra said sourly.**

"**Well, at least they're talking again," was Mother's gentle reply before she took off after her charge.**

"**Is falling in love always this hard?" my daughter asked her Grandmother.**

"**No Sweetie, It's not. For you it will be a piece of cake," Mother said as she smiled down at my daughter, "But sometimes, the more fight you put up, the harder you fall and you'll see just how hard your parents fell for each other."**

"**I'd just like to pull a few internal thoughts from things that happened the rest of that day," Chandra continued. **

**Is beginning to see how this was going to play out. Chandra planned to simply to skip to all of my embarrassing faux pas. This was going to be humiliating. I looked at my wife and saw the same look of anxiety mirrored in her face as well. When her eyes met mine, she smiled sheepishly and I grinned back at her. This earned me another sweet kiss.**

"**Bella was so consumed with thoughts of you in her gym class she had an even harder than usual time trying to play basketball safely. Edward, you were listening to all of your 'rivals' still trying to see who Bella preferred. You knew Eric had gotten out of class and was waiting by Bella's truck to ask her to the dance. So you got yourself a ring-sized seat through Eric's mind. Bella was practically fleeing the school from all her perceived enemies…of which you were one." Chandra said, setting the stage. "So here are Bella's thoughts as she left the school in a mad dash to her truck." **

**This time, there was only an audible—no visual to go with it. **

'_**That gym class was brutal. I hate basketball. I have a hard enough time keeping my balance but I couldn't concentrate at all. Bad enough I kept falling down, but I had to take half the class down with me. I've got to get out of here before they find me. I saw the angry looks I got from my team mates. I've got to get away from this place…there's just so many people I need to avoid. Of course, they were nothing next to the glares I got from Edward. Well, I wanted him to talk to me for six weeks. Yeah, lucky me! He finally speaks to me just to tell me we can't be friends. What does he mean by that? Oh, I know what he meant. He must realize how absorbed I am by him and he doesn't want to lead me on. So he doesn't even want to be friends…because he isn't even interested in me at all. Duh! Of course he's not interested in me. I'm not interesting, and he is; interesting, and brilliant, and mysterious, and perfect, and beautiful, and possibly able to lift full-sized vans with one hand. Well, that's just fine by me. I can and I will leave him alone. I'll get through my self-imposed sentence here in purgatory and then maybe I'll get a scholarship to a school in the sun—maybe even Hawaii…" **_**"Hi Eric."**

"**Now that is what Bella was thinking. Kind of puts things together for you a little bit, doesn't it Edward?" Chandra gave me a grin. I had to agree. I had no idea she thought of me at all that early into our relationship. I'd thought it was just me. Of course, I'd always known she put me on a ridiculously high pedestal—that wasn't news. But apparently Emmett, Jacob and Jasper got a kick out of that. Jasper even made a comment I should start the 'Edward Cullen Charm School' for the rest of them to attend and Emmett had retorted back to take it nation-wide and help all the poor saps in the country.**

"**Well Bella, I would like you to hear what Edward was thinking while you were walking to your car, where he knew Eric was waiting for his opportunity." Chandra continued, looking at my wife. Bella nodded once. Then my mental voice from that eventful day was heard by all as though coming from hidden speakers.**

'_**I can't ignore her anymore. That much is obvious. But is there no other way but to destroy her one way or another? There has to be another available future. There must be some other choice…a delicate balance…wait, what if Eric is who she likes? What if this gangly teen with unhealthy skin problems is the one she favors? And what if it's not Eric but Tyler Crowley who is racing at this moment to his locker to try and head her off before she leaves. He's tediously average and unremarkable, but what do I know of Bella's preferences? Maybe she likes average boys. What am I thinking? I could never be considered an average boy? How foolish of me to set myself up as a rival for her affection. I'm not average. How could she possibly care for someone who, in anyone's estimation, is a monster? Bella is too good for a monster. I should let her escape, but I won't… my inexcusable curiosity won't let me."**_

**My wife leaned across my mother and Nessie to fix her golden eyes on me. "You were never a monster to me Sweetheart. You're the best man I know." **

"**Thank you," My reply was simple. I smiled sheepishly at her, not so sure I liked her knowing what had been on my mind. "And how could you have thought of yourself as boring, Bella? You are the most fascinating creature I have ever met?"**

[A/N: I know some of Bella's thoughts were actually later in the day when Bella was preparing dinner and Edward's were combined from Spanish class clear through to when Tyler was getting in place to ask Bella out…I took a little artistic license to get those thoughts presented in a quicker form…Sorry]

"**Well, I'd like to skip ahead to that night. Edward had hunted and gone to see Bella one last time, as he had convinced himself to leave yet again. Bella was asleep in her bed and getting ready to have another wonderful dream. Basically it was the same one she'd had since the crash. Where Edward was leaving her and her anxiety level rose higher each night she'd had the dream." Chandra intoned as if giving a school lecture. **

**Then she turned to me, "Oh and Edward, did you like the sleep talking? Dagda made sure that was one of Bella's characteristics just for you. He said you would go mad without it." She gave a gentle laugh and then continued her presentation. "I'm going to do this one a little differently, I'm going to let you not only hear Edward's thoughts, and Bella's sleep talking, but I'm going to let you experience what Edward felt that night. It won't affect you the same way it affected him, but it will help you understand the profound change that happened to Edward that night when he came to see 'the girl' one last time."**

**I didn't need the recap. I knew it was the single most profound feeling I had ever experienced in my life. It was the night my heart had first been touched by love's bright flame and literally turned my world from black and white to color. But Bella had only heard about it, so for her sake, I would be happy to relive this special moment with her. **

**The first thing I heard were my thoughts as I watched Bella's sleep from outside. **_**'She is having a restless night. Does she sense danger near her? I have no business being here watching her sleep. How does this make me any better than some sick peeping Tom? No, it doesn't make me better; in fact, I'm much, much worse. She's got that crease between her eyebrows again. What is she dreaming about that has her so distressed and deep in thought even in her dreams? What is she doing…moaning?'**_

"**Okay Mom," Bella's sleeping voice rang clear throughout the chamber.**

'_**I don't believe it! Bella talks in her sleep. Unprotected thoughts; here's my chance to finally understand what she's thinking. The next sounds were those of the window as it creaked opened and the faintest of sound as I lowered myself to the floor. 'I'll have to get some oil for the window next time I come. Next time? What have we got here? Stacks of books by her bed but the spines are facing away from me and I don't want to get to close; an inexpensive portable CD player. Hmmm, I'd love to go see what her preference in music is but again, I better not chance it. Oh, look at her computer.' **_** I felt mild amusement and the curiosity again that always surrounded me with Bella—especially in the beginning. I glanced around at the faces of my family to see what they thought about my actions and was surprised to see the same amused expressions on their faces as well. Chandra really was affecting their emotions to reflect what I felt that night. Even Bella and Renesmee were smiling, eyes bright. **_**'It looks as though it could be the show piece in a computer dedicated to obsolete technologies. She could definitely use an upgrade there… Well, I better keep a safe distance. I'll sit in her old rocking chair in the far corner. That ought to be far enough away for now.' **_**There was a very faint sound as I took a seat--only even discernable to the ultra sensitive ears in the room. **

"**Look at her face, Edward," My Mother's voice came through the audible presentation. "She is so beautiful, Isn't she?"**

'_**Wow, how did I miss this before? Did I really once think of her as only average-looking? I remember being disgusted her first day when all of the boys were so taken with her, but now reviewing her through their eyes…how could I have possibly missed this? How is it I didn't see how beautiful she was immediately? Her beauty is the most obvious thing.'**_** My thoughts were full of wonder. I felt it anew, as well. I looked at her beautiful face again and saw my wife ducking her head embarrassed by the compliment. **

'_**Oh well, it's the truth dear, get use to it.'**_** I mused as the audio presentation continued.**

'_**Right now with her hair in a tangle, and wearing these tattered old clothes with her face relaxed in unconsciousness she takes my breath away…or at least she would be if I were breathing.'**_** My family laughed lightly in agreement with my last assessment**_**. 'How can I do this? How can I make the future bearable? Hurting her is not an option. Does that mean I have to leave? Is that my only real option here? I could now. Enough time has passed that no one would question my absence. I don't stand a chance as a rival for any human boy, whether any appeal to her here in Forks or not. I'm a monster. How could she possibly see me as anything else? If she knew the truth about me she'd run away screaming in terror, just like the intended victim of a horror show; just like she trembled in fear that first day in biology class. That was the correct response to me—a monster. How stupid of me to think if I'd been the one to ask her to that silly dance, she'd have cancelled her hastily-made plans and agreed to go with me.' **_

"**Oh my poor Edward," Mother's worried voice spoke from the audible. "He is suffering so much. Can't we do something for him?"**

"**Let's give it a few more minutes and see how it goes. I can always give him a boost if he gets too side-tracked." Chandra said in her reassuring tone.**

'_**I'm not the one she's destined to say yes to. No, it will be someone warm and human. And I can't even hunt that someone down and kill them when she did say yes, because she will deserve him. Bella deserves to find happiness and love with whomever she chooses. I owe it to her to do the right thing now. I can at least admit it to myself I am no longer in danger of falling in love with this girl—I am in love with her. Anyway, it doesn't really matter if I leave because Bella could never see me the way I wished she would --a person worthy of her love. Never.'**_

**I heard a gasp behind me and I turned to see Esme's heartbroken expression as her eyes sought mine. My thoughts were causing her pain. As much as they had apparently caused my biological mother's that night no so long ago. As I turned back to look at my wife I was surprised every face I met held the same feelings of sadness for my pain. Jacob and Leah were crying. That was how I knew Chandra had worked some crazy powerful magic for the two of them to cry over any pain I may have suffered in the past.**

'_**Is it possible for a dead heart to break? It must because mine is right now.'**_

"**Edward," It was the voice of my then human angel talking from her dreams.**

'_**Did she wake up with her eyes still closed? Did she catch me here in her room? She looks asleep, but her voice was so clear…Oh, she's shifting in her sleep. She is asleep and dreaming.'**_

"**Edward," She said again. Her audible sigh came through the audible. "Stay. Don't go…please don't go."**

**I felt again the rocketing feeling that coursed through my entire being with her quiet words. **

'_**Can a dead heart start to beat again? I think mine is about to. She's dreaming about me…ME! It isn't even a nightmare and she wants me to stay with her there in her dream! I can't find words strong enough to describe this feeling flooding through me. It's overpowering me. I can't breathe or speak. I feel as though I'm drowning in this feeling.' I feel a fire that seem to glow without burning, surrounding me with indescribable joy, encompassing me in unfathomable happiness so intense it feels as though it will burst through my stone hard body. I am new. I am not the man was before. My life has been an unchanging midnight—everything frozen in place at the time of my transformation—set in stone. So how is it the sun is rising in the middle of my midnight? Love has changed me in an eternal way. I will always love this fragile human girl for the rest of my limitless existence.'**_** Once again I felt this new love for her settle itself in every portion of my stone hard body.**

"**Did you do that Chandra?" My Mother's voice rang out in the silence from the narrative.**

"**No, I was getting ready to step in, but Edward did that one all on his own." Chandra replied, her voice full of wonder and satisfaction.**

'_**Well, I love her so I will have to work on being strong enough to leave her. But maybe I can circumvent Alice's visions in another way. I understand them now at least. Loving her will not keep me from killing her accidentally. It would be accidental too, the monster is nowhere inside me. I can't feel him here anymore. Maybe love has silenced him forever? I will have to be extraordinarily careful. Never let my guard down around her. I will not allow myself to make mistakes where her safety is concerned. But now I also understand the second vision of the future. Now that I love Bella I could see myself, out of desperation and longing, ask my father to take away her life so I could keep her. I can never do such a thing--such a vile act of selfishness. Make Bella a prisoner to this half-life, just to keep me happy. Bella deserves more than that. Can I make a third future? Can I have a relationship with her—and leave her alive and human?'**_

"**I think we'll stop this scene here. No sense in allowing everyone to feel the fire that ripped through Edward as he started the painful process of building his resistance to the scent of Bella's blood." Chandra said softly. "Edward, I would love to tell you that was one of our happiest moments, but as you heard, when your moment to fall in love came, you did it by yourself. I never needed to give you that extra little push."**

"**Edward," My beautiful wife said to me. She had gotten up off the couch and pulled me up into her strong arms and kissed me with a ferocity that sent enough jolts of electricity through my body to light up the Las Vegas Strip. For once it wasn't Emmett's throat clearing that stopped our passionate display. It was eventually me and I didn't know how long it had consumed me before I suddenly became aware of the shouting and clapping that filled the room. I only knew I was once again about to explode from the love I had for this gentle woman who now was mine.**


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six  
Be Dazzled

[A/N: This chapter also relies heavily on both 'Twilight' and 'Midnight Sun'. Works of Stephanie Meyer]

Edward's POV

**Chandra explained she and Elizabeth decided the next morning to let us interact for a bit without their interference to see how things went. But she let everyone hear the day anyway. Great! **

**It was interesting to learn, when the audible replay of the next morning in the parking lot at school, that Bella had been so angry at the time over my behavior of the previous day, that my comment of saying she was 'utterly absurd', actually made her want to hit something—preferably me! A picture Emmett said would have been interesting. Jacob agreed. I guessed he would have liked to have not been the first one responsible for breaking her hand from a swipe.**

**Bella was equally amused at my mental musings in response to her retort of, **_**'Why don't you leave me alone?' and my mental reply was, 'Believe me, I've tried…Oh, and by the way, I'm wretchedly in love with you. Keep it light, Edward!'**_

**She had believed my vacillating between anger to nervous laughter to be designed to keep her off-balance--hence her comment on the possibility of my having 'multiple-personality disorder'. Carlisle of all people burst out in a loud guffaw before he composed himself and commented that to the casual observer, my behavior towards Bella based on what they had seen in the last thirty minutes could lead a trained psychologist to wonder the same.**

**When I asked if she wanted a ride to Seattle a week from that Saturday, and Bella had asked 'With who?' My family broke out into laughter. Somehow I hadn't bargained on my love story being a comedy. Still it was humorous in a way. It would've been more enjoyable without the 'peanut gallery' along for the ride. **

**When I'd responded 'Myself, Obviously' a little too slowly, Bella's mental sarcasm picked up, **_**'Ugh, I can't believe he just said that enunciating every syllable like I'm mentally incompetent or something.**_

**My mental chatter was a burning question**_**, 'What? Why would she think it such a shock I'd want to be in her company? Did she apply the worst possible meaning from my past behavior?'**_**-- Too which my supportive family all responded with a resounding, 'Yes!' **

**Then I made the BIG mistake of talking about her truck not being up to the trip. I winced inward waiting for a mental rebuff to outdo the verbal. This was my first lesson that to be close to Bella you must respect the truck. She didn't disappoint. "I don't see how that's any of your business."**_** 'Stupid**__**shiny Volvo owner,'**_** she'd mentally hurled at me. And here I'd thought she'd liked my car. She certainly seemed to like it more than her Ferrari. **

"**Honestly Edward," We both responded mentally to the sound of my name on her lips. Apparently, it gave Bella as well as me, a surge of some emotional charge. It was a thrill filled with longing for me. For her the same—but she hated feeling it—interesting—she was fighting an attraction for me even then…If I had only known , I could have saved myself a lot of anguish. "I can't keep up with you. I thought you didn't want to be my friend." **

**My mental voice was full of caution, **_**'I really need to be careful what I say next. I can't stay away from her, but maybe she'll take the hint and stay away from me--before it was too late.' **_

"**It would be more…prudent for us not to be friends." I remembered how gazing into her eyes at that moment, like it so often had thereafter, made me lose my hold on 'light'**_**. I love her! I want to be with her and be the one to find out all about her hopes and dreams; even the ones not about me.'**_** "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you Bella." **

'_**Whoa, breathe, in…out…in…out. His beautiful eyes are boring a hole in my head with their intensity. I feel like my insides are melting. And his voice, I always love to hear it but…just…now…it was smoldering somehow. He is a god.' **_**Bella was practically in mental incoherency. Funny, I'd never gotten that from her. I had thought I'd scared her. She was a better actress than I realized. Emmett made a comment about making a mint off the 'Edward Cullen Charm School for Sorry Saps'.**

'_**Uh Oh,**_**' I mentally picked up, '**_**She stopped breathing. Wait, there she's breathing again. But her heart rate has picked up. How much have I scared her? No time to like the present to find out.'**_

"**Will you go to Seattle with me?" I demanded.**

'_**Oh no! I can't speak. It's okay--just nod. I can't look away from his eyes. What is it about the intensity of them?'**_** Bella picked up mentally.**

'_**She's nodding her head--Yes!!! Even though her heart is pounding louder and faster.'**_** I mentally cheered in a second of uncontrollable exuberance. It left in a flash as I considered the consequences, **_**'But what will this cost her?'**_** "You really should stay away from me…I'll see you in class." **_**I warned her, but did she hear it? Will there be any way for her to escape the future I'm threatening her with? Is there anything I can do to save her from me? **_

**That first day I sat with her at lunch was rewarding to relive--especially remembering the new revelation that day about Bella's clumsiness. A fact she re-enforced by tripping on the smooth linoleum floor twice on the way to the table. It was funny when she asked, 'So in plain English, are we friends now?'**

**And I had responded, "Friends?" But my inflection made it sound like a question. This because as my mental thoughts announced to the entire room thank you very much, I didn't think 'friends' sounded like enough, and Bella, naturally took my remark exactly the opposite way.**

"**Or not," She muttered. To which my mental voice questioned, '**_**Does she think I don't like her even that much?'**_

"**Well, I suppose we could try." I said. "But I'm warning you I'm not a good friend for you." **_**'There I said it. This is killing me, wishing she would finally hear my warning and feeling like I might just die if she does. How melodramatic. I'm turning into such a…a…human.'**_

"**I'll say!" Emmett agreed with my mental self-assessment.**

"**It was worth it for Bella!" Alice snapped back at him. "Don't forget I was the one waiting on pins and needles to get MY chance to meet her; while all this time Edward dragged his feet." She added indignantly.**

"**You say that a lot." Bella observed from the cafeteria scene. **

'_**No! I've said too much. Her heart rate is picking up again.'**_** I started to panic but my audible voice held nothing to betray my fear. "Yes, because you're not listening to me. I'm still waiting for you to believe it. If you're smart, you'll avoid me." **_**'Ah, but would I allow if you tried?'**_

"**I think you've made your opinion on the subject of my intellect clear, too." So, as long as I'm being…(**_**he is so confusing**_**)…not smart, we'll try to be friends?"**

"**That sounds about right." I answered with an apology in my voice.**

**The conversation turned to her 'super-hero' theory. I had laughed when Bella had mentally questioned if I were a hypnotist for coaxing her theory out of her. Bella laughed out loud when after guessing I was altered by being 'bitten by radioactive spiders, and I had said 'no' to both the radioactivity and the spiders, I had deliberately steered the conversation over to kryptonite to forgo lying about 'bites', which would have been the last of the three part scenario. **

"**Look up in the sky!" Emmett howled. "It's a bird!"**

"**No it's a plane." Jacob continued.**

"**No, it's…its Underdog!" Jasper concluded as the three of them pounded fists together. I rolled my eyes. Truthfully I didn't care. I was being visited by my mother, reliving the first days with the love of my life, finding out her thoughts during that time and seeing how much effort Chandra and her brothers had expended to make me happier than I could have ever dreamed possible. Let them laugh. I was the luckiest man alive.**

**This conversation led to its conclusion by my remark, "What if I'm not a super hero? What if I'm the bad guy?" **_**'She's going to figure this out, and when she does, she'll run.'**_** The dread was evident in the tenor of my thoughts.**

'_**His smile is playful, but his eyes again…what are they trying to tell me?'**_** "Oh" Bella said out loud. "I see" **_**'He IS dangerous. He's been trying to tell me that all along.'**_

'_**She's finally heard me. Her breathing is hiked and her heart is racing.'**_** I mentally moaned. **_**'I can't answer her. Is this my last minute with her? Would she run now? Could I tell her I love her or would that frighten her more?'**_

"**But not bad," She whispered back. "No, I don't believe that you're bad."**

'_**Of course, I'm bad. I'm sitting here rejoicing now I know you think better of me than I deserve. If I were a good person, I would have stayed away from you in the first place.'**_** "You're wrong." I said my voice a bare whisper. I reached across the table, and stole her bottle lid; the same souvenir that now adorned my top book case, out of Bella's eye sight. She didn't understand my fascination with it.**

**Bella laughed when my mental commentary finished the thought from my acknowledgement for skipping our Biology class and she'd asked me 'why?' and my mental prelude of **_**'I don't want to kill you'**_** then out loud added, "It's healthy to ditch class now and then." '**_**Or more precisely it's healthier for the humans, if the vampires ditch class on the days human blood would be spilled. Alice already ditched hers today…now it's my turn.'**_

"**Well, I'm going." Bella had replied and I heard the sounds of scraping as she'd pushed her chair back**_**. 'I'm way too big a coward to risk being caught!' **_** This comment was, of course, met with chicken clucking sounds by certain members of my family who will remain nameless; mostly because by this point it should be obvious who they were.**

'_**Of course, she's going to class. Bella is my opposite. She is responsible. She ALWAYS did the right thing.' **_**I added aloud and trying for casual, "I'll see you later then." **_**'Oh and by the way Bella, I adore you in frightening, dangerous ways.'**_

**Next Chandra informed Bella and I they did step in a bit in our biology class with the blood typing to make sure Bella got sick before sticking herself. And my Mother reminded her she shouldn't have to do the blood-typing anyway because she already knew her blood type.**

**Bella laughed to learn I was so panicked seeing her basically drop to the sidewalk from Mike's arms, I had nearly taken the door off the car in my haste to get to her side. Then it was my turn to laugh, when I'd carried her and had held her out away from my stone, cold body to the nurse's office, when I learned the reason she'd wanted me to put her down wasn't so much because she didn't want to show weakness, but because she was fighting a need to vomit all over me. We won't even talk about Emmett's snide remarks to that little revelation. They centered on how nice I would've looked in 'puke green'.**

**The whole room roared with laughter to my musing, "So you faint at the sight of blood?" **_**'Could it get any more ironic?'**_** "And not even your own blood!"**

"**Did you like that?"Chandra asked. "It was Dagda's idea. He thought you would get a kick out of it."**

**It was interesting for Bella to hear my thoughts back in the office when she revealed, "I smelled the blood."**

'_**What is she saying now? That can't be right?' **_**I'd been mentally amazed. "People can't smell blood."**

"**Well I can—that's what makes me sick. It smells like rust…and salt."Bella explained.**

**My mental voice took on an incredulous tenor. **_**'Is she even actually human? She looks human. She feels as soft as a human. She smells human—well actually, she smells better than a human. She acts human—well, sort of. But she doesn't think like a human. Or respond like one.' **_

"**What?" Bella demanded.**_** 'What is that strange look in his eyes? He's looking at me like I'm from another planet or something.'**_

"**Score one for the Martian," Emmett snickered.**

"**It's nothing." I responded in an off-handed manner. There was a click of a door opening. This I knew to be the one from the nurse's office and I remembered who it would be as well. My voice flowed smoothly from my vocal to my mental dialogue. **_**'Oh hell, Mike Newton is back. Yes, Yes, I know Mike you hate me and wish me all the ill-will you can think of in that infinitesimally small, even for a human, mind of yours. Get over it Newton, Bella doesn't belong to you.'**_

"**You look better." We all heard Mike say. His voice was full of accusations. **

'_**Geez this infuriating boy is so rude my hand is actually twitching in response to my need to teach him some manners.'**_** I mentally added.**

"**Just keep your hand in your pocket." Bella ordered.**

**I was surprised to hear my Mother's voice come through in the audible--obviously to me--she added, 'And you keep your hand in your pocket too, young man!' Not that I heard it that day, but I did remember thinking…**

'_**Wait! Did she know my hand is aching to strike him? Is she reading my mind now? No, wait, she's talking about Newton's hand. That's a relief.'**_** I'd been emotionally basically off-the-charts.**

"**It's not bleeding anymore." He muttered. "Are you going back to class?"**

"**Are you kidding?" Bella said almost with humor. "I'd just have to turn around and come back."**

'_**Fantastic! Here I was upset thinking I'd miss the entire hour with her and it turns out I get extra time now instead!!! I feel like some sort of greedy miser, hoarding over every minute.'**_** My mental state was one of excitement.**

"**Yeah, I guess, so are you going this weekend? To the beach?"**

'_**Why does he keep looking over to Edward?' **_**Bella mused**_**. 'He looks like he's giving away some sort of 'Top Secret' rendezvous location information or something. Speaking of Edward, Why is he standing there like some kind of stone sculpture?**_**' **

'_**They have plans,'**_** I mentally fumed. **_**'I can't believe how angry this news makes me feel inside. But no—wait, this is a group outing. Right, I remember, I've seen some other kids thinking about this little outing already this week. It isn't just going to be the two of them--nothing to get all worked up over. I can't help it though. I don't want her spending more time with Newton. It makes me so furious! I just want to hit something. No, I just need to hold as still as possible until I'm in control of myself.'**_

"**Sure, I said I was in." Bella's tone was friendly. **

**My mental tone on the other hand was not. '**_**So, she said 'yes' to him as well. It makes me so…jealous. Arrgh, it burns worse than the thirst does.'**_

"**We're meeting at my Dad's store at ten."**

'_**Geez Mike, could you be any more obvious by your body language that it isn't an open invitation? Be nice.'**_** Bella thoughts commanded.**

'_**I hear you loud and clear Newton—'and Cullen's not invited'—as if you could stop me from going if I wanted to. I'd love to see you try. You are such a weasel.'**_** I mentally challenged him.**

"**I'll be there," Bella promised.**

**My next mental thoughts were in response to thoughts I picked out of Mike's head. **_**'You better believe it Mister, but I'm more than a little scary looking. I can be your worst nightmare. And yes, maybe I am a freak for wanting to kill you--especially right now.'**_

**My siblings were of course enjoying my emotional rollercoaster too much for my liking. Jasper commented I should have hit him. Not hard enough to hurt him--except, maybe with him losing a few teeth. Jacob said he always knew Mike Newton was a slimy worm too. That surprised me. I hadn't realized Jacob was even acquainted with the likes of Mike Newton. **

"**I'll see you in Gym then." Mike replied and the click of a door announced his exit.**

"**That's my bro." Emmett approved.**

"**See you," Bella called after Newton. '**_**Great, just what I need to go falling and tripping all over the basketball court and I'll bet Mike won't even help me out today since for some reason he's all sulky now. How can I get out of that class?' **_**"Gym," she groaned allowed.**

"**I can take care of that," I said aloud and then thought, **_**'She's sad about going to gym for some reason, and since that's a class with Newton, I'm sad for her to go there too. I can fix that little problem for both of us!' **_**"Go sit down and look pale."**

"**Uh, Carlisle, are you listening to this?" Emmett interjected, "Your responsible son is not only ditching school, he's corrupting an innocent young lady as well." He said reprovingly, shaking his head. **

**Carlisle grinned in response. "I was noticing that myself."**

'_**That isn't hard. I'm always pale.'**_** Bella's mental voice sounded as weak as her real voice**_**. 'He may as well as said, 'Go sit down and look normal'. Well I can play it up a bit; I always get a light sheen of sweat on my face when I get faint. I'll just close my eyes here. Fainting spells always exhaust me.'**_

'_**Wait, did she pass out again? No, she's just playing her part.' **_**My mental voice was starting to get a little embarrassing. Not for me, as I already know how confusing it was for me, being not just more involved with humans, but so unschooled in affairs of the heart. I was a mess. What was embarrassing was having all of the confusion out there for my family to experience. **_**'Now, I hope Bella is paying attention here. So she can see how humans—well human females in particular—are supposed to respond when I turn on the charm.'**_

"**Mrs. Cope?" I intoned and then thought, **_**'Yes, she's already responding to my technique. Her eyelashes are fluttering, her heart rate is picking up. She's reminding herself I'm too young for her…'**_

"**Yes?"Mrs. Cope answered lightly.**

"**Edward sure knows how to work the ladies." This time it was Jasper; his tone proud and sarcastic.**

'_**This is interesting. Whenever I talk this way around human females and their heart accelerates, it's because they find me physically attractive. But I hadn't considered this may be the cause of Bella's racing heart too. Hmmm, I rather like that possibility.'**_** I mentally contemplated my new theory.**

"**Bella has gym next hour and I don't think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?"My voice was quiet but full of authority--almost a command. **_**'Yes, when I look into Mrs. Cope's eyes like this it totally disrupts her mental clarity of thought. I wonder if I do that to Bella at all. Hmmm, I wonder if Bella finds me attractive like other human females do. Well, I shouldn't get my hopes up too much there. When does Bella ever have the same reaction as others?'**_

**My mental contemplations ended just as Bella's began.**_** 'Oh, poor Mrs. Cope, she's getting the 'Edward Cullen' treatment. His voice sounds like melting honey and I can just imagine how devastating his eyes must be right now.'**_** Bella thought mentally**_**. 'I'll bet Edward could sing the birds right out of the trees. Yep, she's definitely dazzled and I guess that means we're out of here!"**_

"**Okay, it's all taken care of. You feel better Bella." Mrs. Cope said.**

**Bella mentally added, **_**'I should probably act sicker than I feel just to be more convincing.'**_

**I added my own mental evaluation of Bella's ability to 'act' sicker, **_**'Bella is certainly in no danger of getting an Academy Award for that little performance! But it's still amusing because it's so poorly done.'**_

"**Can you walk or do you want me to carry you again?" I asked sarcastically. **_**'I know the answer to this one. Show no weakness. That's Bella for you.'**_

"**I'll walk." She retorted.**

'_**Right again,'**_** I congratulated myself. **_**'I'm getting better at this.'**_

**My mother assessed my behavior in our audible presentation. "Well, that could have gone smoother. Still, I think you've made a favorable impression. You basically came across as a gentleman and even a bit of a hero, helping Bella get to the nurse's office and getting her out of a potentially highly humiliating gym fiasco. Not bad for a second showing. Let's see how you do getting her safely home now." Her voice held approval.**

'_**Oh, outside at last!'**_** Bella's thoughts sang out. **_**'And the clean wet rain feels so good on my clammy face. Ha, me enjoying the rain? That's a first!'**_

**Once again, her thoughts were cut off by my own. **_**'What are you thinking now with your face turned up to the rain? Why does that action seem strange somehow? Most girls won't do that; afraid the rain will mess up their makeup. Of course, Bella doesn't wear makeup--nor should she. The cosmetic industry makes billions of dollars a year trying to help women attain skin like Bella's. She has natural beauty.'**_

"**Thanks," Bella said aloud. "It's almost worth getting sick to miss gym."**

'_**Hmm, now what to do to prolong my time with her?'**_** I thought, and then added out loud, "Anytime."**

"**So are you going? This Saturday I mean?"Bella's voice sounded hopeful. **_**'Please let him say 'yes'. I would actually look forward to going if he came too. Right—somehow that doesn't seem likely. I just can't picture seeing him loading up to carpool with the rest of the kids from school. He doesn't even belong in the same world. Still it would be so nice…'**_

"_**Oh, that sounds like music to my ears." **_**I mentally sang, **_**'She wants ME with her--not Mike Newton. I want to say 'yes', but there are so many things to consider. For one thing this Saturday will be sunny.'**_** I considered it verbally, "Where are you all going, exactly?" **_**'Newton had said 'beach'—not much chance of getting out of the sun there.'**_

"**Down to LaPush; to First Beach." She added as she was scrutinizing my face, **_**'What is that little tightening around his eyes about?'**_

'_**Damn. Well it's impossible then. Oh well, Emmett would be pretty irritated with me if I cancelled our plans for the weekend now.'**_** I mentally pouted. "I really don't think I was invited." I said wryly.**

"**I just invited you."**

"**Let's you and I not push poor Mike any further this week. We don't want him to snap." I continued that thought in my head, **_**'Actually, I would love to snap poor little Mike very, very much.'**_

"**Edward!" I was surprised to hear this mild reproach from my other Mother, Esme.**

'_**He's acting like he's enjoying it a little too much.'**_** Bella noticed in her mind.**

"**Mike-schmike" She said, off-handedly blowing him off as her mental tone took on a dreamy quality. **_**'I like the way he said 'You and I'—kind of makes me feel like we're a team! I like it more than I should. **_

**I remembered this being the point in our conversation where Bella started to head off to her truck, and once again, my mental thoughts drowned hers right out. **_**'What? Why is she walking away from me?**_

'_**Whoa, why is he grabbing my jacket? He almost ripped the hood off.'**_** Bella's thoughts were startled.**

"**Uh ho," This from my Mother in the audible presentation**

**Emmett cupped his hands together and put them to his mouth to imitate a radio voice. "Houston we have a problem." Jasper smiled and Rosalie chuckled softly.**

"**Where do you think you're going?" I asked indignantly. **_**'What is she thinking? I'm not ready to say 'good-bye to her now. I just got her out of Mike's clutches in gym class and I want to enjoy my victory a little bit more.'**_

"**I'm going home." Bella responded in confusion.**

"**Mayday, Mayday!" Jacob said, using the same cupped-hand technique to imitate a radio announcer. **

"**Hey guys don't forget--I got the girl!" I said back to them a bit smug. Bella laughed.**

'_**Why does she sound as though she doesn't understand why her driving herself home would be unacceptable to me? Oh, I need to try for light again.' **_**I took in a blazing breath and then spoke to her, "Didn't you hear me promise to take you safely home? Do you think I'm going to let you drive in your condition?"**

"**You're forgetting your manners, Edward!" Mother warned—not that I had heard her at the time.**

"**What condition? And what about my truck?" Bella complained.**

'_**I know she isn't going to like my implication of weakness on her part, but—too bad. Anyway, I need to practice being with her in a confined space for our Seattle trip and the ride to her house is much shorter.' **_

"**I'll have Alice drop it off after school." I continued my thoughts as I remembered my hasty actions of grabbing the hood of her jacket and practically dragging her to my car. **_**'Time to go home--only I'm in charge of this ride; I should probably be a little more careful with her; she seems to have trouble walking forward, let alone…'**_

**Bella's thoughts were in a panic. **_**'Geez! What the heck? Ohhh, what is he doing? I'm going to trip for sure. What makes him think I can walk backwards? For crying out loud Edward, walking forward is challenging for me! Stop it! I'll bet if I did trip, he'd just drag me along behind him and I'd end up with skinned knees.'**_

"**Nooo, Edward," My Mother was incensed in the audible feed. "You are digressing here. You're going from a hero and gentleman to a…what? I'll tell you what, with this is barbaric behavior, you've just put yourself in pre-civilized behavior. Edward, you are behaving like a caveman. I'm surprised you don't just club her senseless before you drag her off to your cave, which in this case is your car. This is unacceptable behavior for treating a young lady!"**

"**Wow, the 'Edward Cullen Charm School's' last ditch effort approach, use your superior strength to be a brute and force your company on the girls." Emmett said grinning, "I like it. It says 'no nonsense' loud and clear." **

**I was embarrassed now. My Mother had called me a caveman. Well she was right. I had behaved abominably there. It was bad form. I looked over at my wife and apologized. Then turned to my Mother and did the same. **

"**Let go!"Bella's voice from the audible sounded irate and confused. **_**'Ouch! I can't believe he practically pushed me into his car door. Ohhh, my foot's tripping me now, quick--grab the handle. Whew! That was a close call. What is the matter with him?' **_** "You are so pushy!" She grumbled out loud.**

"**Looks more like the 'Drag and Drop' method to me." Jasper commented in mock innocence. I'm glad my family was having so much fun--at MY expense.**

'_**Oh, she did almost fall there. I'll need to be even more careful taking into account her poor balance.**_**' There was the sound of me opening my door. "It's open." Then the sound as I started the engine and the whirl of the automatic window, rolling down. Then my thoughts continued, **_**'Now, why is she standing out there in the now pouring rain? I know she doesn't like the cold or the wet and now she's soaked through.'**_

**Everyone heard Bella's angry reply, "I am perfectly capable of driving myself home!"**

'_**Of course you are, I'm just not capable of letting you go. So sorry.**_**' I mentally finished her statement.**

**Bella was having a mental argument of her own. **_**'Why am I standing here in the rain putting up with this nonsense? Great! It's raining even harder now and since Edward was using my hood as some kind of leash I didn't use it for keeping the rain out of my hair. Now my wet hair is dripping down my back…like a wet cat or something. Fantastic!'**_

"**Get in Bella." Edward commanded.**

'_**I wonder,'**_** Bella thought, **_**'If I can make it to my truck if I run fast enough. He's pretty fast but he's already in his car with the engine running. I might be able to make it. No, he's crazy fast so my chances aren't good. Maybe around the vicinity of 0%'**_

"**Don't try it," My Mother warned her. "The way he's going, he'll find a club and knock you senseless; best to play it safe this time and not goad him."**

'_**I don't believe it. She's actually considering making a run for it. Fat chance! I better squelch that plan before she injures herself on the slick blacktop.'**_** I confirmed her assessment, "I'll just drag you back."**

**I could hear the car door open and the sound of Bella's wet squeaky boots as she sat down and slammed the door behind her with a huff.**

"**This is completely unnecessary."**

**I heard my Mother sighed, "Well Bella, It's a good thing you're so forgiving!"**

"**That's for dang sure!" Jacob yelled. **

**My eyes narrowed. Finally, a chance for at least one of them to have a taste of their own medicine; let's see how Jacob likes it in the hot seat! "That's okay Jacob." I said smugly. "I've been dying to see my wife at her devious best. When she dazzled you, on purpose, into telling her I was a vampire!"**

**I watched in satisfaction as that little tidbit shut him up!**

[I hope that you are enjoying my plunge into Twilight. I will be out of town for the next three days so you get a little break! Thank you so much for reading and for all of the wonderful comments. Tami :D]


	27. Chapter 27

[A/N: This is mostly from 'Twilight' with a tad from 'Midnight Sun'. I have come to realize that despite Bella's commentary on her ordinariness, that she is in fact pretty. And that she does have a natural charm that has caught the eyes of the local male population. So I decided to play with that discovery in this chapter. Hope you like it alright :]

Chapter Twenty Seven  
Vampire

Edward's POV

**Chandra seemed to deliberate something for a minute and then the darkened biology room alcove disappeared leaving the wall blank in its place. "Edward has a good point. I was originally going to leave this part of the story out, but for part of your gift Edward, I will include this scene and an important one afterward as well. This time, we can all watch and hear everything play out on the wall--like a movie." The visual started; Bella was there at First Beach with some of her friends and acquaintances from school. I recognized Jacob Black arrived on the scene with Sam, Paul, Embry and a handful of other Quileute's from the reservation. Bella had apparently just returned from hiking. As the room darkened, Chandra took Nessie off my mother's lap and led her over to Jacob's. I wondered what she was up to, but Nessie had no problem with the new arrangement and climbed willingly into Jacob's lap with a big smile. Chandra squatted down in a very lady-like manner to be on eye level with my little princess.**

"**Renesmee, before you were born, before your mother and father was married, your mother was friends with Jacob here. They became the best of friends. This scene is the first time they met after your mother moved back to Forks. Now this was of course before Jacob knew anything about you. He was young and confused a little bit. So don't be too concerned about how Jacob thinks of your mommy in this scene because he is all yours now; but back then…well, we messed with him a little bit. Do you think you will be okay with that?"**

**Nessie looked confused for a minute. "If it was before Jacob knew about me that should be okay…but my Mom already was in love with my Dad. I could tell by the way she looked at him in the Biology scene."**

"**True, however it wasn't quite love yet. Mommy needed to find out about your daddy being a vampire and so she did a tricky thing here. I know you like to play tricks on Jacob yourself." She added conspiratorially nudging Renesmee's shoulder. "Watch your Mom in this visual and you can get some pointers." Chandra suggested with a wink.**

"**What?" Jacob asked, his voice mildly alarmed. **

**Chandra stood up and laughed. "Oh, suck it up Jacob Black. I just remembered something else you asked for." She brought out a huge cardboard container from behind her back and placed it in Jacob's free arm. "Enjoy" she added laughing as Jacob looked down at his rather large tub of buttered popcorn.**

**The room erupted in laughter which for once today, Jacob did not join in on.**

"**This should be good!" Emmett said to Jasper in anticipation. Jasper nodded in agreement.**

**Chandra came back to regain her seat across the couch from Bella, Mother and me. The visual started as the group of teenagers on the beach huddled around a campfire. Several got up and left for another hike. Also standing back from the others in the visual was Chandra, my Mother and another man I'd seen yesterday and only one other time--a VERY long time ago. The man was Ephraim Black.**

"**What is my great-grandfather doing there?" Jacob asked perplexed. I was in complete agreement with him.**

"**Oh, Ephraim has always been around, at least where you're concerned. He's your guardian angel and he's been up to his eyeballs in all his scheming with you up." She laughed at Jacob's startled look.**

"**You're Isabella Swan, aren't you?" Jacob said out loud from the movie while mentally finishing the thought **_**'…Charlie's kid who looks sort of like him but WAY hotter. Who would have figured THAT could happen?'**_

"**I never thought of Bella like that, but she IS more attractive than Charlie." Emmett said amazed. I just rolled my eyes. **

'_**Great, it's the first day of school all over again' **_**Bella thought**_**. 'And now I'm attracting the younger guys as well. He's cute but what fourteen…maybe fifteen. Oh, be nice.'**_** Bella's face smoothed out into a gentle smile. "Bella,"**

"**I'm Jacob Black." He held his hand out in a friendly gesture. "You bought my Dad's truck." **_**'And it comes with free maintenance if I get to see her every time I come and fix it.'**_

**My daughter reached into the bucket and pulled out a rather large handful of popcorn and laughed as she put it in her mouth. Well, so far she seemed to be okay with this.**

"**Oh," Bella shook his hand, surprise on her face. "You're Billy's son. I probably should remember you." **_**'Ahhh, why don't I remember him? I did things with Charlie when I use to visit him up here. But, no I'm drawing a blank.'**_

"**No, I'm the youngest of the family—you would remember my older sisters." **_**'She doesn't remember me. That's okay I remember her falling in the river--repeatedly when our Dads took us fishing. For being such a klutz she sure turned into a cutie.'**_** Even Alice and Rosalie joined in the laughter at this astute remembrance.**

"**Rachel and Rebecca," Bella said as if just remembering. **_**'Yes, I remember Billy's daughters from all the fishing trips Charlie forced on me. We were thrown together to make friends while they were busy fishing. Of course, they were as shy as me and so we didn't make too much progress in the friend department. Not that I was much of a help in 'making friends'.. By the time I turned eleven I'd kicked up enough tantrums to end the fishing expeditions. Still…'**_** "Are they here?" She added looking over at the girls from the new arrivals. **_**'As if I'd even recognize them anyway, since it was what, six years ago?'**_

"**No," Jacob said shaking his head, "Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer—she lives in Hawaii now."**

"**Married. Wow." Bella's face took on a startled look to it. **_**'The twins are only about a year and a half older than me. Married right out of high school—how terrible!'**_

"**Well, go ahead and think that for now Bella sweetie," Mother said patting her head, "But if this all goes as planned you'll be married in a year and a half from now yourself; so you might want to get used to the idea."**

"**So how do you like the truck?"Jacob seemed happy just to engage Bella in a conversation of their shared interest. His mental chatter said he had more in mind though. **_**'If there's a problem, I can start my new date…err maintenance schedule with her.'**_

**Emmett looked over at Jacob with grudging admiration. "You were quite the little instigator right from the start weren't you? You dirty dog!"**

"**I love it. It runs great." Bella was enjoying talking with Jacob and I knew that while it was obvious even without the thoughts being heard, that while at first she was just being polite, she had started enjoying interacting with him. I didn't know how that made me feel. Part of me was irritated, not so much because of this exchange as for the ones I knew were to follow. Part of me wanted to take my daughter out of his arms to spare her from a similar nightmare and part of me just wanted to focus on the fact I'd won Bella's heart and she was mine. It was a relief to remember I didn't have to worry anymore about this sort of entanglement.**

"**That's my boy!" Ephraim Black crowed in delight.**

…

"**You know Bella, Jacob?" Lauren Mallory asked with scorn in her voice. **

"**We've sort of known each other since I was born," Jacob said looking over at Lauren in a friendly way. **_**'So there. This Lauren girl is cute and she sure as hell knows it; Bella, on the other hand is pretty and she's nice and sweet. Definitely a lot nicer than Lauren--that's for dang sure!**_

"**How nice." Lauren's tone sounded like she thought it was anything but nice.**

'_**Lauren—why can't you be happy keeping Tyler occupied? Why do you have to interfere with me today? Look at her narrowing her pale, fishy eyes at Jacob. What is her problem?' **_**Bella's thoughts sounded as though she'd already put up with too many barbs from Lauren that day.**

"**Bella," Lauren continued eyeing her carefully wanting to see if her hurtful words would find their target. "I was just saying to Tyler, it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didn't anyone think to invite them?"**

'_**Right Lauren…Like you care what the Cullens are doing today. More like you want to remind Tyler I'm hanging around Edward, while at the same time trying to embarrass me in front of my fourteen year old acquaintance. Good luck with that Lauren.' **_**Bella rolled her eyes and stared into the fire.**

"_**Uh oh, this could be bad. I know Charlie already gave Dad hell over the Cullens and their undeserved reputation on the reservation. If he told Bella about it, the last thing I want to do is come across as being superstitious or something.'**_** Jacob thought with worry.**

"**You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" Sam Uley asked from where he sat at the fire's edge. His grave voice dripped with condensation.**

'_**How old is he? He doesn't seem like he's our age; more like a man than a teenager.'**_** Bella thought perplexed.**

"**Yes, do you know them?" Her voice was condescending and she only half turned towards Sam. Typical Lauren Mallory behavior**

"**The Cullens don't come here," Sam said closing the topic of conversation with his tone.**

**The visual showed Bella's face lit and glowing in the reflection of the bon fire. She was looking over to Sam; a calculating look in her eyes, but he was checking the forest behind him and hadn't noticed. Probably just the mention of our family name had him seeing us behind every tree and rock. Of course, I now know he was a werewolf already and maybe still the only one. He would be concerned for the safety of his tribe if the school kids had invited us if there was even a hint we'd be showing up. The dent was back on Bella's forehead, signifying her 'deep in thought' expression**_**. 'Now that was odd. He said the Cullens don't come here, but his tone implied something more—like they weren't allowed; they were prohibited. What is up with that anyway?'**_

"_**This is so not good. Thank you Sam for going and opening your mouth about the Cullens and ruining the good impression I've been cultivating here with Bella. Oh yeah, she's definitely thinking about it. It's written all over her face. She has got to be the easiest person in the world to read. I've got to steer this conversation into safer waters.'**_** Jacob remarked in mild alarm. "So is Forks driving you insane yet?"**

"**Oh, I'd say that's an understatement." Bella grimaced. Jacob smiled shyly in a way I had seen too many times already. Bella's mental voice continued as she gazed at Jacob. She was still deep in thought. I knew what she was working out. She was getting ready to lay her trap to trick Jacob Black into telling her my family's secret. **

**Ephraim Black turned to Chandra and Mother and said, "You know, I think your right. Bella needs to know and Jacob is the man for the job. I mean, Edward had his chance, but he got cold feet." He chuckled, "Wow! I guess he still has cold feet doesn't he?" The room erupted in a fit of laughter. "Well, I give Jacob permission to tell Bella about Edward, thereby breaking the treaty. And I do this so a greater agreement—an alliance can be formed. Also because the sooner Edward and Bella get together, the sooner Jacob will have his imprint and the Quileute people will be forever changed by my new great, great grandchildren with their exceptional powers and gifts! **

"**My great grandfather gave me permission to break the treaty?" Jacob asked in relief. Chandra nodded her head. I was more interested in what kind of children Ephraim hinted at having come from a union of Jacob and Renesmee.**

'_**The Cullens don't come here. They are prohibited. But I'll bet Jacob knows. He seems like he's embarrassed by the older guy's words. It's clear that guy won't say anything more about it, but Jacob might. But I'd have to get Jacob away from him first. Hmmm, I think Jacob might be interested in me. He kind of looks at me the same way Mike and Eric and Tyler do sometimes. Maybe I can use that. Right! I haven't got a clue what I'm doing. But maybe I can try to…oh, I don't know, maybe 'flirt' it out of him? This is the stupidest idea I've ever come thought of. It won't even work. Still, I can't think of anything else and hopefully if young Jacob Black is as inexperienced around girls—he won't see through my sure-to-be-pitiful attempts at flirting.'**_** Then Bella stood up and her mental chatter continued, **_**'Okay, now how does Edward do his smoldering thing with his eyes? Too bad I can't practice this in front of a mirror first, but it would probably just make me chicken out**_**.' Everyone in the room laughed again. I hated to admit it but I did myself. My wife got a mad little twist to her lips in chagrin.**_** ' Let's see, I look at him at this angle and peer up from under my eyelashes. Yes I'm pretty sure this is sort of the way Edward does it. It probably won't have the same effect but here goes nothing…'**_** "Do you want to walk down the beach with me?"**

"**Woohoo Doggie! Jacob is in for a ride tonight!" Ephraim said. I was inclined to agree with him.**

**The visual showed Bella, looking for all the world, like a goddess of love. My heart caught in my throat. It was a shocking expression to see Bella 'try' to dazzle someone on purpose. I remembered my comment later to her of 'poor Jacob Black' not knowing what to do when she turned her charm on, on purpose; after devastating most of the male population at Forks High School on accident. I had seen something like this from time to time from Bella but I had never seen her do this on purpose in such a manner before. In anything else, her acting was poor and she was a poor liar—just not believable. But in the subtle art of feminine wiles, Bella was a natural and putting her advantage to bear like this enhanced her natural charm from beautiful and endearing to a skyrocketing off the charts sex goddess. I knew looking into her face and her eyes, Jacob Black was a goner. I was also shocked because not only did she notice my techniques of mesmerizing the opposite sex, but she had basically improved on it and then used it against me—for another guy—for the dog! **

"**Wow," Emmet said, "I didn't see that one coming." He looked shocked. "Rose sweetie, can you try that one out on me later please?" Everyone laughed again. Rosalie rolled her eyes but gave Bella a knowing smile. Me? I was in with Emmett. I was planning to ask Bella for the same myself before Emmett stole my line.**

"**Mom, is something you can teach me?" My daughter said excitedly.**

"**Umm, later Nessie, much later," Bella said her voice going from mortified to authoritative as her comment progressed.**

'_**Dang straight, I want to walk on the beach with her, I'll walk anywhere for her too: in the dessert, through a hurricane over hot coals.'**_** Jacob got up. His face was bright and eager. Yes, he was definitely dazzled.**

"**See Nessie," Jasper added, "Jacob just took the bait." **

"**Thanks Jasper, don't encourage my almost two year old!!!" I hissed in exasperation. Nessie grabbed another handful of popcorn in response; her eyes twinkling.**

"**Don't you want some of your snack?" She asked Jacob in innocence.**

**To which Jacob, who was strangely stiff whispered, "Not right now."**

"**So you're what, sixteen?"Bella asked innocently. Her thoughts betrayed her though**_**. 'Okay, maybe I should flutter my eyelashes like I've seen girl's do on television. I feel like an idiot. I just hope I don't look like one too.'**_

"**I just turned fifteen," Jacob said flattered. **_**'Wow, she isn't just hot, she's kind of blind too. But that's okay with me. I might be fifteen, but I act more like I'm seventeen. Let me prove it to her…please, please, please!'**_

"**Really?" She raised her eyes creating a look of surprise. Shocking really, because she had already assessed correctly his age mentally, yet there is no false note in her delivery. "I would have thought you were older." '**_**Uggghhh, I hope that sounded alright. I am such a phony.'**_

"**You're doing fine dear," my Mother encouraged her. What? MY mother was encouraging her?**

"**I'm tall for my age," Jacob explained. **_**'And mature—very mature for my age too!'**_

"**Do you come up to Forks much?" Bella raised her eyebrow in an arch that suggested MUCH more than a car trip. **_**'Gee, I hope I'm doing this right…like I hope he says 'yes'. Oh, no, what if I've got this whole thing wrong. He could turn on me any minute and accuse me of my fraud.' **_**Then she leaned ever so closer to him in a move that went right into his personal space.**

'_**No way, this is not happening to me. I'm dreaming. That's got to be it. There is no way this is Charlie's kid I use to crush over seven years ago. Wait, what was she saying to me? Oh, yeah., .if I get up to Forks much. Some –but that's about to change.' **_**"Not too much," "But when I get my car finished I can go up as much as I want—after I get my license," **_**'I wonder if I can falsify my age and get it tomorrow?**_**' Ephraim chortled from the visual at Jacob's thoughts.**

'_**Well, at least he's not running away from me. Maybe I can ask him now, but I better lump myself in with the youngsters so hopefully Jacob will take it to mean I prefer him.'**_** Bella softly cleared her throat. "Who was that other boy Lauren was talking to? He seemed a little old to be hanging around with us."**

"**That's Sam—he's nineteen," Jacob informed her. **_**'He's just here to put a cramp in my style with his Cullens comment. Yes he is a little 'old' for us, isn't he?'**_

"**What was that he was saying about the doctor's family?"Bella asked innocently. **_**'Oh please, let him answer me. My fingers are crossed in my pockets, please!'**_

"**The Cullens?" Jacob asked. **_**'Dang it! If I tell her and it gets back to Charlie—this could sink any chance I have of escalated Forks trips. Of course, if I don't tell her, she might leave me standing here. I can't have that. I can't strike out now. I'm just getting up to bat. Well, I better answer her because I don't want the ballgame called.' **_

"**Oh, just tell her!" Ephraim Black all but commanded his charge.**

"**Yes, just tell her." Mother echoed his words but added, "Then she can start focusing all her attention on MY son where it belongs." Ephraim shrugged his shoulders.**

"**Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation." Jacob said looking away into the sea.**

**Bella's thoughts picked up to this confirmation. '**_**That's what I thought. But why then…do they have a list of people who are banned from their land?'**_** Jacob turned back to face her as she asked, "Why not?"**

"**Oops, I'm not supposed to say anything about that." Jacob said as he bit his lip.**

"**Cat's out of the bag now Son, don't grab it by the tail and stuff it back in; just spit it out." Ephraim said confidently.**

'_**But I could really draw this out if I try' **_**Jacob continued debating**_**. 'It isn't like any of its real anyway. Why shouldn't I tell her? I bet she'd like a good scary story. She might want some protection. Yep, I can definitely play this card. I just can't believe how easy this is. Why have I been shy around girls? This is incredible?'**_

**In response my beautiful Bella put on a seductive smile that I'd thought I had been the only recipient of. Her thoughts sounded nothing like the look that went with it. **_**'I hope I'm making my smile look alluring. Uhh, I may be laying it on a bit too thick. I feel completely ridiculous. I'm not sure this is going to work, but, I can't stop now.**_**' Bella's voice was as alluring as her smile was. "Oh, I won't tell anyone, I'm just curious."**

'_**Uhhh, how does she do that? Is she a hypnotist? Well, I am so going to go with this. But I've got to make the story good. No, better than good. I need to scare her into my arms if I can. I'd better start off with 'the voice'. That'll get her freaked out right at the start.'**_** His regular voice took on a deep, ominous tenor to it. My daughter laughed from his lap. "Do you like scary stories?"**

"**I love them," Bella said as she gazed at Jacob with a ferocious intensity in her eyes. The room broke out in a gasp from the effect which turned into an uncontrolled fit of laughter when her mental chatter picked up. **_**'Okay, I hope I'm doing Edward smoldering technique better this time. Oh, he's walking away from me I did do it WRONG. Shoot! Oh, he's just going over to a driftwood tree to sit down. This is fantastic!'**_

"**Oohh! Scary stories!" Emmett clucked in excitement. Alice rolled her eyes at him this time.**

"**Yes, Emmett scary stories about YOU!" She hissed with a small grin on her face.**

"**Good! Even better!" He said wagging his eyebrows.**

**Jacob's chatter was saved until Bella finished hers. **_**"Yeah, I'll get her to sit with me on this old log, and then I can be closer to her when she gets scared from the story. I'll sit up here on the upended root to see her face when it happens. **_**(In the visual they both took their seats) **_**Great I've got her right where I want her!' **_

'_**Look at his smile playing on his lips! It worked! I can't believe it and he's going to make it good too, I can tell!' **_** Bella was so funny. She had completely misread the little smile on Jacob's face. She actually thought it was for the great scary story he was about to bestow on her, when it was really in anticipation her throwing herself into his arms for protection!**

"**Do you know any of our old stories, about where we come from—the Quileutes, I mean?" He asked.**

**Not really," Bella said and then thought, **_**'I need to keep him talking until I find out. This is the only way I'll ever know.'**_

"**Well, one legend claims that we descended from wolves—and that the wolves are our brother's still. It's against tribal law to kill them. Then there are the stories about the cold ones." Jacob's voice got even lower as he spoke the last words and his eyes took on a deadly cast. Nessie, who had just grabbed a handful of popcorn dropped it all over Jacob's leg in alarm of his tone and let out a startled gasp.**

"**The cold ones?" Bella asked in real interest now. **_**'This is it. Here we go! Finally!'**_

"**Yes, There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." Jacob rolled his eyes.**

**Ephraim turned to Chandra, "This is my favorite part of the story."**

"**You're great grandfather?" Bella asked to clarify. **_**'Keep going Jacob, I SO need to hear this.'**_

"**He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemy of the wolf—well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves," He added carefully. **_**'Okay, wait, she doesn't look scared. She looks like she's thinking. Maybe I need to give her more information to get her scared enough to…'**_

"**Werewolves have enemies?" Bella asked breaking into his thoughts. **_**'Ugh, I need to try and disguise my impatience as admiration for his incredible ability to tell a scary story.'**_

"**Only one," Jacob clarified. "So you see, the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt as others of their kind did—they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they would stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." Jacob gave Bella a wink.**

"**If they weren't dangerous, then why…?" Bella asked as the dent between her eyebrows made its first appearance of the evening. '**_**This is a little tricky. I'm so close to understanding this, but I'm still missing something obvious. But I need to try and keep things casual so he won't see how seriously I'm considering his ghost story.'**_

'_**She's still not scared. I'm going to have to work even harder to get a thicker edge of menace to my delivery.'**_** Then Jacob's face reflected his tone as he continued. "There's always a risk for humans to be around the cold ones, even if they're civilized like this clan was. You never know when they might get too hungry to resist."**

"**What do you mean, 'civilized'?" Bella asked, still in her curious voice.**

'_**This should get her scared without giving too much away too fast! But, I'd better add the eyes for a special effect.'**_** Jacob looked intently at her, his eyes almost seemed to take on a smoldering element of his own, though his were dark--going for scary. "They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were able to prey on animals instead."**

**Bella's mental voice took on her first inkling of a tremor. **_**'Oh, this is going to be bad but I've got to sound casual. Oh help…casual. Okay.'**_** Bella took a long slow breath. I knew she was trying to lower her heart-rate a bit before proceeding. "So how does it fit in with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?"**

"**No." Jacob paused dramatically. "They are the same ones." His vocal voice stopped just as his mental one picked up. **_**'Oh, yes, there it is—the look of true fear! Fear inspired from my amazing scary story telling abilities. I'll bet my hug is soon to be on its way. Yes!'**_

**I was looking at Bella's face. It was full of a deep dread. There was fear written on her face. It was a fear of me and of what I was. A fear of what she herself had become. This was the reaction I never saw. This was the reaction that didn't say, 'It doesn't matter to me what you are.' This was the reaction I'd missed that made me think she needed to be hospitalized when I'd realized she'd wanted to be with me; knowing what I was. This was the look of real terror--terror she attempted to hide but it shone through regardless. What had made that feeling go away? What was it that changed her from this look to the look she had of complete safety as she'd jumped in my car the next time we'd met in Port Angeles? That time, the look of trust was a 180 degree turn from the look she held from Jacob's revelation. What could possibly have brought about that change?**

"**Wow," Emmett said softly, "It is kind of scary isn't it?"**

"_**There are more of them**_** now; a new female and a new male, but the rest are the same." Jacob continued. "In my great-grandfather's time they already knew of the leader, Carlisle. He'd been here and gone before your people had even arrived." Jacob soldiered on, oblivious to Bella's internal shock or the real reason for it. He was triumphant at the fear his little story was delivering to Bella and he fought back a smile. **_**'I'm better at this scary story stuff than I ever thought I was. She is totally freaking out inside!! Oh, yeah, I'm the man!'**_

**There was a long pause while Bella tried to collect herself. When she spoke again, it was with effort. "And what are they? What are the cold ones?" She almost sounded like she was going to be okay.**

"**Just spell it out Son," Ephraim said shaking his head. You've already scared her half to death. Don't give her a coronary."**

"**Blood drinkers," Jacob replied in his most chilling voice. "Your people call them vampires." **_**'Oh, yes, I am good. That delivery was exceptional. She is totally wigging out now! That went amazingly better than I thought it would!'**_

**I cringed at the sound of my beloved's mental anguish **_**'Vampire. Did he just say vampire? He did. He said that word. Edward said he was dangerous. He said he was not a good friend for me. He told me… 'what if I'm not a super hero? What if I'm the bad guy?' Edward--a vampire? Is this is what he didn't want me to figure out? Is this is what he didn't want me to know? Of course it is. And no wonder he didn't want me to know. Now that I do, is it something I want to know?'**_

"**It's okay Bella, pull it together and I'll help you deal with this later. Just compose yourself for now." My mother reassured Bella with a hand on her shoulder.**

**Chandra came up on her other side. "We'll help you through this." She corrected.**

"**You have goose bumps" Jacob laughed delightedly **_**'I have got to get some major points for telling such a great scary story. She did say she liked them. I just scored big time!'**_

"**You're a good storyteller." Bella replied calmly staring out into the blackened sea. **_**'Well, I guess it's true what they say--be careful what you ask for.' **_**Her mental tone was not much improved.**

'_**Dang straight I am a 'good' story teller--more like the best one. But now I need to cover my tracks.'**_** He's tone tuned incredulous. "Pretty crazy stuff though, isn't it? No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone."**

"**Don't worry, I won't give you away." Bella said still looking away**_**. 'I've got to get a handle on myself here—somehow. I just wasn't expecting THIS.'**_

**Jacob was still full of himself as he laughed, "I guess I just violated the treaty."**

**Bella still looked ahead but we could all see her face. The fear was barely masked there. "I'll take it to the grave." She shivered involuntarily. **_**'That could have a double meaning. Vampire! That can't be right.'**_

"**Well she'll take it to Edward Cullen's Volvo, but we won't hold it against her." Ephraim said in a patronizing manner.**

"**So do you think we're a bunch of superstitious natives or what?" Jacob asked playfully. '**_**Maybe I'm too good of a story teller; she hasn't yet turned back towards me. Did I scare her too much? It doesn't look like I scored as many points as I thought I did. I hope she doesn't start crying or something.'**_

**Bella had finally put her face together and turned to face Jacob directly. "No, I think you're a very good at telling scary stories, thought. I still have goose bumps, see?" She held out her arm. It was in bumps. More than my cold skin ever gave her.**

"**Cool" Jacob said relived as he smiled**_**. 'Thank goodness, I'm still the man!' **_**He mentally congratulated himself.**

**Then the sounds of other footsteps and whispers were heard as others approached from the darkness. And the ever infuriating Mike Newton appeared, shadowed by Jessica Stanley. "There you are, Bella"**

'_**Who is he and what's with his tone? He sounds like Bella is his property or something. Did I miss something here? Is she actually with HIM? He's older than me.'**_** Jacob changed to verbal communication. "Is that your boyfriend?"**

"**No definitely not," Bella whispered back as she gave Jacob a very flirtatious wink. **

**The visual faded to black.**

"**I can tell everyone, Edward especially, is wondering exactly how Bella resolved her feelings about this new revelation. I will tell you she spent the night frying her brain with a direct feed of heavy acid rock music from her mp3 player into her ear. Elizabeth and I both tried to reach out to her but she wouldn't listen to us. The next day she was too busy surfing the web for us to get through to her in the morning."**

"**Of course while all of this was going on, Edward wasn't doing much better out there at Goat Rocks Wilderness with Emmett. Although I must say, he was definitely getting a grasp on his role as protector." Abruptly the visual brightened again. Of course the scene had changed and there I was with Emmett out having a conversation about my love in the Oregon wilderness. **

"**That would be just her luck, wouldn't it? Stray bear in town. Of course, it would head straight for Bella." I sounded anxious and on edge. **

**Emmett chuckled, "You sound just like a crazy person. DO you know that?"**

"**Just imagine for one minute Rosalie were human, Emmett. And she could run into a bear, or get hit by a car, or lightning, or fall down stairs…or get sick—get a disease." I was really getting myself worked into a frenzy. "Fires and earthquakes and tornadoes! Ugh! When was the last time you watched the news? Have you seen the kinds of things that happen to them? Burglaries and homicides…" I watched myself clench my fists. My mental fury burned on. '**_**I would rip anyone apart who laid a hand on her in such a manner.'**_** Of course the entire room burst out into a fit of laughter at the absurdity of my panic attack.**

"**Whoa, Whoa hold up there, kid," Emmett said from the visual in his easy, unruffled manner, "She lives in Forks, remember? So she gets rained on." Emmett shrugged.**

"**Exactly," Emmett said from across the room as we watched, re-affirming his own competent assessment for which the room laughed again.**

**Chandra continued, "Finally, that afternoon Bella was restless and headed off into the woods behind her house to be alone and think." The visual picked up with Bella, dressed in her rain jacket headed off down the path I knew so well. After a bit she went off the main trail and found a log to sit down on. I knew the spot. IT was the same spot I had followed her trail to the very next morning. I had sat in that very same spot looking around wondering what in the world would draw her there. It never occurred to me, it was me. That she'd come to that spot to come to terms with her new knowledge I was in fact, a vampire.**

**When she sat down, both Mother and Chandra sat down with her.--one on each side. **_**'Is it possible what Jacob said about the Cullens is true? NO! This is the most silly and morbid thing I have ever considered before in my life! It is ridiculous! But what then?'**_

**My Mother gently told her she wouldn't even be alive right now if it wasn't for me. Her thoughts concurred, **_**'There isn't any rational explanation for why I'm even alive at this moment. What have I observed myself?' **_

**Then she went on to list the many things she had observed. She had apparently been making a list of her own all that time I had been as well. **_**'He told me he was the villain, dangerous. Could the Cullens be vampires? Well they are something. Edward Cullen is not human…'**_

"_**No dear, he's not human…but he is a good boy and he is someone special who loves you very much.'**_** My dear mother gently consoled her.**

'…_**he's something more. So then—maybe. That will have to be my answer for now. But then the most important question of all. What was I going to do if it was true? I can't tell anyone else…'**_

"**No, that is not a good idea" Chandra told her in the visual.**

'_**Anyone I told would have me committed.'**_** Both Chandra and my Mother nodded their heads in agreement. **_**'Only two options seemed practical. The first one would be, to take his advice; to be smart--avoid him as much as is possible. Cancel our plans and pretend there's an impenetrably thick glass wall between us in the one class where we're forced together. I'd have to tell him to leave me alone—and mean it this time.'**_

**As Bella thought about that Chandra placed her hand on her shoulder. Mother placed her hand over Bella's where she was wringing them in her lap. Being more an advocate for me than I'd ever dreamed her to be, Mother said, "You know what that would be like Bella. You've already done the wall. You were miserable. It won't work. You don't want it to work. You want Edward—not a glass wall. You won't find anyone else like him. He's not really a monster. No, not if you give him a chance. He's really a remarkable man. Don't give him up. Don't let fear dictate your fate Bella dear."**

**Bella's face contorted in grief as her mind thought on, **_**'I can't bear to consider that. I have to have Edward in my life. It hurts too much to consider that path.'**_** She looked up and batted tears out of her eyes as she gazed into the tree canopy**_**. 'So my other option is to do nothing different. After all, if he is something sinister, he's done nothing to hurt me so far. In fact, I'd be a dent in Tyler's fender if he hadn't acted so quickly. So quickly--it might have been sheer reflexes.'**_** She worked it out in her mind.**

"**No Bella," My mother gently told Bella, "Reflexes yes--he has good reflexes, but it was much, much, more that moved him that day into action."**

'_**But if it is a reflex for him to save lives, then how bad can he be?'**_** I was in awe of my wife and just how completely she HAD thought through the monster of who I was to come to accept me. I had no understanding of the trauma she had worked through and the help she had available to her in that pivotal moment, there in the woods.**

**Then she thought about a dream which apparently Chandra had supplied when she had finally fallen asleep that night. I would ask her more about that later, since my Bella now had her memories back. I had such a feeling of satisfaction in that knowledge. **

**My awe took on an even greater sense of wonder as she further thought, '**_**I don't know if there ever was a choice, really. I'm already in too deep.'**_

"**Oh no, Bella—you have a choice right now." Chandra said and I remembered her rule number one: there must always be a choice. "And you will continue to have choices throughout this process. But right now you are making the correct choice. And you will be blessed for it." She said in gentle satisfaction as she looked between my mother and my wife.**

**Mother looked at Chandra and then at Bella and there was so much love and joy in her face as she understood what Chandra was confirming. Chandra was looking ahead into the near future and seeing our fate shimmer and shine with Bella's decision firming up. Much in the same way Alice's visions so often did--only I was sure Chandra's were with much more accuracy. Mother embraced Bella although in the visual, Bella could not feel the embrace. Then Mother whispered in her ear. "He is a good boy; a good man. He is the best of men. There is so much about him you already love and more you will love as you get to know him." She sighed contentedly. "I love you Bella. Edward loves you too. You don't need to be afraid dear, don't be afraid to let him into your heart. His is yours already."**

'_**Now that I know—if I know—I can do nothing about this frightening secret.**_**' Bella continued thinking,**_** 'Because just now, thinking of him, his beautiful voice, his deep hypnotic eyes, his magnetic personality, I want to be with him right now. I don't want anything else.'**_** Bella's mental voice took on a note of longing. **

**Chandra looked around and said to Mother, "We need to get her home just to be safe." Mother nodded in agreement.**

'_**Even if…but I can't think it. Not here alone in the forest. It's getting dark; with the rain making it as dim as twilight under the canopy and pattered like footsteps across the matted earthen floor.'**_** She shivered as she looked around her and rose quickly and stumbled back onto the path that led her to home.**

**I looked at my beautiful wife and remembered once more that drive home from Port Angeles when she had breathed the word 'vampire' to me and my whole insides had gone cold with dread. I remembered the thrill and release I had felt later that evening after dropping her home, to have her know and have it be okay. I didn't understand until this minute exactly how it had been achieved. I stood up and gave Chandra a hug and a heartfelt 'thank you', and then one for my dear Mother and lastly my sweetest wife who'd always loved me for who I was and what I was and had never stopped. My Bella, who saw beyond the monster that was me to the man hidden beneath, and in so doing allowed me to become whole.**

[A/N: Okay, so I left a few lines out, sorry. Also I have decided that to help push my story along, for now I will only tell the scenes from the story that are important to getting Nessie born. Those scenes are: The meadow, The hunt/Ballroom scene, The Birthday Party/ Edward's departure, The Wolf Pack, The Cliff Dive, Volterra, First night back, Actual proposal when Bella says yes. I may even do some of them as flash backs from the plane trip home to Forks.]


	28. Chapter 28

[A/N: Special thanks to Nonymouse123 (Amber) for letting me use her Fan Fiction 'The Meadow—Edward's POV' from The Twilight Saga Website for my back drop and for 99% of all Edward thoughts I used in this chapter. (Since Midnight Sun stopped before it got to the meadow scene. ***Sigh*** If you haven't had an opportunity to read her phenomenal Fan Fiction yet, I highly encourage you to! You will find the link to her story both here at fanfiction and over on TTS on my profile page along with her profile page link for Freedom Fan Fiction Writers as well.

Also, I wanted to mention that when I scrutinized 'Twilight' for writing this chapter, I realized that there was a period of time for Bella in the meadow that day when she was truly afraid of Edward. A fact that had somehow escaped me the many times I had read through it before. You may or may not agree with me on this, but like I said, when I looked very closely and took it apart, I saw things a little differently.

One more thing, I will be posting the Edward and Bella story chapters every few days instead of every day as they are quite long and take longer to edit. Speaking of editing, Hopefully I did an okay job with editing this chapter. If not, I'm sorry I did try ]

Chapter Twenty Eight  
The Meadow

Edward's POV

**Chandra sighed. Then she turned smiling back to me and Bella and said, "Of course, there was the trip to Port Angeles, where I helped you know Bella was in mortal danger and helped you find the mind to look through to locate her, the trip home, the next day at school where you read Jessica's mind to find out that Bella 'liked you too much', the next two days where you got to know each other a little better and I worked a little magic in creating magnetic fields of energy between you in Biology and the night in between while you watched Bella sleep--that was great fun by the way. And then we finally arrived at the big date: a day in the meadow. I had previously arranged for the most beautiful assortments of wildflowers grown in that area to be in abundance—White Ginger, Mock Orange, Honeysuckle, Pacific Bleeding Heart, Twinflower, Hooker's Fairybells, False Lily of the Valley, False Solomon's Seal, Trillium, Purple Trillium, ****Pacific Rhododendron—sorry, I love working with nature!" Chandra said a little sheepishly coming out of her reverie. I looked at Esme and saw her nod in understanding.**

"**Well, as I was saying, this was an important day for Edward and Bella because up to this point, Edward had been literally terrified of touching Bella out of fear that he would hurt her and it was time to teach him that he could in fact do so. It was also important for him to decide once and for all that his love for her was stronger than his extreme thirst for her blood. This played into the first two rules we abide by. The need for there to be choices and the need for balance—you needed to choose between having Bella to fill your nutritional menu once or have her to fill the void in your empty life forever. This is why we worked to have her not tell anyone. If you had that knowledge as a crutch, you wouldn't have made up your mind that day. Of course, Llasa made it shine gloriously that day, thus ending the Seattle trip and making the meadow an attractive. All four of us were on hand to assist you as this would be an extremely hazardous venture though vital in bringing 'The Hope of the World' into being. So we're going to start our visual at Bella's home. Edward has just arrived to pick her up."**

**The wall in front of me picked up more definition and shortly I was watching a visual of myself stepping up to the front door of the Swan's residence. I remembered being outside in the woods waiting for her to be ready and the apprehension I had as I crossed the street, knowing it would be the greatest test I would ever face. My thoughts cut in with the visual as I took those steps. **_**'**__**We're going be alone, far away from any other humans. I could kill her so fast she wouldn't even have time to scream. Her blood would be so intoxicating, so delicious, so…STOP! I will keep the monster in me on lock down--banished to the depths of my soul, if I even have one. I can smell her scent already…good! I needed a small dose of it before being confronted directly by the shockingly painful aroma her closeness brings. I can do this. I can and I will. I wouldn't hurt my Bella, my love."**_

**Then I was at the door and I watched myself raise my hand and knock. **_**'Her heart is racing…'**_** The door opened and I once again saw the face of my beloved. Of course, I could see from the visual, for the first time, that she wasn't really as alone as I'd thought.**

"**See," my Mother whispered in Bella's ear, I told you he would be here and everything would be fine. Now, let's have some fun today!'**

**Bella's thoughts picked up as a gentle peaceful smile found its way to her face. **_**'What was I so worried about yesterday? I feel so relieved with him here.' **_**Bella sighed in contentment.  
**

"**Good morning," I chuckled**

"**What's wrong?" Bella followed my gaze looking down at her attire. Her mental thoughts were slightly alarmed. **_**'Oh no, please tell me I wasn't so nervous that I forget something important, like shoes or…pants.'  
**_**  
"We match," I laughed as I continued to appraise her outfit. **_**'This is so hilarious! Light tan sweater stretched over her smooth figure, white collar peeking out from the top, blue jeans that fit her just right. She looks so beautiful, so fresh. My hand is aching to touch her soft skin, feel the heat from her blood under that skin. ENOUGH!'**_

'_**Oh, I see. That is kind of strange. He's also wearing a light tan sweater with a white collar underneath and blue jeans.'**_** Bella laughed with me but I was exasperated to listen in on her next thought. '**_**Except of course that he looks like a runway model and I look like plain old boring me.'**_

**I looked over at my beautiful wife and rolled my eyes. "When will you ever see yourself clearly?" I asked her for the seven hundred and twenty third time. **

**Of course, I wasn't there alone with my beautiful wife taking this wonderful stroll down memory lane. A fact I was once again reminded of with my playful brother's next interruption, "Edward a runway model? Emmett chuckled, "You've got to be kidding me!"**

"**Well, of course he looks like one! Because he dresses the part and that is due to MY impeccable fashion sense!" Alice shot back at Emmett earning a smattering of chuckles.**

**I watched as I turned and walked to the passenger side of her old red truck. **_**'I haven't ridden in one of these things for fifty years—and then they were a lot newer.'**_** I sighed with my head shaking as I waited by the ancient automobile.**

"**Edward," My mother demanded in the visual. Not that I'd heard her that beautiful March day. "What are you doing waiting over there by the door? A true gentleman would be opening Bella's door. And you are a gentleman. I've already told her." She shook her head in dismay and sighed deeply.**

**  
"We made a deal," Bella replied smugly as she climbed into the driver's seat reached over and unlocked my door. **

**I climbed in and took my seat. My face betrayed nothing of my feelings and emotions as I braced myself and took a deep quiet breath. **_**'Be careful, don't alarm her just breath long and slow. Her scent is so potent after not being close to her for so long. Agggh.'**_

**My Mother sat between us in that car cab, just as she was now, only I couldn't see her then of course. "Well, get used to it, Edward. Otherwise it's going to be a long and dangerous day for you—and Bella." Then she smiled at me as we pulled away from the Swan house. In the visual I looked over at Bella and smiled. It looked like I was smiling at my Mother and her comment though.**

"**Where to?" Bella asked in the visual that showed us driving down the street.**

"**Put your seatbelt on, I'm nervous already" I said. **_**'More nervous than she could ever guess. I'm dangerous. I'm a monster. What in the world am I doing here alone with her? I've given her the choice, but does she really understand all that one choice could encompass?' **_**Mother rolled her eyes at my mental thoughts.**

Bella gave me a withering look as she did as instructed. "Where to?" she asked again, her eyes taking on a curious glint.  


"**Take the one-oh-one north" I instructed as I studied her face. My thoughts told the depth of my longing for her. **_**'I love how the muted sunlight illuminates her skin and reflects in her hair. How could I ever hurt such a lovely creature? What did I ever do to deserve her attention? I've been alone so long, and now finally, I have found her! Someone I want to be with. It makes me so…happy, full of joy. I love her! It's true and it fills my whole being. I have to be with her. Is there no end to my selfishness?**_

"**Love makes us all behave a little crazy Edward! And I am so thrilled for you and excited for today!" My Mother said smiling broadly and patting my shoulder. It's so odd I had no recollection of her presence in that truck at all.**

**As Bella drove out of town even slower than usual, I heard her thoughts speak out loud and clear**_**, 'I can't believe how hard it is to concentrate on the road while feeling his gaze on my face. I better drive extra carefully. The last thing I want to do is drive into a ditch or something.'**_

_**  
**_**I watched as I took another blazing breath and thought, **_**'Oh, just feel the burn and conquer it. I AM stronger than my need for her blood. But am I strong enough for both of my needs? I need a distraction.'**_** "Were you planning to make it out of Forks before nightfall?"  
**

"**This truck is old enough to be your car's grandfather—have some respect" she bantered back. In the visual, the homes in town were soon replaced by the dense greenery of the forest.**

"**Turn right on the one-ten" I instructed. "Now we drive until the pavement ends" I smiled and thought, **_**'I can't wait to show Bella my beautiful meadow. It has always been my favorite place to go. It is so beautiful and today, graced with her beauty it will truly be breathtaking. Plus I get to enjoy her company on the long hike to get there.'**_

"**And I can't wait for you to realize that you can touch her without hurting her, and for you to kiss her and hold her hand and realize that she is meant for you, my wonderful Edward!" Mother said in the visual. I couldn't believe her enthusiasm. It was as if she'd had this whole thing planned. Well, maybe not her---but Chandra for sure. Speaking of which, why wasn't she in the truck cab?**

**Bella thought, **_**'I would love to look over and see his smiling face, but I'd better not risk it. I'd likely just drive right off the road and prove him right.'**_** "And what's there, at the pavement's end?" She said with some trepidation.**

'**That's probably a good idea dear. Keep your eyes on the road. Edward can be quite distracting." My Mother advised Bella in a tone that spoke with the assurance of one who had done it for, well.., for Bella's whole life.**

"**A trail" I heard myself say.**

"**Oh dear, Edward you better stop right there and not mention that you won't be taking the trail. Bella's likely to turn around and head back to Forks if she understands that part of your little 'date'." Mother admonished me.  
**

"**We're hiking?" I could hear the fear creeping into her voice. **_**'Thank goodness I have on sneakers!'  
**_

"**Is that a problem?"I asked.**

**Bella's mental chagrin was going faster than her truck. '**_**Great! He sounds as though he expected as much!' **_**"No" Bella lied poorly to disguise her alarm**_**. 'Ha! If he thinks my truck is slow…'**_

**That was what she was so worried about? Of course, the peanut gallery loved that comment.**

"**That truck was slower than a snail stuck on hot tar." Emmett howled.**

"**Hey, I built that truck!" Jacob bantered back.**

"**Yes, but did it ever get that 'free maintenance check'? Jasper added with a pointed eyebrow.**

**Jacob rolled his eyes and grabbed a handful of his popcorn. Nessie prodded him in the ribs. "He's a real handyman!" She said innocently her voice full of pride. Then everyone laughed but not for the reason Nessie thought. Okay.**

**Then my own thoughts drew me back into the visual of Bella and I and my Mother as we traveled to our meadow. **

'_**She's lying,'**_** I'd thought, **_**'but not to worry. I'll be right there to watch over her while we walk to our hidden destination.'**_** I added my reassurance to her verbally, "Don't worry, it's only five miles or so, and we're in no hurry" **

**Bella didn't answer my comment and I had always wondered what she was so worried about. Today, I finally heard those hidden fears. **_**'FIVE MILES! Is he kidding me! This is just fantastic. Five miles of treacherous roots and loose stones, trying to twist my ankles and otherwise incapacitate myself. This is going to be humiliating. What in the world am I going to do?'**_

"**Geez Bella, weren't you ever a Girl Scout or something?" Emmett inquired with an evil smirk on his face.**

"**Sure she was," Jasper shot back. "They had to have someone to practice on to get their 'First Aid' merit badges.' **

**Alice rolled her eyes and smacked Jasper on his shoulder, "That wasn't nice. Bella was doing her personal best! It's not her fault that she had two left feet."**

"**What are you thinking?" I demanded of my love as we left the town of Forks behind us. **_**'Her silence is still so infuriating. I hope her mind won't always remain closed to me.'**_

"**Just wondering where we're going" She lied.**

**  
"It's a place I like to go when the weather is nice" I watched myself smile from the truck cab as we both looked up into the thinning clouds.**

"**Charlie said it would be warm today"**

"**And did you tell Charlie what you were up to?" I wondered aloud.**

**  
"Nope"**

**  
"But Jessica thinks we're going to Seattle together" I said in satisfaction. **_**'Okay, so if she didn't tell her Father, then Jessica will provide my motivation for returning her home unharmed today. The monster will have no excuse to hurt Bella. I will also keep firmly in mind what it would mean to my family if this were to end badly. Why oh why am I still struggling with my decision to return Bella safely home?'**_

"**Uh Oh, this isn't going to go smoothly. But don't get to upset Edward. It's for the best really it is! Trust me." My Mother patted my shoulder with again no affect on me that day.**

"**No, I told her you cancelled on me—which is true" She stated flatly**

"No one knows you're with me?" My voice took on an infuriated tone. _**'Oh how the monster within me is shaking in his cage, mocking me with the knowledge that no one knows where she is. I can feel the steel bands of my resolve weaken.' **_

"**That depends, I assume you told Alice?" Her voice rose ever so slightly. **

'_**What does that voice inflection mean?'**_** I thought still very angry**_**. 'Is she beginning to see the stupidity of her reasoning? I doubt it.'**_** I snapped at her, "That's very helpful, Bella,"**

'_**I don't hear you.'**_** She thought at me while looking straight ahead.**

"**Are you so depressed by forks that it's made you suicidal?" I spat at her. **_**'Why is she ignoring the danger? Why is she tempting me so? The monster is laughing at me. I've got to mentally tighten the chains around his cage to attempt controlling him.'  
**_**  
"You said it might cause trouble for you; us being together publicly" She reminded me. **

'_**She's genuinely concerned for me. She should me more concerned for herself.'**_** I thought darkly. I answered her harshly, my tone having a biting sarcastic edge to it. "So you're worried about the trouble it might cause me—if you don't come home?" **

**Bella nodded her head as she continued to look forward keeping her eyes on the road. I could see the stubborn set to her jaw line. .**

'_**Of course she didn't tell anyone. Why can't she see how dangerous this is for me? How tempting she is to me? Alice showed me I was strong enough, showed me the outcome. But am I? Can I do this? Can I keep her safe from me?'**_** I was talking to myself, too fast for her to hear me, of course. Her human ears weren't able to decipher my blurry words.**

'_**What is he mumbling about now?'**_** Bella thought as she semi-heard my next words that weren't really meant for her to hear anyway.**

**Mother sighed, "Well, that could have gone better. Still the day is young! We'll be with Chandra and the others soon enough and then I'll have all the reinforcements I need!"  
**

**I watched as what I had thought, from my memory of this, our first date, to be silence, but my own brooding more than made up for the lack of vocalization. **_**'I need another distraction. How about Emmett's comments from the other day, ' So you won't change her. You know she won't last forever Edward. And as you've pointed out, she is kind of breakable. Can you even touch her? I mean, if you love her, wouldn't you want to, well, you know--touch her? Wow, well, then what are your options?' Oh, those comments are NOT helping me right now. Especially when my conclusion to him was that I was trying to find a way to leave her but thinking of my life without her was unfathomable. Maybe I can work with that thought as my motivation. I cannot imagine living without her.' **_**Though it helped, I was still irritated.**

"**Why couldn't Daddy touch Mommy?" Renesmee asked from Jacob's lap? "Was she hurt?"**

**Chandra turned to my daughter and patiently explained about my strength and how Bella was still human like Charlie and the importance of me taking things slowly so I could learn how to touch Bella without hurting her. Nessie nodded her head in understanding.**

**We reached the end of the road and Bella slowly pulled the car onto the shoulder of the road. As she stopped the car and got out, she thought. **_**'Great! I've been feeling his anger and disapproval rolling off him all this time and I haven't been able to think of anything to say to him about it. Now, he's still angry with me and I don't have driving as an excuse to not look at him. Oh well, at least its warmer now. In fact, the warmest day since I arrived here.' **_** She pulled off her sweater and knotted it around her waist, showing a white sleeveless blouse underneath. **_**'It's a good thing I wore a sleeveless shirt—especially if I have a grueling, demanding five miles of hiking ahead of me. Can this get any worse?'**_** She'd thought glumly. **

**Chandra was there waiting for us. She turned to my Mother and asked, "What's his problem?"**

"**Oh, Bella covering all her bases has got him in a panic." Mother replied dryly.**

"**Poor Bella, she bears the brunt of our decisions, but it is necessary for him to face this once and for all to know it is entirely up to him to be accountable to himself." Chandra said with a nod looking between Bella and me in the visual.**

**I saw myself, from her side of the truck, slam the door and remove my sweater as well as I turned to the forest in front of me. "This way" I angrily called to her. **_**'That's right; I'll let her hear how angry I am with her. It will help me keep my nerve over leaving myself exposed with my shirt unbuttoned in front of her. I'm not normally so casual in my dress—especially with a lady present.'  
**_

"**The trail?" She asked in a panic stricken voice. She looked longingly at the trail to the north but turned to walk right next to me**_**. 'Oh no, I have a very bad feeling about this. Please Edward, we HAVE to take the trail at least.**_

"**I said there was a trail at the end of the road, not that we were taking it" I said rudely. **_**'That was uncalled for, she doesn't deserve this.'**_

'**No trail?" Her panic stricken eyes raced around the edge of the forest. **_**"It just got worse! I'll probably end up with both arms and a leg in plaster for sure. And how will I ever explain that to Charlie?'**_

'_**I'll bet she's wondering where I'm taking her.'**_** I thought, **_**'…or worse.'**_** Then I said, "I won't let you get lost" I was mocking her. '**_**Maybe she'll see the pain hiding behind my anger.'**_

**I watched as I turned and looked at her face. She stifled a gasp. Her expression became tortured.**_** 'What did I do? Her heart just took off in a frenzied pace. Why is she staring open-mouthed at me like that? Oh, I can guess what that pain stricken look on her face is about. She wants to go home. I've been angry and rude, and now she no longer wants my company. No, I can behave. I'll show her I can behave.'**_** I remembered from that moment, a pain I was not willing to feel, curl itself around my stone heart at the thought of her leaving me.  
**

**What completely blew my mind was what Bella was actually thinking at that moment in time. It was about my physique. **_**'With his shirt unbuttoned; his smooth white skin of his throat flows uninterrupted over the marbled contours of his chest. It's practically unbearable to see. I've noticed hints of his perfect muscles behind his clothing, but even then I never imagined this. He is too perfect.'**_** Then her tone turned from awe to despair. **_**'There is just no way this' godlike' creature could be meant for someone dull and boring like me.**_

"**I told you he was handsome didn't I!" My Mother beamed proudly.**

"**Can I cook or what!" Chandra added rather proudly confirming Bella's assessment of my 'being'.**

**It left me shaking my head at the absurdity of her incompetent self-evaluation. She was the finest creation of the gods; delicate and beautiful—a master's painting, a Rembrandt. **

"**Bella may have needed glasses." Emmett chortled.**

"**Either that or a psychiatrist." Jacob shot back.**

"**Maybe, but if so it was only because she was hanging around with you," Alice shot back. Apparently Jacob hit a tender spot with Alice at the mention of mental health.**

**  
"Do you want to go home?" I asked quietly in the visual. '**_**Please don't let her say she wants to leave.'**_** My thoughts were full of pain and longing.**

**  
"No" She said as she crossed to be closer to me. **_**'Absolutely not--I don't want to waste one second of whatever time I might have with him.'**_

**I closed my eyes and thought, **_**'She wants to stay—thank you!'**_** I sighed softly as I breathed in her scent.  
"What's wrong?" I asked, **_**'Will I ever get used to her silence?'**_

**  
"I'm not a good hiker, you'll have to be very patient" She said in a small voice.**

'I can be patient—if I make a great effort" I smiled a gentle smile_**. 'Please give me a smile? Oh, I so want to make her happy again. I'm going to make this a perfect day for her, my love. I'll do everything in my power to keep her sheltered from the dangers my world poses to her.'**_

**Bella tried to smile back at me but it was a poor imitation. Now that I understood her chagrin I just shook my head. Why could she not see herself clearly?**

"I'll take you home" I promised solemnly. _**'I will not harm her! Be strong! Alice is right. I can do this. I can keep her safe--and alive.'  
**_

**Bella's thoughts picked up right on cue, **_**'Yes, but is that an unconditional promise or restricted to an immediate departure. Hmm, he thinks I'm upset because I'm afraid. I'm really glad he can't read my thoughts to know what really upsets me.' **_**She sighed and retorted**_**,**_** "If you want me to hack five miles through the jungle before sundown, you'd better start leading the way" **

'_**What is going on in that pretty little head of yours? You don't sound thrilled about our outdoor adventure. I wonder why.'**_** I puzzled it out in my mind. **

**Everyone smiled in amusement over my quandary. I did too, now that I understood Bella and her great love of 'the great outdoors' given her, then human, limitations. I watched as several times I assisted her over fallen trees, I remembered the touch of her burning hot skin with my ice cold finger tips. I always released her instantly, and of course my thoughts announced to everyone my hesitation of not knowing if I was ready for the touch of her skin or how upon hearing her heart sputter at my touch, I would quickly look into her eyes, trying to decipher the emotions they held. **_**'Is it fear that makes her heart quicken at my touch? Or is it something else. I hope beyond all reason to hope it is the latter.'**_

"**You should hold her hand Edward. Not only do you know you want to but it would be gentlemanly of you to assist her over all of these rocks and uneven patches. Her hand is so warm and soft. It would feel wonderful to hold in your own." My Mother said easily at my side.**

**Chandra smiled in approval at Mother. "He's not quite ready for that, but he is hearing you and you've done a good job of planting the idea in his head."**_**  
**_

**  
**_**'It is so strange, I want…no…I need to reach out and hold her hand. The desire is so strong, it's overwhelming. I need to slow up, just a bit, so she can catch up, and then it would be easier to let our hands entwine together. Wait, what am I thinking? I can't hold her hand. I'm still a monster, and she is so fragile. Oh but I can feel my love, so strong for her, it pulses through my dry veins. It colors every thought I've had since the night she breathed my name in her sleep. I desperately need her to be with me, and yet I long for her to run the other way, to save herself from the monstrosity that I am. These conflicting thoughts are driving me to the brink of insanity.'**_

"**Are we there yet?" She sounded impatient but playing at irritation. There was a teasing scowl on her face.**

'_**She is even more beautiful in the forest than I imagined. I can't wait for her to see the meadow.'**_** I thought excitedly.**

"Nearly, do you see the brightness ahead?" 

**Bella's gloomy mood dissipated with the morning clouds and her countenance brightened. We both laughed and I thought, **_**'This is amazing—When Bella is happy—I'm happy, it's as if she's the remedy for my meaningless existence.'  
**_**  
"Um, should I?" She asked peering into the dense foliage. I smirked at her in response.**

**  
"Maybe it's a bit too soon for your eyes" I teased her. **

"**Time to visit the optometrist," she retorted. My smirk grew more pronounced in response.**

"**What did I say?" Emmett boomed loudly bringing his hands up in a supplicating manner.**

'_**Oh, wait…there is some light ahead of us! It's kind of exciting seeing the sun stream through the trees.'**_** I watched the visual as Bella upped her pace and I let her lead. Of course I let her. I held back.**

'_**I hope I'm doing the right thing here. This is the boldest risk I've ever taken. What if I scare her and she runs away only to get lost? What if she thinks I'm a monster? I feel venerable, exposed.'  
**_**  
And with that, we were there. We had finally arrived at the meadow--our meadow.**

**From the visual, I saw Bella as she walked out into the sunlight, the rays reflected off her alabaster skin and made her dark brown hair shimmer with a beautiful auburn red tint. Even seeing this for the second time she still took my breath away. It was trepidation that kept me from walking beside her into the lighted lea. The video showed Chandra and Elizabeth follow her into the glorious sunshine. Samon, Llasa and Dagda were there waiting for them.**

"**How do you like my sunshine today?" Llasa said to Chandra smiling warmly. "Beautiful isn't it?"**

"**That it is brother dear!" She replied, crossing to him and pecking his cheek.**

"**There's my beautiful wife!" called another immortal. It must have been Dagda. He approached Chandra and she warmly embraced him with a tender kiss that spoke of a love so profound I was shaken by its tenderness and intensity.**

"**Chandra, Elizabeth," I already knew Samon of course. He gathered Chandra from Dagda and spun her around. They were very familiar with each other. I've heard that twins were like that sometimes. Watching them there in my meadow, it looked as though they were having a family picnic. "How's our boy Edward holding up so far?" He added nodding his head in my direction where the visual still showed me at the forest's edge where I waited--watching Bella as she drank in the sight of the flowers surrounding her. **

"**Okay," Llasa—Mr. Poseidon himself, said looking directly at me in the shadows. "This is going to take a group effort here. Our goal of course, is to end this stalemate and get Edward to choose his love for Bella over his thirst for her. Also, we need to teach him how to touch her. Elizabeth, we need you to work with Bell too, it may be that she will have to take the lead here a little bit. Alright?" Everyone nodded and the four immortals went to my side in the shadows. Elizabeth stood beside Bella, still gazing at the beautiful meadow in wonder. I was deeply moved to see that I was never alone; that fate DID play a hand in my life--nothing was left to chance. I had supernatural support that day helping me keep my Bella and me both safe from the destructive tendencies of my most monstrous nature.**

**My thoughts not only echoed in my mind from that fateful day, but of course, they were also audible for all present to hear, **_**'What will she think of me when she sees my skin. Will she think me even more of a freak than I already am? I don't want to scare her, but then again I do. I could just curse my selfish heart for not being able to leave this beautiful woman with the most precious of souls alone. Uggh, I can feel the monster laughing quietly from deep inside. I will keep her safe!'**_** I thought quickly, attempting to shut him up, by dragging him deeper into his cage.**

'_**Oh, this has got to be the most beautiful meadow I have ever seen before.'**_** Bella's mental thoughts were bright and full of happy surprise. **_**'The colors in the wildflowers are so vibrant—alive. The colors just jump out at me, violet, yellow and a soft white. I can hear the musical sounds of a stream nearby and the soft grass just sways in time with the breeze. Oh, Edward…wait, where is he. Oh I forgot about the sun. Did he stop short of the clearing?'**_

"**He's over here dear," Mother sang from behind Bella.**

Once again through the visual, I saw as she turned around in the sunny meadow looking for me. Then, finding me hiding like a thief in the forest, she took a step towards me, inviting me out into the sun with her hand. She took another step, and I motioned for her to stop. I closed my eyes and took a deep, ragged breath.

I stepped out into the golden rays of the late-morning sun and waited for her response. She gasped and stared at me. I looked deep into her eyes. _**'Wait, where is the screaming, the running?'**_** But, as always, Bella startled me with her responses. She smiled wide and sighed.  
**

**Her mental assessment of my sunlight display was incredulous to say the least. **_**'Edward…he's sparkling. Oh this proves that he is definitely something more angel than man. It's like diamonds scintillating across his skin. It's the single most amazing thing I've ever seen.'**_** "You're beautiful," she said simply. I smiled in spite of myself. **

**My mental voice was fervent with relief, **_**'I should have known she would not be frightened of my glittering skin.' **_**I lay down on the meadow floor, basking in the radiant heat of the sun. Bella stared at me; she sighed and continued to ponder my skin. I remembered discovering that her scent was even stronger in the sun and the slight breeze that day blew it right into my face; I was encompassed by her essence. **

'_**It's hard to believe possible, but her scent is even stronger in the sun and it has my throat aching for her blood. I can taste it on my tongue. The monster inside whispers unconscionable thoughts to me--Stop it right now! I know just what will distract me from the closeness of her blood, and her body and not to mention my exposed chest--I'll hum the composition I've been working on for her.' **_

**I started humming softly to myself. **

**Bella's thoughts picked up as my humming began. **_**'Edward looks like he's really enjoying the sun lying back with his eyes closed. I would too but I would have to take my eyes off him to accomplish it and I…can't. I still can't believe how his skin can do that. It's kind of like a rock that sparkles when the light hits it just so. I wonder how it does that. I wonder what he's saying. Well I think he's speaking but it's hard to tell for sure because his lips are trembling. I can't make it out.'**_

**  
"What are you saying?" Bella asked**

"Oh, I'm just singing to myself" I'd replied. _**'I hope she doesn't detect the edge in my voice. She is quite observant.'**_

"**What do you think of those sparkles Bella? They're as dazzling as his matching sparkling personality. You should get a closer look you know. I'll bet he wouldn't mind letting you hold his hand and getting a better look at those shinning facets." Mother gently coaxed my Bella from the meadow scene.**

'_**This is just so…indescribable. Now I'm even less sure that he's real. As if he needed to be fascinating in any other way. And here I thought the meadow was beautiful. Well, it still is but it pales in comparison to Edward; because Edward in the sunlight is beyond belief. This is proof positive that he is a god of some kind. I want to examine this phenomenon closer. See if I can puzzle out how this can be. I wonder if he would mind if I just touched the back of his hand to see if it's smooth or rough from all of the crystals. Well, if he doesn't want me to touch him, all he needs to do is pull his hand away like he did at the restaurant. I think I will try if he will let me…'  
**_

"**Go ahead," My Mother gently prodded her in approval. Chandra was right beside her. The three men were on my other side.**

**  
Bella reached out then, with a slightly shaky hand, touching my hand with one finger, and traced the outlines of my veins, my marble hard knuckle, with her soft pliable fingertips.**

"**Dagda reached out and placed his hand around both Bella's finger and my hand as his wife Chandra had done in the biology room. As I watched from my seat on the couch, I thought of him with a quiver of arrows shooting them into my heart. Funny, he didn't look like any rendition of Cupid I'd ever seen. No, Dagda looked much more dignified. Llasa and Samon were kneeling at my side but alert and ready to help with my thirst and control.**

'_**That is indescribable. The sensation running for her softest of touches sends a new kind of fire through my body. It's so much more powerful than I ever expected. I'm still struggling with the smell of her intoxicating scent, but this new warmth is something entirely different. The heat from her hand is racing up my arm and thru my chest. Her warm, soft body is so close to mine.'**_** I could see plainly in the visual from the expression on my face my struggle to control my thoughts as I gazed at her with a longing in my eyes.**

'_**It is smooth! But it is such an incredible texture--perfect really. Satin smooth and cool as stone.' Bella**_** looked up sensing my eyes on her. She smiled shyly. **_**'His eyes are butterscotch today and they're warmer after hunting. Umm, there is that smile of his that has always dazzled me. What am I now, with both his smile and now sparkles too—double dazzled?'  
**_**  
"I don't scare you?" I asked, **_**'Why am I hoping for the answer I don't want to hear?'**_

"**Please!" Emmett said in a mocking condensation. "Oh, she's really scared here Edward-- scared you're going to blind her by your brilliance, maybe. You're such a pup." He was shaking his head fighting a grin.  
**_**  
**_**"No more than usual," Bella answered me. I smiled wider and my teeth sparkled in the visual.**

**My audible thoughts stifled the laughter that followed Emmett's good humor. **_**'She means it, and her answer leaves me both joyful, and unbearably sad, from the sound of her truthfulness. Her eyes give no hint of lie.' **_**Bella inched closer to me, reaching out with trembling fingers. She continued to stroke my arm, becoming braver with her touches of my ice cold skin.**

"**You could probably touch more than just the back of his arm now." Elizabeth said to Bella and Dagda smiled in approval. He was ready for that.**

"Do you mind?" Bella asked me from the visual displayed and looking for all the world like the loveliest movie star.

**  
"No, you can't imagine how that feels," I answered back with my eyes shut again, **_**'I could lose myself to the sensations her electric touch is sending thru my whole being. I have never felt something so strong, so tantalizing, so lovely as her soft fingers slowly caressing my arm.'**_** I took in a deep breath and wallowed in the burn I remembered so clearly that it caused. **_**'I cannot hurt her. I will not hurt her.'**_** But I also remembered the monster who at that hour, waited, patiently.**

'_**The muscles in his arms are so strong and hard. They are perfect…just like him. His veins are still there and bluish here on the inside of his elbow. I wonder what the other side of…'  
**_**  
I remembered realizing that she was trying to turn my hand over and I watched as I turned it for her, a little too fast, startling her, but she recovered quickly. I closed my eyes again and said, "Sorry, it's too easy to be myself with you." She smiled back at me as she watched my eyes close and brought my palm to her face, examining the glimmering faucets that sparkled in the sunlight intently**_**. 'She is so accepting of my 'otherness. The evidence of her understanding is underscored by the sparkles reflected on her face, dancing a crystalline dance.'**_

'_**I'm holding Edward's hand. Well, sort of anyway. He said he didn't mind. That's good too because I can focus my attention here instead of the perfect physique of his bare chest with his rock hard muscles that are not just sculpted across his ribs and abdomen but are now sparkling with his every movement, his every breath. Wait, what was I thinking about? Oh yes, Edward's hand—right here inside of my own. I can feel its weight, its strength. It is so cool and smooth but it doesn't give like mine does. He's not pulling away like at the restaurant. But he might change his mind. He seems to do that a lot, so if I'm going to figure this out, I'd better not waste any time. The glittering comes from all over his skin. It's not just in a few places. It's all through his palm. Wow! He's got a long life line…I think, if my friend Megan from sixth grade is to be believed. What makes it sparkle like that? It's hard to tell. What about the other side? It's even in his fingernails. Or is it the skin behind the fingernails? Hmmm, I can't tell for sure but either way, I'm holding Edward's hand—sort of! This isn't right, I must be having another one of my amazingly realistic dreams. Of course, what part of a realistic dream would include sparkling vampires? That's got to be it. This isn't real—I'm delusional.'**_

** I opened my eyes and watched the show and the intensity of her focus. "Tell me what you're thinking. It's still so strange for me, not knowing" I looked deep into her eyes. **

**  
"You know the rest of us feel that way all the time" she teased.**

**  
"It's a hard life," I said, with a bottomless sadness in my tone. **_**'…having to hear every thought except for the ones I desire; the ones hidden inside your pretty little head.'**_

'_**Is it my imagination or is there a note of regret in his tone? Why would this incredible man have regrets of any kind?'**_** Bella asked herself.**

"**But you didn't tell me" I pressed her**_**. 'Please Bella, don't hold your thoughts back from me. I need to know your thoughts just as much as I need the rest of you. The whole of my need may drive me mad.'**_

**  
"I was wishing I could know what you were thinking," she was quiet again.**

"**And don't forget that you were also wondering what it would be like to kiss him." My mother said kindly to Bella as if giving an actress her cue.**

**  
"And?" I said, impatiently.**

"I was wishing that I could believe you were real. And I was wishing that I wasn't afraid" She kept her eyes steadily on my arm. _**'Afraid of you pushing me away if I were to lean in and kiss you; afraid of making you mad if I were to take your hand in mine and turn mine around and interlace my fingers with yours; afraid that if I told you I dream about you every night or confessed the fact I think about you all the time that you might leave me and I might wake up to discover this has been some fantastical fairytale. Not real.'  
**_**  
"I don't want you to be afraid" I said. **_**'That's the truth, and a lie at the same time.'  
**_**  
"Well that's not exactly the fear I meant, though that's certainly something to think about"**

**  
Samon suddenly looked at his siblings and said, "We may have a problem here, he's about to sit up too quickly and with the angle Bella is leaning in towards him he may not be able to maintain the level of focus he needs despite my efforts to strengthen him. If he starts to behave as a 'creature of darkness' he won't listen to my influence."**

**Sure enough, just then I sat up quickly and looked deep into her eyes, holding her hand in mine**_**. 'She's speaking in riddles and I need to see the truth of what she is feeling.'**_** I was very close to Bella, **_**'I wonder if maybe, this close and using the full power of my gaze, I can extract the answer from her beautiful brown eyes.' **_**"What are you afraid of, then?" '**_**I desperately need to know what she's thinking now.'**_

'_**His eyes again--so hypnotic--mesmerizing. He's so close to me; just inches away. I can smell his cool breath washing over my face; so sweet and delicious. It's making me hungry. It isn't like anything else in the world. I need another whiff to…'  
**_

"**No Bella, not just right now!" Mother wailed at Bella in the visual but she was already leaning in, intoxicated by my essence. I remembered all too clearly, Bella never reacted as a normal human should. As my breath washed over her face, she leaned in even closer to me, taking a deep breath.**

I remembered the multitude of emotions and scents that bombarded me simultaneously in that moment. _**'Her blood, her heartbeat, her breath, her hair, her essence—it's all crashing over me like a tsunami. No! The monster has burst out of his cage, raging, wanting her, taunting me with the flavor of her scent I know will taste so good. My mouth is filling with venom. **_

**Llasa, who had been monitoring my thirst levels, stood up and ordered me in such a loud voice that it startled everyone in the room. "Leave! Move away from her! She is too precious! Be Gone NOW!" As if in response to his order, I was gone before Bella was done inhaling.**

"**Dang! Jacob said, " listen to that voice."**

"**I guess they don't call him the thunder god for nothing!" Emmett intoned.**

'_**What? He's gone already? Or was it just a dream then? Did I finally wake up? But I'm here in this meadow and my hand stings where he pulled away from me. So it is real. But then I must have made him angry with me somehow. What did I do? Did he finally see me for who I am--just plain, boring, ordinary me? Is he going to go away and not come back? I don't know exactly what I did but I didn't mean anything…'  
**_

"**It's not your fault dear." Mother said to Bella patting her arm. "Edward's just behaving like some kind of animal. Give him some time and it will pass. He's still a good man though. You'll see!"**

**  
"I'm...sorry, Edward" she said in a whisper. The pain in her voice was unbearable.**

_** 'I almost hurt her.'**_** My thoughts were a moan of shocked agony. I watched, for a second time, her face as the shock slowly faded; replaced by sadness. **_**'Oh, how my still heart aches to comfort her. The monster is still so angry. But he's not what's unsettling me the most. I know now why I can never hurt her, never taste her blood, and never let the monster out again.'**_** The tenor of my thoughts changed from sad and aching to determined and finally fierce. '**_**I'm making my mind up, right here and now. I AM stronger than the monster. I hereby banish the monster into a lake of fire. He will never tempt me again.'**_

**I was surprised that all four of the perfected beings had gone with me as I had raced to the meadow's edge. They'd never left my side. They busy conferred with each other and worked with me in ways that even watching, eluded me.  
**_**  
**_**"Give me a moment" I said in the visual from the shadows. I quickly buttoned up my shirt. Then I walked towards her, at a slow human pace, and sat down. Again, I was not alone as I took my new seat. Several feet still separated Bella and I. **_**'My beloved Bella,'**_** my thoughts cried out, **_**'these few feet feel like an ocean of anguish between us—symbolizing our differences that separate us.'**_** I watched her as she watched me. A wave of fear crept into her perfect features for everyone to see as she finally understood what I was and the realization of imminent danger finally sunk in.**

'_**He's coming back. But he seems different. Something is wrong. What did I do? I made him remember he's a vampire. That's what I did. Oh, this could end badly after all. Will it hurt badly? Will Charlie be okay? At least Mom has Phil to help her cope. Is this it then? '**_** Bella's mental scolding turned into unadulterated fear.**

"**That was so rude, Edward. Do you have any idea what she's thinking right now? You have terrified her to death. She could have a coronary as fast as her heart is racing right now. Behave and apologize. Right now, honestly, you have better manners than that." My Mother was livid in the visual. I turned to her at my side seated on Chandra's couch and thanked her. She gave me a brilliant smile in return and kissed my cheek.**

"I am so very sorry. Would you understand what I meant if I said I was only human?" My thoughts were in a dreadful state. _**'I can smell the adrenaline pulsing thru her veins. I've frightened her, and knowing this is more grievous that I ever thought possible.'**_

**Bella was frozen with shock in the visual. She nodded once at my pitiful attempt at humor. She looked for all the world like a doe with her eyes trapped in headlights. Her eyes were wide and her face ashen. **_**'Well, I didn't want him to be in trouble. Right, at least he will be in the clear. Please don't let it hurt too bad!'**_

"**This isn't going to be pretty, but, it will go better if he gets this out of his system now." Samon said to the rest of the supernaturals present. "He needs to release this energy and do it in a way that will explain to Bella exactly what he is and alert her to the danger and violence his presence could bring to her life. She has to be able to make her choice in this matter with complete understanding of what that choice entails. So let's just go with it but keep tabs on him if he needs us. Hopefully he will not be so far gone that he won't listen."**

"**He should be okay." Llasa said while crossing his fingers.**

"**Elizabeth, stay close to Bella. This isn't over just yet." Dagda added quickly.**

**My Mother nodded, a worried look crossing her face.**

"**I'm the world's best predator, aren't I?" My visual image said in a derisive tone. "Everything about me invites you in—my voice, my face, even my smell; As if I need any of that!" My thoughts picked right up wild and exultant. **_**'I'm finally free—let her see what I really am—a predator with a hypnotic glamour greater than a cobra and a gait faster than a cheetah.'**_** I ran around the meadow, in the blink of an eye. I relived once again the feeling of complete abandon that had surged through my dry veins that day.**

"As if you could outrun me" My bitter laugh filled the silence of the meadow. '_**I have**__**a strength greater than the strongest grizzly.' **_** Everyone watched with me as I grabbed a tree branch and broke it in half, **_**'I need a release.'**_** My thoughts were suddenly in a panic as my gaze focused more intently at Bella; her wide eyes showing the depth of her fear of me brought me back to my senses. My face reflected my instant remorse. **_**'I've scared her already. I wanted her to be afraid of me. Well congratulations to me! I've accomplished my goal. But it's a hollow victory. I regret ever wanting her to fear me, my beloved Bella.'  
**_**  
Even in the visual, her ragged breathes were obvious. I crossed over to her, in less than a second, and stood watching her. "As if you could fight me off," I whispered. **_**'I must contain this beast who has broken free and threatens to destroy both my love and myself. I must beat him down and construct stronger bars to cage him this time. And now that she understands the danger I represent she WILL run away from me. I've ruined my one chance to win her heart because of the monster who rages inside me.' **_

**  
She sat stiffly, barely shaking her head in response to me. **_**'Who are you Edward? You never hurt me before? Why now? You are scaring me, more than even in Biology that first day. It's like you've completely freed yourself from your carefully cultivated façade. I can hardly breathe. I might pass out. Maybe that would be better but if I do then I can't see his perfect face at the end. I've never seen him be less human or more beautiful. Well, he's directly in front of me now and **_**his **_**eyes are glowing with a strange, rash excitement. I can't believe this is happening. I better believe it. His lovely face will be the last thing I'll see in this world. Maybe it will be quick. Please, let it be quick!'**_** Terror rang out from her thoughts. It made me even more ashamed now watching this play out in the presence of my family. My poor Bella, she had been right to be afraid. I had been such a fool, such a monster. **

'_**Wait, something is changing. It's his eyes again. They're changing. They're losing that wild cast to them. He's…he's calming down, somehow. Yes, now he's regaining control of himself but his expression is shifting to a profound sadness. Can I breathe yet?' **_

"**Yes you can," Mother said to her softly. She was crying. I had made my Mother cry from my crass, offensive display. "Breath in and out, very slowly--but don't move your eyes from off of his. It will be okay now. He's getting better already. Please don't be afraid Bella. Edward loves you so much. Really, he does."  
**

"**Damn Edward, you really put your foot in it that time. You're lucky Llasa didn't kick your butt. He mind reads too. He could do it—of that I have no doubt." Emmett was correct of course.**

"**Don't be afraid…I promise…I swear not to hurt you". **_**'I never want to see that look in her eyes again. I've conquered the monster in me, and there's nothing left to fear. I'm free to love her, if she still wants me. I don't want to cause her fear.' **_**"Don't be afraid" I moved ever so slowly towards her. She watched my every move with cautious eyes. **_**'I've acted reprehensibly. I have no excuse for my conduct, and need to make amends.'**_

'_**He sounds more like he's trying to convince himself than me. Well, at least I'm still alive--so far.' **_**Bella thought shakily.**

"Please forgive me. I can control myself. You caught me off guard. But I'm on my best behavior now" Bella regarded me with cautious eyes. '_**She's still afraid.'**_

'_**He sounds more like himself now. Is it over? Is the danger over? Or is this just the eye in the middle of a hurricane?'**_** Bella wondered still in shock.  
**

'_**The beast is back behind bars and I am in control now; no longer tortured by my obsessive need for her blood. I've battled the beast of my nature and won! **_**"I'm not thirsty today, honestly" I winked at her, gave her my most gentle smile, and thought with relief, **_**'Ahhh, there—I've found her weakness.'**_

**Bella then laughed. **

'_**Well, that was a laugh, be it a shaky, unreliable laugh, but a laugh none the less.'**_

"**She's still too upset isn't she?" Dagda asked My Mother who nodded gravely. "Edward is going to have to make the next move then."**

"Are you alright" I asked. My voice was soft. _**'Her fear is less, but my inexcusable actions have shaken her to her core.'**_** I thought. **_**'I need to feel her heat. I need her to accept me for what I am, totally and completely.' **_**I watched myself as Dagda whispered in my ear while he carefully lifted my arm from my side and effectively placed my hand back in hers. **_**'Her soft hand still sends those same electric pulses through my arm. I can't believe I acted so foolishly.' **_**I mentally reprimanded myself.**

**Bella looked down at my hand in hers and then into my eyes. As she did so, the fear in them seemed to change. **_**'Yes, I think the storm is over now. He said he was sorry and here in his eyes I can see that he does mean it. This will be okay after all. He could have killed me just now, but he ended up protecting me instead—again. Well, I knew he was a vampire before I came here with him, and he is repentant. The least I can do is forgive him. Yes I can do that--and I do forgive him. I just can't quite find my voice yet. What was I doing before all of the craziness started? Oh yes…'**_

**She silently began retracing the hard planes of my forearm. I let out a sigh of relief. **_**'Thank the Lord; **_**(Samon nodded as though he would take care of my mental request.)**_** she's here—Bella--my existence. If I could cry, tears would be flowing down my stone face.'**_

**  
"So where were we, before I behaved so rudely?" My tone was repentant. Her facial expressions softened slightly.**

'_**His voice has the gentle cadence of an earlier century. Where were we? I have no idea.'**_** Bella looked me directly in the eyes and said, sounding more like herself, "I honestly can't remember"**

**  
"I think we were talking about why you were afraid, besides the obvious reason" I smiled but my expression was one of shame.**

**  
"Oh right" Bella responded without further comment. Then she returned to playing with my arm. **_**'If he got that upset before, how can I possibly tell him my real fears? My fears of his rejecting me, of me not being enough for him, for him leaving. If I tell him that—he probably will leave and I'd never see him again.'**_

"**Oh, he's not going anywhere, dear. He's just not used to this. He'll get the hang of it though." Mother reassured her.**

'_**She's stalling.'**_** I thought dryly. "Well?" I verbally encouraged her and my annoyance was plain to see on my face at her continued reluctance. "How easily frustrated I am" I sighed and added mentally, **_**'I will never be free of the irritation her silent mind affords me!'**_

**Bella looked up into my eyes with a new understanding. **_**'Wait, this is new to him too. Is he feeling all the hesitation that I am? Is he afraid to show his vulnerability as well? I can't even imagine how long he's been alive. How many experiences he has had? But somehow, has this one eluded him…until now? Is this hard for him too? I'm thinking maybe so…'**_** Bella took a deep breath and said, "I was afraid because, for, well, obvious reasons, I can't stay with you, and I'm afraid that I'd like to stay with you, much more than I should." She looked down**_**. 'This is a lot harder to say than I thought it would be.'**_

'_**Oh, why does she avert her eyes like that? Is it to not allow me to see the depth of her truth?'  
**_**  
"Yes, that is something to be afraid of, indeed--wanting to be with me. That's really not in your best interest" I said in agreement. My mental voice was busy making more decisions. **_**'I know I can't leave her. She needs to know the truth about how I feel before this afternoon ends. Leaving is no longer an option for me now; I'm bound by the chains of my love for her.'**_** Bella frowned as I spoke. "I should have left a long time ago. I should leave now. But I don't know if I can." My voice sounded sad. **_**'She needs to hear this—all of this; I have nothing left to hide from her; I'll be an open book for her to read at her leisure.'**_****

"I don't want you to leave" she mumbled. _**'Oh, very good, tell him that and let him see how pathetic I am with my hopeless addiction to him.'  
**_**  
**_**'Oh, what pain and joy her sudden plea causes me.'**_** I inhaled deeply **_**'I'm going to get more than use to the burn of her floral scent; I'm going to start relishing the burn.'**_** When I spoke again my tone held a slight reprimand in it. "Which is exactly why I should, but don't worry. I'm essentially a selfish creature. I crave your company too much to do what I should"**

"I'm glad" A tiny smile played on the edge of her lips. '_**Oh no, did I say that out loud?'**_****

"Don't be!" My voice was harsher than it should have been. _**'After my performance earlier, you'd think she'd understand the deep danger she was still in just by being around me. The monster is gone, but I'm not about to delude myself into thinking I can control my need for her blood. Her blood will always tempt me.'**_

'_**Oh, I DID say it out loud and now I'm going to pay for it. See, he already took his hand away again! And his tone is harsher—still the most beautiful voice in the world. I've made him angry. He says he wants to know what I'm thinking but when I slip and tell him too much it only makes him upset with me. His sudden mood swings are always leaving me dazed and a step behind. It's almost like emotional whiplash.'  
**_

"**Explain it to her now Edward," This from Llasa. "She needs to know and understand everything--Now!"**

**  
"It's not only your company that I crave! Never forget that. Never forget I am more dangerous to you than I am to anyone else" My voice rang out with my self-loathing. **_**'I haven't taken a human's life in more than 70 years, and Bella is sitting here willingly giving herself to me--giving me her trust and her faith in my abilities.'  
**_**  
"I don't think I understand exactly what you mean—by that last part anyway" A small crease formed between her eyebrows. **_**'No I don't get that at all…He's more dangerous to me than any other human? He's been around humans for a long time…he's already saved my life more than once. So what does he mean by that?'**_****

"How do I explain, and without frightening you again? Hmm" I watched as I very carefully, with slow, controlled movements, put my frigid hand into the cradle of hers. She took hold of it tightly in both of her own. _**'The heat from her body shoots straight up my arm, sending waves of pleasure through my entire being.**_**'**

**Bella's mental chatter picked up right as mine ended. **_**'He's letting me hold his hand again. Maybe this time, if I hold it as tight as I can with both of my hands he won't be so fast to pull it away next time I slip up. Plus it feels so incredible holding his hand. It feels even nicer holding it in both of my hands. It sends electric currents up both of my arms.'**_****

"That's amazingly pleasant, the warmth." She watched me patiently as I assembled my explanation. I took a deep breath_**, 'Good! It's working. I taste her essence in the air, and I welcome the white-hot pain it causes. I'm savoring the flavor of her. Now, how do I begin to explain how our kind reacts to human blood? Is it even 'humanly' possible for her to ever truly comprehend the depth of longing we vegetarian vampires war with on a daily, and sometimes hourly, basis?'  
**_**  
"You know how everyone enjoys different flavors? Some people love chocolate ice cream, others prefer strawberry?" She nodded, looking for all the world, like a good and attentive student. "Sorry about the food analogy—I couldn't think of another way to explain" We smiled at each other.**

**Chandra looked at my Mother in disbelief, shaking her head. "Please tell me he isn't going to explain this to Bella using a food analogy. After his little performance, it would be quite insensitive."**

**Mother sighed back and added, "You're right, the stupidity of his example is unconscionable. He's already frightened Bella enough for one day." **

**  
"You see, every person smells different, has a different essence. If you locked an alcoholic in a room full of stale beer, he'd gladly drink it. But he could resist, if he wished to, if he were a recovering alcoholic. Now let's say you placed in that room a glass of hundred-year-old brandy, the rarest, finest cognac—and filled the room with it's warm aroma—how do you think he would fare then?"  
**

'_**So he's saying he's like an alcoholic and I'm a rare vintage? Maybe there's a vampires' equivalent to AA where he could get some help from? Or maybe there's not.' **_

**  
We sat very still as she regarded me, and my analogy. **_**'She needs to understand the depths of my longing for her blood. And I still keep trying to probe her mind, all the while knowing it's futile, but feeling helpless against my obsessive need to extract her thoughts. I wish my father, with his limitless wisdom, was here to help me explain. He would need no more than one-tenth of a second to intricately fashion together an explanation that Bella would both understand and accept.'**_****

"Maybe that's not the right comparison. Maybe it would be too easy to turn down the brandy. Perhaps I should have made our alcoholic a heroin addict instead?"I said shifting tactics. My mental commentary continued the analysis. _**'Yes, I remember a documentary I had watched just last fall came to mind. It told the tale of a black-tar heroin addict. If anyone could understand the vampire need for blood, it would be this poor soul who had lost everything in her life to purchase another high.'**_

**Bella's thoughts were trying desperately to come to terms with this new revelation and find her way to forgive me at the same time.**_** 'He's trying his best to explain this to me and it's clearly very difficult for him to do so. I think I do understand what he's trying to say…sort of anyway. So how can I answer him without causing him more pain or making him upset again? He might take his hand away again if I make him angry. I think I can allude to this heroin addiction without making him mad.'**_** She debated her next statement internally.**_**  
**_**  
"So what you're saying is, I'm your brand of heroin?" Her beautiful, answering smile warmed my frozen heart as much in this replay as it did the first time.**

'_**I don't deserve her.'**_** I mentally observed. **

"**Of course you do," Chandra answered my thought from the visual, "We just have to keep you a healthy vampire addict." She added with a wide grin.**

**Then I added with a smile, "Yes, you are exactly my brand of heroin."  
******

**The scene played on as I explained about Emmett and Jasper's struggles with thirst and how she was my only real temptation with such an overpowering scent. When she asked if I was looking for permission I felt once again the daggers that felt as though they were stabbing viciously at my heart. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised by Bella's thoughts after her accusation.**

'_**Oh, that was harsh. I didn't intend for that to come out sounding quite so sharp. I need to be kinder to Edward. I can only guess at what his honesty is costing him.'**_** And then aloud she further stated, 'I mean, is there no hope then?' But her internal struggle was as shaky as my own with her next thought. **_**'Wow, how calmly can I sit here and discuss my own death?' **_

**Then of course there was the history lesson, chronicling every encounter I'd had with her previously while processing them with the new information to her of how difficult they were for me because of her maddening essence. Which eventually led me to where we were at that moment in the meadow—our meadow.**

**I watched myself from the visual as I searched her eyes. They were more than a movie on a screen. They held my acceptance I had so longed for. They held the promise of a love I hadn't dared to dream would ever be mine to have. They held in them the beginning of hope for what would become the most beautiful and significant relationship I had ever and would ever experience in my unfathomable existence. **

**My own past thoughts pulled me out of my current ones**_**. 'I don't see any signs of fear or remorse at her decision to be with me, here, only a deep curiosity to understand my dilemma. Fascinating.'**_** I mentally mused before continuing in speech. "And for all that, I'd have fared better if I had exposed us all at that first moment, than if now, here—with no witnesses and nothing to stop me—I were to hurt you." The pain was almost palpable; even now for all of us in Chandra's home room.**

**  
"Why?" She asked.**

"Isabella." _**'I wish I had Carlisle's wisdom right now.'**_** I caressed her soft, thick hair. **_**'Her smell is inviting me and I welcome it with open arms because it's proof of her humanness, and I desperately need her to be human, alive. I will prove Alice wrong in this one thing.'  
**_**  
"Bella, I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you. You don't know how it's tortured me. The thought of you, still, white, cold. To never see you blush scarlet again. To never see that flash of intuition in your eyes when you see through my pretenses--it would be unendurable. You are the most important thing to me now; the most important thing to me ever."  
**_**  
'There, I've laid all my cards on the table,**_**' I'd thought as I remembered the fear that bombarded me.' My confident mental clarity shifted to more of a state of panic**_**. 'What would I do if she were to change the way she feels? I have laid out the whole of my thoughts for her to judge…and now, when she renders the verdict, I have to accept my sentence, even if it means she no longer wants me in her life, finally understanding the danger I pose to her.'**_

"**Okay," Chandra said from the visual in satisfaction. "Now we're finally getting somewhere."**

'_**Whoa, I wasn't expecting that. It just came out of nowhere. One minute we're talking about the ever cheerful topic of my impending demise and now suddenly he's declaring his feelings for me.' **_**Bella thought in pleasant surprise.**_** 'I guess…that would make it my turn. He didn't say he loved me though, what can I say that would be putting my feelings out there without sounding too obsessed? He might still get angry if I tell him just how much I care for him. I'd better go with obvious.'**_**"You already know how I feel, of course. I'm here…which, roughly translated, means I would rather die than stay away from you. I'm an idiot."**

"You are an idiot!" I agreed with her. We laughed together, an easy, carefree laugh, _**'Yes! My heart almost feels like it's thudding in my chest. I'm just so overjoyed at the sound of her words. I've wanted more than anything to be with her and to have this confirmation of her love for me—somehow seems as though it is sending new waves of love and devotion through my body. She is changing me so completely, so totally. I owe her a never ending debt of gratitude for handing me the keys to my self-inflicted prison of hate and loneliness.' **_**Then I added for her benefit smiling, "And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…" **

'_**Wait, did Edward just say he loved me? It was pretty close. He might have well have said it. Somehow, this god-like creature loves me. I can't believe my luck. Well, clearly he'd be the lion I this scenario, which would make me…' **_**Bella then concluded aloud, "What a stupid lamb"**

"What a sick, masochistic lion." I stared through the trees_**, 'Her future as a human will be my driving force in keeping her alive. I can almost see Alice's vision waver and change at my strengthening resolve. My decision to keep Bella human is now cemented into my dead heart. I will never doom her to this life of mine. I'll love her; protect her, watch over her all the days of her long human life. She will always be safe in my presence, safe from me.'**_

**Dagda, who was sitting close by us with the others, said to them, "What do you think? Is he ready for some physical interaction?"**

**Mother said a little worriedly, "Maybe we shouldn't chance it just yet."**

**To which Samon said, "I don't know, he is in pretty good control of himself right now and we don't have much time for him to get used to having physical contact with Isabella. I think we may need to 'push the envelope' a little bit here."**

**Llasa agreed with Samon and Dagda, "His thirst is under wraps for now. And while I understand your hesitancy Elizabeth, I do tend to agree with my brothers. The sooner Edward is used to Isabella, the easier this whole experience will be for him."**

"**I'm torn," Chandra said. "So much is invested in this relationship that I want to go slow like Elizabeth, but my brothers are right. We don't have a lot of time here to go slowly and I can tell you since I've been keeping tabs on Edward's emotional state, that right now he is very calm and peaceful so there probably won't be a better time to try this out. So Dagda, lead the way here." She gestured to her husband as if she were giving him the spotlight. He just grinned at her. I imagined him pulling an arrow out of a quiver and notching it. **

"**Now for the good stuff!" Emmett said enthusiastic as though he was watching an exciting picture show instead of my life which was none of his business.**

**Bella's thoughts drew me back to the visual.**_** 'I wonder what he's thinking about now. Well, I'd better clarify things a bit, I can't have him running around ripping up the forest every day because I inadvertently upset him.' **_**"Why?" She asked and then stopped. **

**  
"Yes?" I waited.**

**  
"Tell me why you ran from me before."**

**  
My face in the visual faded and I responded. "You know why" **

"**Here we go," Dagda said with a grin.**

"**No, I mean, exactly what did I do wrong?" Bella clarified, "I'll have to be on my guard, you see, so I better start learning what I shouldn't do. This, for example, seems to be all right." I watched as she stroked my hand with her feather-light touch. Dagda somehow strengthened it without lifting a finger.**

'_**Every time she touches me it just keeps right on sending pulses of electricity up my arm, blossoming from there into a slow warmth throughout every fiber of my being.**_**' A smile spread across my face as I regarded my angel.**

"You didn't do anything wrong, Bella. It was my fault."

**  
**_**'No, I did do something, because everything was fine and then next thing I knew he was playing keep away.'**_** Her physical voice picked up right where her mental voice left off. "But I want to help, if I can, to not make this harder for you."**

_**'Her selflessness and courage is so deeply touching. She's so very brave; attempting to make me feel at ease, and yet still fearful of angering me, of tempting me. She doesn't quite grasp all the ways she tempts me. Her blood is but one of many things I crave.'**_** My astonishment was evident in my thoughts.**

**  
"Well, it was just how close you were. Most humans instinctively shy away from us, are repelled by our alienness. I wasn't expecting you to come so close; and the smell of your throat." By my expression that shifted as my last words were uttered, it was clear that I'd instantly regretted my words. Bella's expression also shifted at my blunt remark. She was clearly taken aback at my honesty, but quickly recovered to the best of her ability.**

"**Don't be so uncouth Edward," My Mother had reprimanded softly. "You've already scared her enough for one day." She turned to Bella and added, "Don't you worry about Edward, dear. He'll behave himself now."**

"Okay, then." Bella's voice was deliberately carefree. Her thoughts told her generosity_**, 'If I speak in an off-handed manner then it will probably help fix the tension hanging around with his last remark.'**_** She tucked her chin in an attempt to hide her luscious throat from my sight. "No throat exposure." **

'_**As if a mere downturn of her chin could stop me if I were of looking for a meal. No, I was not looking for lunch—I was looking for a life!'**_** I laughed at the nonsensical gesture. **

'_**It worked! I made him laugh, on purpose.'**_** Bella thought delightedly.**

"**No, really, it was more the surprise than anything else." **_**'I want her to feel at ease with my nature, so I need to reassure her of my control.'**_** I watched in the visual as I slowly placed my stone hand on her neck. My hand tingled again at the memory of the warmth and pulsing of my Bella's once fragile, human neck. **_**'This warmth is almost unbearable. I can hear the sloshing of the blood in her jugular, the strong, and slightly frenzied beating of her heart; I can feel the papery thin barrier of her soft, easily torn, skin.'  
**_

**Bella's mental chatter picked up as soon as mine ended. **_**'I know the chill of his touch should be warning me of danger—a warning telling me to be terrified. But there is no feeling of fear in me. But when he's touching me so tenderly like this, there are other feelings. What is that exactly? It's warm somehow, like a kindling, and an anticipation'**_

"**You see? Perfectly fine." As I spoke Bella blushed from the visual. **_**'It's bearable but her blush is still a staggering blow to my self-control. Her eyes betray her thoughts. They tell of an unspoken longing I'm beginning to recognize all too well in my century on this earth. Her heart rate is escalating and the accompanying smell twists in my abdomen.'**_

'_**Oh no, my blood is racing and with his hand right there it's got to make everything more difficult for him.' **_**Bella mentally moaned.**_** 'I wish I could slow it down a little. I can feel the thudding of my pulse in my veins. I'll just bet he can hear it too. Of course he can feel it too and knowing that isn't helping me get it under control.'**__**  
**_**  
"The blush on your cheeks is lovely" **_**The pain I feel from that blush is actually helping me clarify my thoughts, bring them back into focus.'**_** I grazed her cheek, **_**'it's intense, feeling the intoxicating heat from her blush.'**_

**Dagda then leaned forward and spoke up to my side. "Careful—carefully, Edward, think of soap bubbles."**

**Samon reassured him. "He's got it Dagda. He is well focused for the moment."**

**I watched as I cradled her fragile face in my iron grip. **_**'It takes a mere fifteen pounds per square inch of pressure to crush a human skull so I must keep my hands under absolute control.' **_**I stared into the depth of her eyes, seeking the thoughts they held hostage from me. '**_**What am I going to do about this desperate need to kiss her soft, succulent lips? Honestly, it's distracting me from the cloying smell of her pulsating blood.'  
**_

**Dagda and Llasa, unknowingly to me, answered my thoughts in unison by advising me, "No, don't kiss her yet!"**

**  
"Be very still." I said softly to Bella.**

'_**That won't be very hard. I'm already frozen!' **_**Bella's thoughts were shaky.**__

"**Uh, question," Emmett asked as if wanting to clarify a point made by a professor in a lecture. He looked around wondering who to ask and finally settled on Bella. "When you say you were already frozen, did you mean from being terrified by my scary brother or did you mean frozen because he'd turned you into a block of ice with his cold body?" Bella rolled her eyes.**

"**I think she was cold," Jasper concluded speaking to Emmett, "Her mental voice sounded like it was shivering."**

"**I think she was scared." Jacob said. Nessie nodded her head in agreement. Both Emmett and Jasper waited for his brilliant analysis. "Well, Edward didn't turn her into a block of ice until after Nessie was born." He said by way of explanation. This time I rolled my eyes as the rest of the room laughed. **

**Emmett punched Jacob's shoulder, "Good one!"**

**Chandra eyed the three of them speculatively and then said very quietly, "That was cold, Jacob." It was all the funnier because Chandra's delivery was so dead pan.**

My mental musings disrupted the laughter in the room._** 'The base of her throat calls out to me.' **_**My eyes never left Bella's as I leaned closer and closer to her. I slowly placed my head on the base of her neck. **_**'Her heartbeats are the hypnotizing music of her lifeblood. I can imagine our future together, and it will be without the inevitable outcome of Alice's vision. The soft beats of her heart are quickened again, ever so slightly. I will immerse myself with as much of her essence as is possible without causing her harm.'**_** I watched as I slowly and deeply inhaled right next to her delicate carotid artery**_**. 'Ahhh, the pain is exquisite; a white-hot throb of yearning filling my body with the need of her.' **_

"**He's physically preparing himself to kiss her. Chandra, how is his emotional state?" Chandra gave Dagda a grin and a 'thumbs up'. "Control?" He asked looking to Samon, who also gave him a 'thumb up'. "What about his thirst then?" He added looking to Llasa. Llasa seemed to deliberate and then said. His thirst is back up with the close proximity to her throat. Better give him more time to get used to that first. Dagda nodded in acknowledgement.**

**Bella's thoughts weren't quite so controlled as mine, though she was trying. **_**'I couldn't move if I wanted to. I need to focus on something to help me calm down'**_

"**How about his hair?" Mother said to her. "It's right in front of your eyes and it's quite beautiful really. I always loved my Edward's hair." She added in a melancholy tone.**

'…_**his hair! It's right in front of me and I can see as the sun and the wind play with it. His hair isn't sparkling like the rest of him—though it is shining so lovely in the sunlight.' **_**Bella said**_**. 'It is the same golden bronze color as always, beautiful as always and the most human part of him.'**_

"**Oh, goody!" Emmett said bored. "Edward has shiny hair. Let's all go get a transplant."**

"**I want hair like Edward's" Jasper said sarcastically sighing.**

"**It looks a lot better on Renesmee." Jacob added to which the other two nodded in agreement.**

**My wife had reached her limit. "Please can you guys just leave now?" Chandra looked over at them rather pointedly as well.**

"**We'll be good." Emmett said quickly with big eyes. He was so incorrigible. **

_**There its working!' **_**Bella mentally sighed in relief**_** 'Ohh, when he slowly moves his hands down my neck and shoulders it makes my heart start racing again. I've never felt this way before. What is he doing to my insides? It almost feels like my insides are knocking loose.'**_

**All four of the immortals knew my next move even before I did. Llasa said, "If he can put his head right at her heart and stay in control, then I believe his thirst should be 'tamed' enough with his mental image of a cage for the kiss." Chandra and Samon agreed somewhat nervously. My Mother looked on in anxiety. **

**Dagda looked at them and grinned. He seemed to actually be enjoying himself. He took his job as cupid very seriously. "Good then; let's get ready for scene two."**

"**Finally, some action," Emmett said very quietly but enthusiastically to Jasper.**

**I watched in the visual as I laid my head to rest on the center of my need, her heart itself.**

"**That's it?" Emmett said somewhat louder, his voice full of incredulity. I've seen Edward do stuff like this with Bella hundreds of times before she changed."**

**Chandra gave him a withering look. "Well, perhaps it would have more meaning to you if you were feeling the thirst that Edward was fighting at that moment." She twisted her hand and Emmett from across the room immediately went into a hunting crouch, teeth bared and let out a bone chilling growl. The problem was, he had no one to sink his fangs into. Renesmee was the closest thing to sweet human blood and Jacob had already pulled her behind him in a defensive stance. Chandra laughed lightly and Emmett straightened up.**

"**That wasn't funny." Emmett said defensively.**

**This made everyone laugh as Emmett shook his head. He looked over at my image in the visual, that had been paused with my head resting on Bella's chest. Then he looked over at me and had an impressed look on his face. "I've got to hand it to you bro, that was really impressive. And you were right when you told me Bella's scent was MUCH worse for you than the times I …ummm…slipped up. You're the man." He sat back down still shaking his head.**

**The visual started back up with Bella's thoughts about my new head placement, **_**'My heart is hammering so hard and fast and his ear is right next to it. My life could end so fast that I might not even notice. But Edward is holding me. He's touching me and I feel so alive. It's so different than anything I ever imagined. I wonder why I'm not afraid anymore. I was afraid earlier and he's a lot closer now than he was then. But I…I can't even seem to make myself afraid now; because he's touching me and his cold touch is starting a fire inside of me. It feels like there's a race battling inside me between my hammering pulse and this intense fire. It's as though his touch, cold though it is, drives my need for him out of control.' **_**Bella's thoughts were high on emotion.**

**Dagda turned to Chandra and asked sweetly, "Exactly how high did you increase her hormone levels too, dear?" She smiled back sheepishly to him and he smiled in response shaking his head. Samon and Llasa both laughed.**

_** 'The heart is a curious muscle.' **_**My mental musings were leaning more towards the poetic**_**, 'It pumps out its life giving blood without pause for decades. It holds the secrets of one's sorrows, one's joys, one's regrets. A long forgotten bit of poetry by Cummings sprang to mind,**_

I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart). 

_**I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done  
by only me is your doing, my darling)  
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)  
I want no world (for beautiful, you are my world, my true)  
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant  
and whatever a sun will always sing is you'  
**_**  
"Ah**_**" **_**I'd sighed as I'd remembered her heart finally slowing it's frantic pace**_**. 'Our fates are forever intertwined. Her heart is now the center of my personal universe. No sound will ever be as beautiful to me as the beating of her heart. The most intricate of concertos pale in comparison. I will never be the cause of its stopping, no matter what the future holds for us. I love her more deeply now than ever before. She has no need to ever fear me again.'**_**  
**

**Emmett sighed dramatically, "Edward you really need to get out more. You are pitifully embarrassing."**

**Chandra turned to Rosalie in sympathy. "He must be a nightmare at romantic movies."**

**Rose grinned back at her and said, "A nightmare at romance period." That shut him up.  
**

**In the video I pulled away from her and my eyes were peaceful. "It won't be so hard again," I said**_**. 'I'm filled with a peace that passes understanding, filling my consciousness. I am free.'**_

_**  
**_**"Was that very hard for you?"**

**  
"Not nearly as bad as I imagined it would be. And you?"**

"**No, it wasn't bad…for me" **

'_**She's attempting to be funny, and I love her all the more for it.**_**' "You know what I mean."**

"Here, do you feel how warm it is?" I pressed her fragile, hot hand to my slightly warmer cheek. From the visual I once again saw as intensity filled her eyes and her breath caught in her throat. 

'_**Oh, I'm touching Edward's face; his perfect face. And it is almost warm, his usually icy skin but it's hard to concentrate on that because I'm touching Edward's face--something I've dreamed about constantly since the first day I saw him.' **_**We didn't have long to wait before she spoke her request. "Don't move"**

I watched as I instantly obeyed and became a statue. Her silky soft hands moved over my face with the utmost of care. 

'_**No one can be still like Edward. It's like he's a carving under my hand.'**_

"**Move very slowly Bella; no unexpected moves." Mother cautioned her. Bella seemed to be in harmony with her promptings.**

'_**It's indescribable, this plethora of sensations rocking through my body as she traces over my eyes, my nose, my chin. It's a completely new, and unnerving, heat that radiates thru my being, setting every nerve on fire with longing. She's so close, her sweet breath blowing warm waves of torture over me.'**_** My lips parted as her fingertips lingered on my mouth. I remember thrilling to her touch on my lips even as the burn became fiercer.**

'_**I can feel his cool breath on my fingertips. I want so much to lean in ad inhale the scent of him, but I'd better not chance it.' **_**Bella had thought.**

"**That's a good idea dear, after all that's what triggered his bad response last time." My Mother said in agreement.**

"**Actually," Dagda mused. "Now would be a great time for her to get a little closer. Next time, encourage her to go closer instead." Mother nodded.**

**  
**_**'Why did she remove her hands from my face? The warmth of them still leaves their trail on my skin.'**_** I opened my eyes, looking for, and found the same yearning in hers. **_**'I crave to stroke every inch of her soft body, to kiss her lips, her neck. To caress her with a lover's touch. The passion I feel is almost as unbearable as my desire for her blood.'  
**_

**Bella sat back and regarded me with anticipation.**_** 'His eyes are hungry. Not in a way to make me fear, but in a way that tightens my muscles in the pit of my stomach and…wow, here goes my pulse again. The look in his eyes actually makes my blood start hammering in my veins again. Just his look arouses that heat inside me again.'**_

**  
"I wish…I wish you could feel the complexity…the confusion I feel; that you could understand."**

**  
"Tell me" She was as breathless as I felt.**

"I don't think I can. I've told you, on the one hand, the hunger—the thirst—that, deplorable creature that I am, I feel for you. And I think you can understand that, to an extent. Though as you are not addicted to any illegal substances, you probably can't empathize completely."

"But, there are other hungers. Hungers I don't even understand, that are foreign to me." My fingers found their way to her lips. I stroked them tenderly. _**'I wonder what they would feel like on my stone mouth.'**_****

"I may understand that better than you think." _**'I'm starting to understand that better than even I ever thought I would.'**_

**  
"I'm not used to feeling so human. Is it always like this?" I asked her in the visual as my thoughts continued with an answer of my own. **_**'No, my dim human memories is of little help when it comes to matters of the heart.'  
**_**  
**_**'How in the world would I know? I've never had a boyfriend before, let alone fall in love with a mythological creature.'**_** Bella thought as she shook her head slowly. "For me? No, never; never before this." I remembered pausing to consider her words. **

**I took in a ragged breath closed my eyes and thought **_**'This situation is new, in more ways than one, for both of us. When I hold her hands like this, carefully so as to not to break them--the wanting I feel is so fresh, so powerful that I don't know how to react to it. I want to be with her, to love her as only a human can, but it would be impossible. When I concentrate on her scent, I can revel in the burn, but I can not to ignore this newer scorching need.' **_**From the visual I regarded the girl in front of me.**__**"I don't know how to be close to you. I don't know if I can."**

"**Don't worry Son, you'll figure it out." Mother comforted me from the meadow scene. **

**I must have at least caught the tenor of her thoughts as mine took on a more hopeful outlook. **_**'She has so much faith in me--in us. It gives me hope for the future--our future. For the first time in decades, I'm actually looking forward to the days ahead. Oh, how I long to be human!'**_** The tone of my thoughts turned bitter, **_**'Agggh, how I curse the monstrosity that I am.'**_

"**Here we go, Bella is ready now so, just let her go Elizabeth." Dagda said in an understanding way to Mother.**

**Bella leaned slowly and carefully towards me. Her eyes never left mine. She leaned her head against my chest. I remembered how she had soothed my fractured soul with that simple act.**

'_**I can feel his hard stone chest, hear his breathing and feel the rise of his chest but no heartbeat. But this is my home now and my heart can beat for both of us.'**_** Bella thought peacefully and then added aloud, "This is enough"  
**

**I was startled as Dagda took my arms and wrapped them around Bella in that moment. The action had felt so natural that day in the meadow I had thought it was instinct. I watched as I breathed in the pure aroma of her hair.  
**

'_**With his arms around me, it really feels like I belong here. I don't ever want to leave.' **_**Bella's beautiful thoughts flowed into her verbal ones. "You're better at this than you give yourself credit for."  
**

"**I have my human instincts—they may be buried deep, but they're there." **_**'Thanks to you, they're resurfacing. I feel more human right now than I did when I was human.'  
**_**  
We sat together, entwined, as the sunlight faded ever so slowly. I had tempted fate that day with Bella, and I had won**_**. 'This afternoon has been beyond belief but the sun is fading and the night will be here soon. I'm going to have to take her home. But, would that I could, stay here with her forever and lack for nothing. The thought of taking her home and separating herself from me is painful to even contemplate.'  
**_

**Bella's thoughts were happy and peaceful as well.**_** 'I don't want this to end. I don't even know how long he's been holding me, only that it isn't enough. It feels so wonderful to be loved, to belong and to be wanted. The feeling is indescribable. How in the world did I ever get so lucky? Oh drats, the sun is starting to fade. Edward said he loved twilight, but right now it's the reason I have to go home and leave Edward's arms.'**_** Bella sighed.  
**

"**You have to go," I said softly.**

**  
"I thought you couldn't read my mind." Bella said without moving.**

"**Well, it's a good idea for you to get home. You haven't had a scrap to eat all day long except for one highly unhealthy pop tart." My Mother said to Bella with humor in her voice.**

**Chandra started laughing in the meadow as she read my thoughts that day. "Oh, Edward's just found a solution to Bella's need for haste! She'll be back to her truck in no time."**

**Samon shook his head. "He's really going to run her back? Well, he's in control enough for that."**

"**Plus," Dagda picked up the conversation, "It will give him time to think through his next move."**

**Mother looked worried. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Bella might have low blood sugar from not eating for so long."**

"**Oh, if you're worried about that then all the more reason to get her home quickly." Llasa assured her.**

**  
"It's getting clearer." I'd teased Bella, knowing she was smiling**_**. 'Oh have I've got a fantastic idea. Bella will love it because she won't have to hike at all back to her truck. She's seen the bad and dangerous side of loving a vampire, why not the good side as well!'**_** I took her by her shoulders and pulled her away from me enough to look into her eyes.  
**

'_**Oh, look at how his eyes are sparkling with excitement. Something's up.'**_** Bella thought with evident curiosity.**

**  
"I hope you all are right." My Mother said with some trepidation as she eyed the four siblings.**

"**Can I show you something?" I asked enthusiastically. **_**'This is going to be fantastic!'**_

**She gave me a wary look,**_** 'Why do I get a bad feeling about this; like this might not be such a good idea.' **_**Her expression did nothing to squash my excitement. "Show me what?"**

**  
"I'll show you how I travel in the forest." **

'_**I don't like this bad feeling but I'm also dying to see this. And I don't want to dampen his mood when he's so excited anyways. How would he travel in the forest?'**_** Another look of wariness came over her face, battling against the curiosity simmering underneath. **

"**Don't worry, you'll be very safe, and we'll get to your truck much faster." Her heat skipped a beat in time with my smile.**

'_**Ahh, there's that smile of his that is so irresistible to me. It practically stops my heart by itself. How can I possible object when he pulls that out?'**_

'_**I can't wait to run with her. She's going to be so excited. It will be thrilling to share this experience with her; feeling her supple body clamp tightly to mine as we speed by blurry trees.'  
**_**  
"Will you turn into a bat?" She asked warily.  
I laughed at the utter absurdity. "Like I haven't heard that one before!" **_**'The merriment I feel is like a spring rain; it washes away all the uneasiness this monumental day had held for me. I'm a new creation because of her.'  
**_

'_**That's an incredible laugh and it's louder than I've ever heard him use. And not his usual quiet, muted voice, but that laugh fills the entire meadow.'**_** Bella then added dryly, "Right, I'm sure you get that all the time.'**

"Come on, little coward, climb on my back." My mental tone was light with affection. _**'Her hesitation only endears her to me all the more.'**_

'_**Wait, you're kidding right? Climb on his back? Well, he got the coward part right at least.'**_** Bella thought in minor discomfort. **_**'There's that bad feeling again.'**_

**In one swift movement she was pressed against my back, holding on for dear life.**

'_**Oh, he apparently did mean it and it apparently doesn't matter anymore that he can't read my mind because my pulse is giving me away every time he touches me. He's clamping my arms and legs around him so tightly it would have strangled a normal person. It feels like I'm clinging to a stone. If I were to try rappelling, this is how it would end up. I would be clinging to a cliff face for dear life. Uh oh, there's that bad feeling again.'**_** Bella's voice betrayed nothing of her inner turmoil. "I'm a bit heavier than your average backpack" She warned me.**

**  
"Hah!"I snorted. **_**'She weighs little more than a feather.'**_

'_**I can almost hear his eyes roll there. I've never seen him in such high spirits.'**_** Bella thought to calm herself. **_**'Oh, what's he doing?'**_** She thought, almost losing her hold on 'calm'.**

**I watched as from the visual, I swiftly grabbed her hand and breathed deeply. **_**'I need the flame of her scent in my throat; enjoying the suffering it causes, so I can re-acclimate myself to her floral effusion.'  
**_**"Easier all the time." **

**And off we went. We were a blur in the visual. Of course, there were five blurs that kept pace with my every stride.**

**Bella's mental chatter pretty much said it all.**_** 'AAAAGGGGGHHHHH! We're going to die!!! Well I'm going to at least. Okay now I'm scared. SSLLLOOOWWW DDOOOWWWNN EEDDDWWWAARRRDD! PPPLLLEEAAASSSEEEE!' **_**Bella thoughts were as stilted as though she was actually trying to speak them out loud at such a high velocity.**_** 'He's like a bullet shooting through the air. Bullets usually involve explosions. He's streaking through the forest like some sort of ghost. I might still become one here. There's no sound that his feet are even touching the ground--and mine might not ever again either. His breathing is even and indicating no extra effort. On the other hand I need to breath and I can't get any oxygen in my lungs. The trees are blurring by us at deadly speed and missing us by mere inches. That's just great; I'm probably going to get 'treed-to-death'. My heart is beating so shallow and quick; it probably looks more like its flat-lined. My eyes are wide open and I can't shut them to save my life. Plus they burn so bad. Hopefully a bug doesn't get impaled on them. That would be attractive. Thank goodness my mouth is shut. This velocity has the wind whipping my face and it burns. OOOHHH, this is why they don't have 'roll-down' windows in airplanes. I'm testing that theory now because I feel like I'm stupidly sticking my head out the window of an airplane in flight. At least on airplanes they have doggy bags--and now I know why. Well, today is the day for a lot of firsts for me, so why shouldn't motion-sickness be right up there on the list. OOOHHHH HHHEEEELLLPPP!'**_**  
**

"**Wow Edward, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet!" Emmett roared.**

"**She's practically swooning there." Jasper added.**

"**I wonder if this is why Bella never liked to be taken for a ride." Jacob mused.**

**  
**_** My **_**mental thoughts were happy and completely clueless my poor Bella's 'train wreck' on my back**_**. 'Running is as natural to me as drinking blood, and that's good because it's giving me time to think about the beautiful girl slung around me. The feel of her at my back is incredible; the crush of her feminine form, the heavy thud of her heart behind them, the slight sway of her hips as I moved noiselessly through the forest. Her lips were so soft to my touch; I wonder how they would taste. I've seen enough kisses in the last hundred years in movies. I remember the scenes of intense passion played over and over across the screen. But I have never before kissed a human, not even before my transformation when I was one myself. I think I'm going to try this out. I think I'm ready—and I'm so excited just thinking of the prospect of experiencing this passion, of kissing Bella's full mouth. The fire in my core is reigniting and growing more fervent.**__**I can't wait to engage in my next temptation: My First Kiss!'  
**_**  
In the visual we reached the edge of the forest. The look on my face reflected my excitement. The look on Bella's face was anything but. She was completely frozen with a look of sheer terror on her face. Her eyes were wide and shocked. She looked as though she had been frozen in place while facing her pending demise. **

**  
"Exhilarating, isn't it?" Her labored breathing was my only answer. "Bella?"**

"**That's what I was afraid of." Mother said sadly shaking her head. She turned to me and added, "You need to be much, much more careful with her son. Think of her as a china doll."**

**Llasa came to her side and regarded Bella still plastered on my back. "Oh, give him a break. Bella's tougher than that. She runs with vampires now."**

'_**Oh, am I still alive? I'm not sure but the wind has stopped. I think I need to get down. Too bad I can't. That run may have severed the nerves connecting my brain to the rest of my body. Well, I wanted to stay with Edward forever. I just got my wish because I may be living right here from now on.'**_** Bella then spoke. It came out in a gasp, like she had forgotten how to breathe. "I think I need to lie down."**

**  
"Oh, sorry," I watched as her frail body clung to me. **_**'Ummm, why isn't she getting down? Her voice sounded kind of tired maybe? If only I could read her mind, I could know what she needs. I'll try again, just in case." **_**I paused briefly**_**. 'No, not going to work—no surprise there.'  
**_**  
**_**'The problem is how to lie down from here? I may need to be scraped off his back first.' **_**"I think I need help" She was shaking and her breathing was uncertain. **

'_**Oh, now I understand. She hasn't climbed down because she is suffering from motion sickness.'**_** I chuckled quietly to myself as I unlatched her from me. **_**'I rather like the feel of her in my arms. I could hold her for a century, and never tire. She's no albatross, she's my salvation**_**.'  
**

'_**Well, he seems to have no problem unloosening my stranglehold on his neck with his iron strength. He's holding me like a baby. Well, this is preferable to the piggy-back experience.'**_** In the visual I placed her on the springy ferns.**

**  
"How do you feel?"**

**  
**_**'It's hard to tell with my head spinning so crazily.'**_** "Dizzy, I think."**

**  
"Put your head between your knees." She did as much and breathed quite slowly. **_**'Even the sound of her breathing is mesmerizing me with its evenness.'**_** I remembered myself counting off the seconds in between each intake of oxygen she took and also how acutely aware I was of the incandescent heat of her body, and also of how close I was to her. **_**'She's more fragile than a crystal champagne flute, and I'll need to handle her with proverbial kid gloves.'  
**_

'_**That seems to have helped but I still have a hollow ringing sound in my ears. Hopefully it's just a test of the emergency broadcast system and not an actual emergency.'**_** Bella thought. Well at least her sarcasm hadn't been affected from lack of oxygen.**

**  
I watched as I sat down beside her. "I guess that wasn't the best idea." I mused.**

_**  
'He's so excited; I don't want to sound like a baby. I can be more positive than that.'**_** When Bella spoke aloud her voice was weak. "No, it was very interesting."**

**  
"Hah! You're white as a ghost—no, you're white as me!"**

**  
"I think I should have closed my eyes."**

**  
"Remember that next time."**

**  
"Next time!" She groaned. **_**'Please tell me you're joking. Maybe I need to get some goggles and an oxygen mask if there's going to be a next time…along with a football helmet and shoulder pads.'  
**_**  
I was laughing again. **_**'I haven't laughed this much in a century. Perhaps, I'd forgotten how to laugh, really laugh, with my whole body. It feels as though I'm a floating leaf, with a gentle breeze blowing me this way and that. Carefree and unencumbered by the thing I have become. For right now--just this moment--I feel as though I'm not a vampire. I'm a man in love with the most beautiful girl ever born to this earth.'**_

"**Okay, it's time," Dagda said, looking at the other supernaturals as though they were huddled in a football formation. "This is what we've been waiting for all day. So how's everyone doing on their checks?"**

"**His thirst is almost non-existent right now." Llasa said in satisfaction.**

"**His control has actually gotten stronger in the last two hours." Samon said in assent.**

"**Oh, he's more than emotionally ready for this." Chandra added with a grin.**

"**Good," Dagda said, "because it's now or never."**_**  
**_**  
With inhuman speed, I was in front of her, my eyes locked onto the pale lids of hers. I remembered how the need to kiss her in that moment had superseded all other logical thoughts or arguments.**

"Open your eyes, Bella." Her sputtering heart had caused me to smile as she drew in a deep breath. I looked into the profound depth of her eyes, _**'I need to devise my plan, determine, every intricate move.'  
**_

'_**Oh, his face is right in front of me; so close now. His beauty is stunning my mind—an excess I can't get accustomed to. Maybe I never will. Why would I want to?'**_

**  
"I was thinking, while I was running…"**

**  
"About not hitting the trees, I hope." Bella answered tartly. **_**'I can't believe how dizzy I feel. Maybe it's because I can't seem to catch my breath.'**_

**  
"Silly Bella. Running is second nature to me, it's not something I have to think about." My rebuttal was competent.**

**  
**_**'Obviously second nature for you; not so second nature for me. Maybe I'll be okay after I somehow make it home and get a good night's sleep; maybe one of those cold compresses over my forehead..'**_** She muttered, "Show off"**

**  
I smiled at her attempts at nonchalance, "No. I was thinking there was something I wanted to try."**

I placed one frigid hand on either side of her face. I inhaled deeply and slowly, _**'Yes, I can celebrate the sensation of this horrible fire as it burns a pathway of pain down my throat.'**_** In the visual I watched as I very deliberately, and with excruciatingly slow movements, titled my head slightly to the right, leaning a millimeter closer to her. Our eyes locked in a motionless dance.**

**Llasa and Samon seemed to be in deep concentration as they monitored my thirst and control levels. Dagda and Chandra were equally tensed. My Mother was at Bella's side her face a mask of apprehension as she gauged my expression. It was a much tenser scene in this play back then I remember it being when it was just the two of us.**

'_**I can't breathe. He is going to kiss me. Edward Cullen is actually going to kiss me! My first kiss!! He's hesitating and I know why. It isn't the normal hesitation a man might show to see how he would be received or prolong the moment. No, Edward's hesitation is to test himself; to see if this is safe and that he is still in control of his need. I hope he is. I want this for me; no I NEED this for me.'**_****

'_**The sound of her hammering heart is calling to me. The river of her blood, flowing faster in accordance with her heart rate, is going to make it agonizingly difficult to enjoy this moment, our first kiss. But I will lock down my entire body in steel bands of iron will. Her fragile skin, so soft and warm in my hands, is alarming with its fever. Holding her face is fracturing my concentration and I can almost trace the light blue veins visible under her translucent skin. It's time.'**_** I leaned in slowly and softly and I touched my cold lips to the delicate warmth of hers.**

**The four immortals were tensed around me as if they were prepared it haul me off Bella if I'd lost my focus.**

I remembered a multitude of emotions played out in that mere 4.76 seconds, the total length of time our lips touched. My mental chatter explained exactly how it felt for me to everyone present_**. 'Ahhh. There's an electric pulse rocking straight through my core, with aftershocks radiating out to my limbs. The heat from her lips burns worse than the fire in my throat; it seems as though the blood they contain is boiling.' **_** I was distinctly aware of her body and relived the feeling of her delicate form clutched to mine. My mental dialogue displayed the battle warring inside me. **_**'The sensation plays havoc with the other fire, the human fire, which is now eating its way through my useless stomach. I need to find a focus. Okay, the light breeze blowing her hair softly, a single strand is tickling the outside of my wrist. Good! I need the distraction to re-strengthen the steel bands of my self control.'**_**  
**

**The supernatural beings were still focusing all their attention on me and my responses to this first real test of my complete mastery of my control.**

**Bella's thoughts revealed her own struggles.**_** 'Edward's cold smooth lips are somehow igniting a fire in me; a fire that races out from my lips through my head, my neck, my arms and straight down my legs to my toes. It's leaving me trembling in its wake. My blood feels like it's boiling under my skin and burning in my lips where they touch his. It's like the touch of his skin on mine but a thousand times stronger. **_**(Gasp)**_** Oh, there's my breath I was trying to catch—and with it his heady scent seems to overpower me. Oh, that scent of his is going to drive me crazy. It's like sun-heated honey melting. Melting over my fear and awakening in me a need for more. His fragrance is a thousand times more intense this close. I crave more of it. It's so sweet--it's intoxicating. I can even taste it on my tongue. Can I get even closer to it? It feels like the tingling sensation from his touch has just intensified to a torrent of pure pleasure. Mixed with his delicious aroma it's awakened a passion inside of me I never knew was there. How exactly did my hands get in his hair? I don't remember putting them there, but I like it because it gets me closer to his essence--and closer to him. This intensity is unnerving. It feels like it will consume me right here.'**_

"**Dang, that's kind of intense." Emmett said with a nervous chuckle.**

"**Yep," Nessie agreed, "My Mom is a good kisser."**

"**Yeah, I know." Jacob answered her absentmindedly. I stared at him incredulously, as did Bella along with Alice and Rosalie, but he was so caught up in the **_**tension**_** of the situation playing out on the visual that he was oblivious to his blunder. **

"**What?" Renesmee asked him in confusion.**

**Still stressed out by the tension of the danger of Bella & my first kiss, Jacob replied obliviously and stressed out, "In a minute Nessie!" Jasper was stressed into silence on Jacob's other side.**

**  
As the visual had played, in keeping with her thoughts, Bella's actions also showed, converse to my strict control, had no desire to remain so herself. I watched as her body arched towards me. She sucked in a loud gasp. Her hands found my hair, pulling and tangling together in the heat of passion. Her mouth parted, ever so slightly, and my lips responded in kind. I remembered the faintest trace of saliva that had been on her lips had rammed my self-constructed iron cage, and tore open the bars. **_**'Her sweet taste is pure, unadulterated agony! She tastes as glorious as she smells, and the last shreds of my control lay in a tangled heap at my feet. Venom is flooding my mouth, wanting to be released into the wet, hot blood that runs thru her neck, a mere 5.432 inches away from my teeth.'**_

"**There's venom pooling in his mouth now." Llasa said like a surgeon asking for suction**

_**  
**_**Only one thought stopped me; in the fraction of a second that I had lost control, Alice's vision resurrected itself. **_**'NO! I will not be the Edward that Alice saw with bright, crimson eyes and Bella's dead, lifeless body in my arms. That will be a picture I will forever carry with me, no matter how many centuries I exist.'**_

"**Be strong Edward," Samon instructed me. It was almost a command as he willed me into compliance.**

"**You can do this. Edward. You're NOT thirsty. You can do this." Llasa echoed Samon's resolve.**

'_**Something has changed. He's turned to unresponsive stone beneath my lips. I may have just gotten a little too caught up in the moment.'**_

**I pushed her away from me, slowly, deliberately. I remembered to be careful not to dislocate her shoulders. My breath came shallow and rapid. **_**'I don't need the air--only the distraction of the sound. Bella's eyes tell the story of her desire, my own passion is temporarily palling in comparison to the thought of her blood in my mouth.'**_

"**Who's keeping an eye out on Bella?" Dagda asked in strained tone. It was clear that the four immortals were using all of their concentration to keep me focused. **

**They looked at each other and then at Mother, who responded in unison with Bella, "Oops."**

**  
"That's an understatement." I heard myself say in the visual while Dagda, Llasa and Samon nodded their heads in agreement.**

**Chandra sighed and then got an impish grin on her face. "Well that went pretty well all things considering." The rest of the perfected beings all relaxed at her assessment.  
** ***

[A/N: Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Nonymouse123 (AMBER)!!!!!!!! Your story really was a significant addition to allowing us to 'get inside of Edward's head'. I will post the link to her wonderful Fan Fiction story on my profile page.

If you haven't had a chance to read it yet…I would like to force you too…okay…well highly admonish you too…You won't be sorry :)


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine  
Approved

Bella's POV

"**Well, I think we can allow Edward and Bella to have a little privacy for their first evening together." Chandra announced. Well that was a relief. Still I would have enjoyed reliving the meadow scene without the benefit of the Three Stooges. I'd expected that kind of behavior from Emmett and Jacob---but Jasper too. Not to mention my poor baby girl who was looking at Jacob in a strange way. He was still reacting to the stress of my 'first kiss' scene with Edward and didn't even realize the hole he had just dug for himself. Well fine, after all the crude remarks he had made in the last hour it served him right! I did remember his questions to me about my relationship with Edward, back in Charlie's kitchen three years, four months and six days ago, which thanks to my wonderful gift from Chandra of having my memories restored, were crystal clear. First he'd asked me what it was like having a vampire for a boyfriend. I'd told him it was the best. He'd wanted to know if the idea creeped me out, to which I responded, 'Never'. Then he'd asked—while wrinkling his nose, 'Well, I was wondering, do you…y'know, kiss him?' I had laughed, rolled my eyes and answered simply, 'Yes.' Then he'd wanted to know if I was worried about his fangs, and I'd told him to shut up because he knew Edward didn't have fangs. His last words echoed in my head, 'Close enough.' I had looked at Jacob's face as he was still deep in thought over the last scene that had played out in vivid high-definition color for everyone to see--thank you very much Chandra! I wondered if he was wondering about fangs being 'close enough' on a vampire kiss. I hoped so. Maybe it would give him reason to pause if he ever tries to get the upper hand with my baby girl--my half-vampire baby girl.**

**Chandra sighed and looked at me with a little smile. I noticed my husband motion for me and I gave Elizabeth a small hug and then found my way into Edward's lap and made myself comfortable. He was still tucked under his Mother's other arm. Edward's arms encircled me and I heard his musical soft voice whisper, "I love you Bella." I turned my face up at him and was once again caught off guard by the beauty of his smile, his eyes, and his lips that found mine. Somehow, after viewing our first kiss, this one seemed to take on the same intensity I felt during the first one. Only this time it was without Edward having to be restrained by four half-gods from the effects of my 'super-hormone' charged human reaction. It was an instant torrent of pure pleasure…and what were we talking about? Once again I'd gotten caught up in the moment. Kissing Edward was still one of my most favorite pastimes. Yes, Emmett did get around to clearing his throat. It was a little annoying. What was with him anyway? Did he feel he was like our own personal chaperone or something? No…he just didn't like being upstaged. **

**I pulled back and looked deep into Edward's liquid topaz eyes and answered, "I love you too." Then I grinned and looked around at everyone, then back to him and added, "That's why we're here." **

**He chuckled too at the memory remarks from our wedding day. My Mother-In-Law, Past Guardian Angel, Edward's Mother, Elizabeth sighed in contentment. Wow, now that I knew her, I wondered what she would want me to call her. Not that I'd have many opportunities to address her anyways.**

**As if reading my mind she leaned closer and answered me, "I would love for you to think of me as 'Mother', if you're comfortable with that. I've been a part of your life since you were born and with Nessie here, I always will be, just not visible."**

**Wow, she'd read my mind. I did feel like she was a second mother to me too. Well a third mother, Esme was already my second mother. I nodded my head and she patted my cheek. Her face, so like Edward's and Renesmee's looked at me with so much tenderness and love I felt as though I had known her my whole life also. I had an epiphany just then--I loved Edward's mother. That realization almost startled me. I felt as though somehow I had always loved her. Because I knew Edward and his strength of character— I knew hers as well. I felt my silent heart had grown in that instant; enlarged to include this beautiful woman who had been by my side in my happiest moments and in my darkest hours. **

**Chandra also took that as her cue to proceed. I started to get up but Edward held me tightly, refusing to let me go. That suited me just fine! I leaned in closer for a quick follow-up kiss just for a hold over until later.**

"**Well, as you now know," Chandra started. "We had worked very hard to get Edward selected and approved to become the father of 'The Hope of the World' and we also worked very hard to get Bella selected and to get Edward and Bella to the point in their relationship we all just witnessed. Of course, there were many things we left out but something still had to happen before things could proceed much further. And that something was, we still had to get Bella approved."**

**That surprised me. Did I miss something? "You mean I wasn't approved yet and you allowed me to fall in love with Edward--who was approved already?" Chandra just nodded her head-, her eyes sparkling. She was getting more into her story than Jacob did with his 'scary stories'. "How exactly did I get approved then?" I asked before I'd even realized I had spoken. I didn't remember getting a letter or being given a 'test' or anything of that nature.**

"**Well, we had to do everything in exactly the correct order," Chandra explained. "We needed Edward to be your protector and already in love with you for your test to work. And you needed to already be in love with him and loyal to him; which you were. So my brothers and I set up your test, playing to your strengths."**

"**My strengths?" I asked dubiously.**

"**Yes," Chandra clarified. "Your strengths; It would take someone with an incredible ability to be self-sacrificing to become the mother of 'The Hope of the World'. Just the pregnancy alone demanded it. A lesser woman would have gotten rid of it." She added as though this deduction were obvious. "Also the more self-sacrificing you were before your conversion, the stronger your shield would be after you became a vampire. This would be important to keep our Renesmee safe after her birth. So, as I was saying, we set out to 'devise' your test. We knew James, Victoria and Laurent were scheduled to be in Forks the following week. We also knew they were fated to meet up with you in the woods behind your home. You would have had Edward with you and that was good, but three against one wasn't such good odds. We knew we could make sure Alice saw the vision in time to help, but none of the resulting scenarios was conducive for our test, so we switched the playing field. We had Llasa create a massive storm system to provide our backdrop with thunder crashing all over the place. He really loved that storm." She added smiling to herself before continuing, "And he worked the acoustics associated with the storm so the sounds of the ball game would reach the ears of the three nomadic vampires--thus alerting them to 'the game'. We thought it would be better that way--away from town and with all the Cullens on hand to assist."**

"**You set Bella up for James, Victoria and Laurent?" Edward asked in shock. His arm tightened around me. It's was good thing I had rock-hard abs now. Otherwise that last move would've about cut me in half.**

"**Of course we did Edward." She said with a sigh. "There are no accidents! Remember that. Now we were gauging how much self-sacrificing Bella would be required to endure for her selection to be approved. Just to show visually for everyone how we were measuring her performance, I will show a little meter here." Chandra gestured to the wall where my first kiss had just been displayed for everyone and thankfully, this time there was nothing but a tiny measuring device in the upper left hand corner of the wall. It almost looked like a rather large thermometer. There was a blue line at the bottom and three-fourths the way up the tube was a line that said 'Approval' with a big yellow line going across the glass tube. Chandra looked at her meter in satisfaction and then continued, "We had our parents on a constant--oh I guess 'feed' or 'up-link' might be some good analogies. Let's just say they were actively watching the entire sequence of events in real-time. This way they could gauge Bella's self-sacrificing and send it through immediately when there had been enough for her approval to be assured. We knew the sooner we got that approval and the sooner it came back to us, the better."**

**I felt my eyebrows knit themselves together as I contemplated what she was saying. "You set up James attacking me in the ballet studio all to get me approved?" I had asked in disbelief. Edward nodded his head in agreement.**

**Chandra shook her head. "No, we set up the conditions for the scenario to get you approved. We never intended for you to actually go to the ballet studio." She said in a shocked tone.**

"**But you said there are no accidents." Edward said in a hoarse whisper.**

"**No, but there is choice and free will," Chandra answered him back. "Let me tell the story and I think it will become clearer."**

**Edward and I both nodded our heads and she continued. "We planned the storm and knew Emmett would insist on playing after Alice saw the dynamics of Llasa's weather patterns. Of course, we also let her see the three nomads so you, Edward, would feel the need to keep Bella with you protected whenever they showed up. Then the nomads came to the clearing and the test began."**

**It was a little unnerving to have relived this stress filled chapter of my life with this new knowledge it was somehow all a set up to see if I would—unbeknownst to me—pass a test to become the mother of 'The Hope of the World'. Then again, I don't think knowing would have made it any easier. No, it probably would have just made me so self-conscious I would have really messed it up. **

"**We were testing your reactions to the stimuli against your self-sacrificing nature and your ability to keep those you loved out of harm's way. First there was the scene right in the jeep. There you were with Edward, Alice and Emmett, and while they were trying to take you safely away from Forks, you wanted to go back because you were worried about how bad it would look for their family if you disappeared and they were gone too." **

"**That was a nice start, but nowhere near the level of self-sacrifice required for our test." I was surprised to look over at the meter and see the glass chamber had filled in with a tiny amount of blue liquid. "Then you found out your scent would lead the Nomads right to Charlie. Well here was something we could work with. In fact, we needed to because Charlie wasn't destined to die yet and there are no accidents. So we watched as you came up with your own plan for keeping Charlie safe. It was a workable plan and would require you going against your nature of kindness to reach the larger objective of keeping him protected from harm. Plus your motivation for your actions was your love for your father. We were basically putting you into a 'no win' situation to test your responses. You did beautifully and we knew Rosalie and Esme would be successful in keeping him safe as the test continued. You hurt yourself and him to keep him alive and that went over big with my parents." **

**I noticed the chamber on the meter was now filled a little more than the half-way mark. "Unfortunately, we knew by itself, it would not be enough to earn your approval. So it wasn't sent through yet. We knew the Cullen's could have successfully taken care of the vampires in the clearing the day of the baseball game but the costs would have been high and Bella, you would not have been able to have completed your test. This plan you came up with yourself was much better for our purposes."**

"**Now you also told Edward, Alice and Emmett you should go alone; again because you didn't want them to get hurt." She turned to me and had an amused smirk on her face. The meter mark raised a fraction more. **

"**Silly Bella!" She gently chided me, to a smattering of chuckles in the room. "So finally it was decided you would go south to Phoenix some 1600 miles away with Jasper and Alice as protection--two vampires whom I might add, you had pretty much just met, (the meter raised another fraction of an inch) and the whole while you were worried about your father. You were also worried about Edward, Carlisle and Emmett while they hunted James. You were worried about Esme and Rosalie; Rosalie who wouldn't even change clothes with you." She gave Rosalie a stern look. Poor Rose. "Worried about whether they were safe with Victoria stalking them. You were worried about putting Alice and Jasper out. You didn't worry about your own safety at all. You wanted to have everyone protected but yourself. All of these things added up but it still wasn't enough." I noticed the meter had filled up to almost two-thirds of the way with the blue liquid.**

"**You sent James to Phoenix?" Edward asked again. I knew his tone and recognized the subtle hint of anger in it. He needed to calm down a bit. I didn't want him getting upset with Chandra again. "No, James was a traditional vampire--definitely in the 'creatures of darkness' category. He wouldn't have listened to us if we had tried to influence him. Going to Phoenix was all his own idea. We watched as the scene played out though and we made sure Alice had the clues she needed as soon as he and Victoria made their plans so you could all be ready. James went to Phoenix and straight to Bella's home there; where he was watching family videos when Bella left a message on the home phone's answering machine and his plan was formed. We knew Alice and Jasper were strong enough to restrain Bella in the end, and she would only need to **_**try **_**to get away from them in an attempt to sacrifice herself to save her mother's life. She only had to attempt to go through with her escape. This, coupled with the other acts of self-sacrifice, would have been enough for her approval."**

**Chandra shook her head with an incredulous look on her face. "Bella, you are too determined and inventive for your own good. Do you know that?" Everyone in the room laughed quietly. Well, everyone but me of course. She turned to everyone in the room and continued her narrative. "After getting the phone call Bella followed through with showing her intentions to comply by writing Edward a farewell letter. Little did she know or understand that while her mother was not in any real danger at all, Edward was already making his 'contingency plans' in case he was too late to save her." Gee, I guessed she had a point there. It had never occurred to me at the time Edward would try to get himself killed if I were dead. Of course, now I knew better. I looked up at my meter and the tube was now filled with blue liquid to just under the approval line. "As we watched at the airport and started to realize what her plans were, Llasa decided to send some strong head winds to push the plane along faster still. Unfortunately, the airport was quick to post the fact the flight was coming in early and Bella made her move prematurely. She was so close to the approval line we were sure if she were to attempt to get away, the report would be enough to send through. So we were actually excited when she took off down the corridor with Jasper in tow looking for a specific 'Women's' restroom she knew had two exits." **

**Chandra shook her head with another look of exaggerated disbelief. "Of course, as we all know she was successful and got clear down to the concourse before Jasper even became suspicious. Alice was busy searching for visions of James to see if she could get a clearer picture of what he was doing that would lead Bella to the Ballet Studio, but she only saw him there waiting." I noticed my meter was now at the 'Approval' line.**

"**We fully expected Jasper to catch up with Miss Bella there on the concourse, but he was slowed by his need to remain inconspicuous, and here is where Bella made a choice. That choice was to jump on the shuttle to the hotel. She was more than determined to sacrifice herself to save her Mother no matter what it took. Just that feat—of alluding a set of determined vampire –took you over the top." I looked at my meter and it was now well past the 'Approval' line.**

"**Bella, you were already at the hotel in the back seat of the cab by the time Jasper had lost your scent and called Alice with the bad news. She immediately texted Edward to apprise him of the situation; his cell phone was of course turned off for the flight." She sighed and shook her head again. "Then you gave the cab driver all of your money to take you to your doom." She then glanced at the meter and it was now even higher past the 'Approval' line. We tried to get through to you to tell you to stop. Elizabeth about went hoarse trying to reason with you, but you were to determined and busy trying to calm yourself with thoughts of Edward and how wonderful it would have been to have actually seen him there at the airport, to listen!"**

"**We got another little surprise then, when your approval came back down the 'chain of command'. You were approved--and you were going to get yourself killed." Chandra's voice took on a pained quality as she relived the nightmare in the making from her own perspective. "Samon and Dagda searched all of the cars driving around the airport looking for the fastest car that could fit everyone in it. The finally settled on a ****Ford Mustang Giugiaro with a ****Supercharged 4.3 liter V8 engine inside—knowing Jasper would have to follow in the Mercedes. Then they 'suggested' to the driver he needed to go to the airport. The owner, Daryl Altman, simply drove right up to the front and left the keys in the ignition with the motor running and walked right into the airport while the Cullens all piled out and into his waiting car. Poor Mr. Altman walked around the airport in a daze for two and a half hours before he even realized he had no reason to be there. Then my brothers made sure every cop along the way between the airport and the ballet studio was 'otherwise occupied'. Oh, by the way, Daryl Altman did get his car back safe and sound. If the stakes had not been so high, they would have never condoned such action, let alone instigate them."**

"**Meanwhile, Miss Swan had already stopped by her house and was running as fast as her legs would carry her to the ballet studio. Llasa made the sun pound down on her in a futile effort to slow her down but on she went. I tripped her three times, but on she went." She nodded towards the meter that was now twice as high as it needed to be to be for 'Approval'. "By the time Bella arrived at the ballet studio, the Cullens were still a good seven minutes away, even going over one hundred and twenty miles an hour weaving in and out of the Phoenix highway traffic."**

"**Of course, we knew of James' love for theatrics and we were counting on it to drag out his diabolical plan and give the Cullens the time they needed to arrive. Of course, he didn't disappoint. What we had not anticipated was the presence of more 'dark beings' and also the arrival of 'observers' that had come to check on our newly approved mother of the 'Hope of the World'." **

**Chandra actually shivered as she set the stage for the next scene. By the time Bella discovered she had been deceived and her mother was not even there, James had started his gloat. Showing the video camera he had taken from her home to leave his own little visual letter for Edward. The Cullens were still five minutes away. Dagda had fixed all the traffic signals giving them green all the way to the ballet studio. We'll start our visual here at the point where James had just explained to Bella about Alice and how he knew her. Of course we will include all thoughts as well as spoken words. If you look closely, you can probably see more than just the outlines of the dark beings because, unlike when some were around Edward that first day in Biology—where Edward was fighting his nature, James was listening to them exclusively. You might also make out some of the features of our 'observers' in the background if you look very hard."**

**Well, this should be creepy for me. To see the day I came face to face with James—Again. It didn't go so good for me that day. Then again, it went a lot better for me than it did for James. I felt Edward's face bury in my hair before he rested his chin on my shoulder from behind me. He had not relaxed his grip on me yet. Poor Edward, I knew as hard as this would be for me to relive this moment, it would be pure torture for him. I turned my face to his and kissed his cheek. He turned his face to mine and his eyes were tight; his lips were pressed into a thin line. He kissed me anyway--one quick hard kiss.**

"**It's okay Edward. Just look at all the people who were there helping us that we didn't even know about!" I said to reassure him. He nodded once and a small smile found its reluctant way to his face. Then he turned his head to the front, leaving it resting on my shoulder. **

**The room darkened slightly and the 'movie wall' began playing my last 'dance recital'. Immediately the Ballet studio filled the wall. I was surprised the 'approval' meter was still up in the left corner and it was now filled beyond the 'approval' line one and a half times. It had actually grown to contain the extra liquid. I saw James first of course, right next to me holding the wretched camcorder; already filming his idea of a sick joke. He was surrounded by three 'dark beings'. They were the creepiest things I had ever seen. They had a humanoid appearance but it was as though no light existed to give their features shape. As though all light was absorbed and lost in their being. The only thing I could make out was their eyes which shown yellow with a moldy green iris. Their deep scarlet-red tongues only appeared when they spoke. I felt a shudder go through my body as I contemplated how close to them I was on the screen.**

"**Oh my…" Emmett said. He actually sounded scared too. "That is the freaking scariest things I've ever seen." Apparently no one else had the ability to speak but their disbelieving nods said it all.**

**I also noticed the three 'observers' Chandra had mentioned standing in the back of the ballet studio, by one of the mirrored walls. The observers, mostly invisible, seemed much as they had that first day in biology. I did notice they also had a humanoid shape and there appeared to be a thin ray of light surrounding their outlines; kind of like an aura. When they moved I could just make out facial features, which appeared to be very fair to look at but also disappeared as soon as I caught a glimpse of them. Chandra was also there as well as Edward's Mother, Dagda and Llasa. I guessed Samon had chosen to stay with Edward and the rest of his family to help speed them along.**

**James spoke as one from the dead to me once again. It was eerie to relive. I'd always been good at blocking painful memories and this one was one of the most painful ones I'd successfully locked behind a steel vault in my mind. Well, the vault was open now. **

"**No," He'd said as he held my frightened face in his one hand and the camera in the other. "I don't understand." **_**'…what the attraction is here. What is it about you that makes your Edward want to risk himself, his family and exposing the rest of us. Well, it's a mystery--tantalizing but…' **_**He picked up speaking now, "Well, I suppose we should get on with it. And then I can call your friends and tell them where to find you, and my little message." He dropped his hand from my face. **_**'This is going to be my best work yet. Maybe I'll make a copy of this little action flick for Charlie to enjoy over and over again. Hahaha'**_

**The three dark beings danced around us. The sounds emanating from them were as unnerving as their appearance. It sounded like a strange mixture of a swarm of bees, a shaking maraca, and the crackle of static from an unused radio frequency. The sounds were eerie as they whispered out their black mouths, showing the flicker of their deep red tongues. It made the room sound as though it were home to rattlesnakes.**

'_**Ohhh, this is bad. No, this is worse than bad. This is the end—and not the quick end I was expecting.'**_** My mental thoughts were in a panic. **_**'He isn't going to just feed and leave. No, he's going to play with his food. I feel sick. I might pass out now. I can see it in his eyes. There is going to be pain coming…coming sooner not later--coming NOW. Oh, my knees are shaking so badly and I can't stop them. I might even fall. I'll bet he'd just likes that.'**_

"**What can we do?" Elizabeth Masen wailed in fear?**

"**Broken bones can mend." Dagda replied in a stress-filled voice. "Death cannot. We've got to prolong this for another four minutes before the Cullens arrive." Edward's mother nodded back grimly. She looked as white as a ghost, which I guess she was.**

**James stepped back. He then began circling me in a casual manner. His face was friendly and open as he decided exactly where he wanted to start. All the while the 'dark being' kept up their maniacal chattering, dancing around—reviling in the vile thoughts and actions James invoked for my imminent destruction. **

'_**Look at her shake. It's endearing in a way. How she holds herself straight in an effort to maintain a calm façade, but she is so giving herself away with the way her entire body trembled from head to toe. Oh, this is going to be a masterpiece. Maybe I should zoom in on her eyes. Oh, they tell the whole of her sheet terror.'**_

'**Three minutes and fifty seconds." Dagda said in that same stress filled voice.**

'_**Great, now he's playing like I'm some museum piece to be observed.'**_** My thoughts whimpered.**

**I watched as he once again slumped forward into a hunting crouch and his pleasant smile grew into a contortion of exposed teeth.**

"**Run Bella! Run!" Edward's Mother wailed at her in terror.**

"**It won't do her any good!" Chandra said in quiet pain."**

"**But she's already been approved. Can't we do something?" Elizabeth wailed back. Chandra and Dagda both shook their head in grim unison.**

'_**Just run! Run! It won't do any good but I can't die without trying. Run!'**_** I thought from the visual and then I watched as I did just that; I ran though I knew it was a useless gesture. I ran towards the 'emergency exit'. Of course, I had barely started my third stride when he was there in front of me. Elizabeth positioned herself between us. James used his foot to kick me with a jolt that threw me with crazy force backwards and into a mirrored wall. I could see he hadn't used his full strength in that kick, or if he had perhaps somehow my wonderful guardian angel's block had been able to lesson it a fraction. It was clear by the look on James face he was definitely planning on drawing my torture out. I heard once again the sounds of breaking glass as my head was bashed into the mirror on impact. I watched as several pieces of glass broke and fell to the floor around me. Of course, in the visual, I hadn't known anyone was there to help me that March morning in Phoenix, but at that very moment, Llasa had his arm around the top of my head as three rather large shards of broken mirror spikes that would have embedded deeply into my skull, fell and glanced off my shoulders, breaking on the floor by my feet. My expression in the visual was one of shocked horror. I was stunned. I wasn't breathing as I tried to change my facial expression.**

"**Three minutes, twenty seconds and counting," Dagda said pacing the floor.**

'_**Ohhh, that was bad.' **_**My thoughts were almost too fast and high with panic.**_** 'At least I can't feel it yet. If I don't breathe maybe the pain will hold off again. Nooo, he's got that blasted camera right on my face. I can't let Edward see me like this. I can't give James this satisfaction too. Somehow, I have to be strong for Edward. There isn't anything I can do to prevent him from seeing this. My composure is the only gift I can give to him now.'**_** My thoughts turned from stunned to grim. That crazy meter was still rising in the upper left corner of the screen.**

**James moved slowly towards me. "That's a very nice effect," He said as he examined the sounds of crushing glass under his step. His voice was friendly again. **_**'This ought to really get Edward worked up! It's my best cat and mouse game ever!' **_

**The 'dark beings' gloated with him. They were as yet, unaware of the presence of their counterparts; the 'perfected beings', Chandra, Llasa and Dagda or their superiors, the three—no, now there are four 'observers'. I wondered about that. **

**James voice cut off my reverie. "I thought this room would be visually dramatic for my little film. That's why I picked this place to meet you. It's perfect, isn't it?" **_**'Of course it's perfect. You never performed a dance recital quite like this one did you now Bella? The dance of death recital!'**_

**Emmett cleared his throat. It was a growl. "That man is a vile creature of death. I want to tear him to shreds." His voice was low and menacing.**

**Jasper reminded him grimly, "We did that already."**

"**Yes," Emmett sighed, "But if I'd seen that this first, I would have torn him into even smaller pieces before burning him into oblivion."**

'_**Perfect for you, but I still have to try to escape. It's not likely to work. Oh, I'm so sorry Edward. He's just doing this to get to you. I've messed up so bad. I'm so very, very sorry…'**_** I'd trailed off in mental anguish. The meter kept crawling higher. It was now more twice as high as it needed to be.**

"**Keep trying dear," Mother said. I could call her that. She was a mother to me—Edward's mother.**

"**Three minutes and two seconds." Dagda called out, his voice tense.**

**I watched as I began crawling on my hands and knees towards the other door. The 'dark beings' snaked about the floor around me; their hissing, chittering hum, a menacing backdrop for the replay. James was over me at once. The wretched camcorder getting every painful move I made. **

**James mental voice was high on a diabolical pitch, **_**'We need more screaming here…more terror. This movie is getting painfully monotonous.' **_** I watched as he lifted his foot and smashed it down hard on my leg. There was an audible 'snap' heard throughout the room. In response I let out a blood curdling scream of pure agony. It was echoed by my Mother's scream of terror in response. I twisted up to reach for my leg. The 'dark beings' seemed somehow to grow in reaction to my tortured cry. There James stood over me, camcorder flashing green for record, with his ever-friendly smile on his face. **_**'Yes, this is more like it! Oh Edward is going to hunt me, and I am so going to enjoy ripping him into tiny little pieces.'**_

"**Get away from her!" Mother screamed at James; who acknowledged her in no way whatsoever. The 'dark beings' on the other hand reacted to her direct confrontation to their fun. They hissed at her and she shot them scathing looks of disgust. They were caught a little off-guard by her tenacity. They had apparently not met a guardian angel as determined as Elizabeth Masen to match wits with. Of course, they still didn't know of the growing number of 'perfected beings' in the room. The observers now numbered five. My meter was two and a half times that needed for approval. Why were so many observers there? Were they afraid Chandra and her brother's would cross the line and expose them? I hadn't seen them do anything compromising yet. Not that I understand what that might be, but they seemed to be following their rules of conduct.**

"**One minute and fifty five seconds 'til they arrive." Dagda groaned.**

"**Would you like to rethink your last request?" James asked in reference to my order Edward not do as James requested; not try to hunt him down. **_**'Or can I torture you some more to help you decide? Okay, I'm really all for that plan--happy to oblige.'**_

**Then that sadistic monster nudged my now broken leg with his toe and it was met with my second piercing cry in response. Mother knocked him as hard as she could up side his head. He actually rocked back but recovered instantly. My meter was now at three times more than needed for approval; the 'observers' in the room now numbered six. My scream still echoed throughout the sound chamber the empty studio provided.**

**My thought voice was in shock. '**_**What sound was that? Is someone else here? Oh…no…that was me screaming. It hurts so bad I think I am going to pass out now.'**_

"**Take long slow breathes Bella. Oh my poor dear Bella. You'll be okay. It will be okay. Hold on Sweetie, Edward is coming." Mother said trying to smooth my hair out of my face. There was a faint stirring around my hair. Her efforts were met by a counter attack of the 'dark beings', who snapped at her back. She brushed them off as a mere annoyance.**

"**So," Emmett asked in confusion. "Are these 'dark beings really wimpy after all?"**

**Chandra shook her head at him. "No, they can actually be quite strong--as strong as us. And they gain power around negative energy; like that present in the ballet studio. But they were up against some very strong moral individuals. Isabella and Elizabeth—both of whom had a tremendous amount of inner strength. Every time Bella worked to try to protect those she cared about—even if it wasn't possible to win, the powers of the 'dark beings' weakened. They were chattering and hissing to scare her into caring more about her own welfare than others. That was also partly why she was also attracting so much attention from the other end of the spectrum." Chandra pointed out the 'observers' where there were now seven present. Emmett nodded thoughtfully and the visual continued.**

"**Wouldn't you rather have Edward try to find me?" James demanded. **_**'Say 'yes' and I'll only torture you for five more minutes instead of ten. I'll let you beg me to finish you.'**_

**I could almost make out words through the hissing sounds that issued forth from the 'dark beings'. They seemed to chant 'Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes."**

"**One minute and fifteen seconds," Dagda breathed in a moan.**

"**No!" I gasped out. "No, Edward, don't…" In the visual James kicked my face with his foot sending me hurling once again into the broken mirrors. Chandra from the video looked as though she were crying. Llasa, who was still stood there at the mirror's front, snapped the wooden hand rail with his hand and it dropped to the floor a fraction of a second before the small of my back would have hit it in such a way it might have broken my spine. The 'dark beings' missed that little action. They clamored about excitedly as my fear settled in the room like an enticing aroma.**

**Everyone in Chandra's home room watched as my scalp, slashed by the mess of glass, began to bleed; the blood spreading through my hair, my shirt and even down to the wood floor. The 'dark beings' were in a frenzy; their noises now a constant thrumming throughout the room.**

"**Thirty seconds until they get here," Dagda said tersely.**

"**Thirty seconds could be too late!" Chandra wailed. "Come on Samon--sped them up somehow!"**

'_**This is ridiculous! This girl is trying my patience. How much more does she want before she begs for her death?' **_**James' thoughts were livid with rage.**

**As my blood oozed out of my injured scalp, it was easy to see James had lost his focus.**

'_**Ohhh, no I don't need this. I'm going to be sick for sure now. My stomach is twisting up and I can't see so good. Everything is getting so fuzzy. Is this it? No, he's just getting warmed up. Wait! I see his eyes. His face is changing. Yes, he was very focused before but now, all this blood…he can't draw this out much longer. Yes, his eyes are now burning with an uncontrollable need. My blood is driving him mad with thirst. Please just let it be quick now…'**_** My thoughts faded away with my consciousness. **

"**They're almost in the parking lot now!" Dagda cried out.**

**From the presentation, I heard James growl a bone chilling roar of a predator before it strikes. I watched as I raised my hand in an instinctual effort to protect myself—my last conscious thought. I passed out just as he grabbed my wrist and bit down. The 'dark beings' were all over me now--trying to claim me as one of their victims—feeding off my terror as surely as James drank from my arm. It was terrifying to watch. They were so intent on their focus they had no hope of seeing the seven observers come forward. One of them raised a hand and all three of the 'dark beings' were encompassed in brilliant light until they were completely consumed by the light. They screamed in a pain of their own as their cries were cut off and they were banished to who knows where.**

'_**Ouch, what is that terrible pain? Where did it come from? It is getting so hazy…so dark…feels like I'm floating under deep water--deep, dark water.'**_** My thoughts were growing fainter. My form lay still, still in James clutches.**

**For the first time I was able to see fully what happened as the rest of the drama unfolded. Edward was suddenly there and his ferocious roar of rage shook the windows and the closed blinds that rested therein. He had James off me in seconds and Emmett and Jasper had him in their strong arms before he could even hit the floor.**

'_**I'm suspended here.'**_** My slurred thoughts continued weakly**_**. 'What is that sound? It's so beautiful. The most beautiful sound I have ever heard. It's as uplifting as it is—ghastly. It's a different roar. It sounds like a heavenly angel--my heavenly angel. I'm dead now. I can't open my eyes. I wish I could so I could see my angel. His voice is calling me to the only heaven I'll ever want.'**_

"**Oh no, Bella, no!" Edward cried out in a panic. **_**'I can't hear her heartbeat. IS this it? Is my life over now? I can't bare it if she's gone. Oh please no—Please! Not my Bella—No! Not her! My sweet Bella. I won't even go home first. I can't face her father. No, if she's gone—straight to Volterra for me. I can't bear to live without her. Dear Lord, no…please no.'**_

**Emmett and Jasper had James subdued and began the task of tearing him to shreds. The sounds of shredding metal along with high keening sounds were heard interspersed with both Emmett's and Jasper's bass growling.**

'_**Oh no, that sounds bad. I better concentrate on the angels' voice instead.'**_** I'd thought voice was barely coherent.**

"**The chosen mother of 'The Hope of the World' has been bitten." One of the observers said to the other supernaturals present.**

"**Then is all lost?" Llasa asked him in pain. "Do we have to start over to find another?"**

"**There will be no other. Isabella's approval was not just given by us, it was sanctioned from deity. There will be none other chosen for the task. We will lend the Cullens what help we may as long as they follow the rules for moral conduct." The observer said to reassure the four siblings. They did seem to visibly relax a tiny bit.**

"**Bella, please! Bella, listen to me, please, please, Bella, please!" Edward begged**_**. 'Her heart beat is there. I hear it now. It is the faintest whisper but it is there. I can see the tiny rise of her shallow breathes. She's still here--barely. Don't leave me Bella! I just found her. Don't die Bella. I need her. Please stay…' **_**It was hard to listen to the pain laced through Edward's thoughts. No wonder even to this day he shuttered whenever he remembered the pain he endured from this moment.**

'_**Yes…Anything. Can't he hear me? I can't find my lips. I can't talk.'**_** I thought in alarm.**

"**Try harder Bella" Mother called to me.**

"**Carlisle!" Edward called his voice full of agony. "Bella, Bella, no, oh please, no, no!"**

'_**Why is the angel crying? The angel shouldn't weep.' **_**I tried to think coherently through the fog surrounding my consciousness.**_** 'No, this is all wrong. Where is he, my angel? Don't worry everything is fine. He doesn't need to cry. I can't find him and the water is so deep. It's pressing on me. I can't breathe.' **_**I mentally said in confusion.**

"**He's crying for you. Come back to him Bella, he needs you more than you know." Elizabeth cried to me.**

**In the visual, Carlisle came over with Alice and started probing me for injuries and assessing my condition. **_**'Well, she is breathing and her pulse is weak but steady. Looks like she's got at least four fractures in her skull. And that leg is twisted at a very bad angle. Looks like it's broke in at least two different locations.'**_

'_**Oh, my head hurts. Oh, more than just my head is hurting…so much pain. I have to breathe, breathe and get out of this water…'**_** My thoughts were interrupted by my own wild gasp of air.**

"**Bella!" Edward cried.**

'_**It sounds so nice when the angel calls my name like that. He is so worried about me—my angel.'**_** I thought still dazed but now there was pain in my thought voice as well.**

**Carlisle looked over at Edward and said, "She's lost some blood, but the head wound isn't deep. Watch out for her leg, it's broken."**

**Edward's fury couldn't be contained. It was a good thing James was already being ripped to shreds. Edward let out another howl of rage. '**_**How could someone desecrate this beautiful creation of a woman? My Bella should never feel pain of any kind. This must be hell. Somehow, I've brought my poor sweet Bella to hell's gate. I am a monster. But not the worst one—James was a monster of pure evil.'**_

'_**Oouuuccchhh! What is that sharp pain in my side?' **_**I puzzled out mentally. '**_**Oh, this can't be heaven, could it? I'm hurting to bad for this to be heaven.'**_

"**Some ribs, too, I think," Carlisle said probing my side. That explains the sharp pains I'd felt.**

**Emmett and Jasper were methodically tearing up the last of James in the background. They really took their work seriously. I'll bet they didn't spend this kind of attention on each of the newborns two summers ago.**

'_**Oh, what is this new pain? It's worse than the rest…much…much worse. It's a burning. No, someone is BURNING ME!'**_** My mental tone took on a scream of pain.**

"**Bella," Mother called to me, "Bella, you are going to need to let Edward know your hand is burning. This is important."**

"**Ed-ward." I said aloud weakly. **_**'Can't he make them stop? I would tell him too but I can't speak. I can't even hear myself talking.'**_

"**Yes," He said at my side. "I'm here." His thoughts sang out in relief. **_**'I'm here and she's awake and talking to me. I will never leave her again. She will never talk me into leaving her for any reason again. I'm here for good.'**_

"**It hurts," I whimpered. **_**'The burning hurts. Make them stop, please!'**_

**Samon stepped up to Elizabeth's side. "You're doing well. She's responding to you. Keep encouraging her. We don't have much time."**

**Mother nodded and then started in again. "You're almost here Bella sweetie. Try to talk again and this time mention the burning."**

**The same observer stated, "I have slowed the venom for a few more minutes. However Edward will have to act to save his mate for this to work." The rest of the immortals cast worried glances at each other as they nodded in understanding.**

"**I know, Bella, I know" Edward told me comfortingly, **_**'I will die a thousand deaths for every pain she suffers due of my carelessness. What was I thinking using my real name on the plane? I'll just bet Victoria found a way to track our tickets. I led him right to her. And now here she is broken and bleeding. If I can't protect my sweet Bella then what can I do?'**_** Then he turned to Carlisle and added in a desperate plea, "Can't you do anything?"**

"**My bag please. Hold your breath, Alice, it will help." Carlisle said calmly and professionally. **_**'I'll give her some morphine for the pain. I only hope it doesn't start working until I finish assessing her condition. Her ankle is swelling up pretty badly.'**_

"**Alice?" I groaned. **_**'Alice will you make them stop? James knew you.'**_

"**She's here," Edward told me, "She knew where to find you."**

"**My hand hurts," I tried to tell him. **_**'Make them stop Edward! Please, make them stop burning me!!!!"**_

"**I know Bella. Carlisle will give you something. It will stop." Edward said as Carlisle drew up a syringe full of morphine and injected it into my arm**_**. 'Oh please let it stop. Each pain etched across her face shoots pain directly into my core. I would gladly bear it a million times over if it would take it away from her beautiful face. The face of my angel.'**_

"**Hurry Elizabeth, tell her again!" Chandra said urgently.**

"**Bella," Mother said very sternly now. "You must tell Edward about the burning right now. DO you hear me? Right now!"**

"**My hand is burning!" I screamed. **_**'At last, I can think. I can see.'**_** My eyes fluttered open; but there was a mass of blood and matted hair in the way to see clearly. **_**'Why can't they see the fire and put it out?'**_

**The immortals took the briefest of seconds for a small sigh.**

"**Bella?" Edward's voice was frightened. **_**'Burning? No! She didn't say burning? Did she get burned? Is it from the gashes, the broken bones…or the wounds? Does it feel like a burn somehow?'**_

"**Tell him again!" Mother said.**

"**The fire! Somebody stop the fire!" I screamed. Honestly, the sound of my tortured response clawed at my ear drums from the visual. **_**'It's burning me up!'**_

**Carlisle! Her hand!" Edward wailed. He picked up my burning arm with the bite mark from the wrist and up across my palm. **_**'No, I have doomed her, my sweet Bella. I've stolen her life away from her--her sweet beautiful life. I should have stayed away and now I've destroyed her. I'm going to burn in hell...but please, not my Bella too!'**_

"**He bit her." Carlisle's voice sounded appalled now. Edward caught his breath in horror.**

**Alice's thoughts picked up full of knowledge**_**. 'This is the vision I had. Bella was a vampire. Edward, you knew this was going to happen sometime. But if you leave her like this she will be in pain for a very long time. Edward, you need to complete the venom delivery to keep her suffering to a minimum. It's the only way to help her now. You must understand this.'**_** She didn't skip a beat as she added aloud for Carlisle's benefit. "Edward, you have to do it." Alice's voice was close by my head. Alice cleared the bloody mess gently from my eyes with her fingers.**

"**No Edward," Dagda said. "You don't want that. You don't want her to change now. It's not time yet."**

"**No!" Edward bellowed. **_**'No, I can't have my Bella with red eyes; Bella staring at me with her expressionless immortal face; Bella hating me for dooming her to my half-life. I can't live with her hating me for not keeping her safe after she trusted me. There has to be another way…any other way.'**_

"**Alice," I moaned. **_**'Please can you stop the burning?'**_

**The observer said to Llasa, "Tell Carlisle it will be possible for Edward to suck the venom out by himself. Then we, my brothers and I, will work to reverse the damage inflicted by the venom so far. We will also make sure there is no residual venom in her system."**

"**Edward has thirst issues where Bella is concerned," Samon stated solemnly.**

"**I understand your hesitation. But I am authorized to intercede only if it is Edward that acts to save her." The head observer stated calmly. The room was silent for the briefest of milliseconds. **

**Then Llasa was at Carlisle's side whispering into his ear.**

"**There may be a chance," Carlisle said**_**. 'A slim one: I've never heard of such a thing working before in my existence. Why would I think of this now?'**_

"**What?" Edward begged**_**. 'I will take a slim chance. I will take any kind of a chance. I need Bella to live!'**_

"**See if you can suck the venom back out. The wound is fairly clean." Carlisle said a little more calmly. He deftly threaded a surgical needle and started stitching up my scalp while keeping a constant pressure on it.**

'_**Agggh, stop the burning. The poking and pulling on my head doesn't even hurt with the burning. And why does it matter if my head is split open after I'm a pile of ash anyway?'**_

"**Will that work?" Alice asked in a strained voice. **_**'The thirst is really making it hard for me to focus. But really will it work or will Edward kill her?' **_**She thought worriedly.**

"**I don't know," Carlisle said. "But we have to hurry."**

"**Carlisle, I…" Edward hesitated in the visual. "I don't know if I can do that." His voice was full of agony**_**. 'If I don't try, Bella is doomed to my existence--which is arguably worse than dead. If I try to do as Carlisle suggests, I will probably outright kill her before I even realized it. Either way, her life is over. Can I help her? Can I stop? Can I taste her sweet, potent blood and stop when the time comes? Can I live with myself if I can't? Can I live with myself if I don't try?'**_

"**You can do it Edward," Mother said. "And you must!"**

"**It's your decision, Edward, either way. I can't help you. I have to get this bleeding stopped here if you're going to be taking blood from her hand." Carlisle thought confidently at him, **_**'You can do this and I believe you will. You need Bella to live and you need to do what you think is right. I know you want her to remain human. It is your need to behave morally and ethically that has caused you to strike this balance. And it is noble, your desire to keep her human and happy. You have the strength Son--if that is your decision. Your love for Bella will stop you in time. I know this. You are stronger than you think.'**_

**From the visual, I writhed in pain and my thoughts matched my form twisting in agony. **_**'Agggh, the fire. Oh, great! Now I've got my leg's pain shooting through the fire too. I can't take this.'**_

"**Edward!" My eyes opened as I spoke his name desperately searching for his face. **_**'There, oh, there he is--my angel. Finally I can see his perfect face. But what? Why is his perfect face so twisted up into such a mask of indecision and pain? No, I can see something it changing for him now.'**_

"**I believe in you Son, Bella believes in you, Carlisle believes in you, your family believes in you. There are so many people who believe in you. Please—trust us and believe in yourself." Mother said with conviction.**

**From the visual, I watched Edward's face as the doubt reflected in his eyes was replaced with a blazing determination. His jaw tightened and he took hold of my arm in his strong hands, locking it in place. Then he bent his head over and fitted his own venom coated teeth over the marks left from James' handiwork.**

**Edward's mental thoughts were split into four different thought processes at once. In the first part he kept repeating my name over and over again while the second part of his brain was being pulled deeper and deeper in the intoxication and madness my blood drove him too. The third part tasted the blood for the level of venom it was extracting. And the fourth part was going over every beautiful touch we had shared in the meadow just three days earlier; every touch, every smile, every laugh. Over and over again and ending with him singing me my lullaby to sleep.**

**From the look on my face it was worse at first. My thoughts were just a huge scream. My body thrashed back and forth as both Carlisle and Alice worked to restrain me. Alice actually sat on my good leg and Carlisle had my head in a vise lock with his strong arms.**

**And then slowly, my struggles became less and finally stopped all together. **

"**Stay with us now Bella," My beautiful guardian angel mother-in-law said to me. "Everything is going to be fine. Just stay with us, dear."**

'_**Ahh, that's better.' **_**I'd thought,**_** 'The pain is getting less and less. My angel, Edward is taking it all away. The fire is dulling more and more. I can feel it get so small that it feels like a pin point. Nothing. Oh, no, the black water is here again. It's just under me and I feel like I'll fall back in the black waters. If I do, I won't have the strength to pull myself out again. I don't want to lose him in the darkness. No! I can't lose him!'**_

**When the part of Edward's brain focused on venom registered it was clean of the venom and had morphine coming through instead. The first part that had been chanting my name and the fourth part that had been reviewing our wonderful Saturday of love, took over and forced out the second part that was practically delirious from the euphoric state my blood had placed him in. Slowly he released my hand from his lips. It took every ounce of self control he had to lower his arm still holding my hand to his side. His face was tight but relieved. The tension slowly faded from his countenance.**

"**Edward?" I said in the barest of whispers. **_**'Did I say it out loud? I don't know, I can't even hear myself.'**_

"**He's right here, Bella." Carlisle said comfortingly.**

"**Stay, Edward, stay with me…" I trailed off struggling to find more strength.**

"**I will." Edward said in a voice that held a strange mixture of triumph and strain. **_**'I can't believe I did it. Bella, is alive and I saved her. My beautiful sweet Bell, is still here with me. Her blood was so much sweeter than I ever dared to dream it would be. Still, somehow, I triumphed. The beast is gone. He can't come out of his cage again. My love for her has triumphed over my natural instincts. Bella, my sweet, sweet Bella, she has saved me from myself.'**_

**I let out a contented sigh **_**'The fire is all gone now. I can feel throbbing from the other pains but I'm so sleepy it doesn't bother me so much.'**_

"**Is it all out?" Carlisle asked, looking to Edward.**

**Edward's reply was quiet and subdued. "Her blood tastes clean. I can taste the morphine." **_**'…and that luscious blood. Only now I'll remember how sweet it is in comparison to how much sweeter it is to have her in my life, by my side. Her soul is so much sweeter than even her blood.'**_

"**Bella?" Carlisle called to me.**

"**Mmmmm?" was my highly communicative response.**

"**Is the fire gone?" **

"**Yes," I sighed. "Thank you Edward."**

"**I love you." He answered. **_**'More than I ever dreamed possible. I thank her for living. Thank her for being the warm, kind, accepting and loving woman that she is. I can't live without her. She is more important than my own life.'**_

"**I know," I breathed tiredly. Edward laughed quietly. It was weak with relief.**

**Emmett and Jasper were in the background now busily tearing up the floorboards and making a big pile of wood around James assorted puzzle pieces.**

"**Bella?" Carlisle pressed.**

**In the visual I frowned with my eyes half shut. "What?" '**_**Can I please sleep now?'**_

"**Where is your Mother?"**

"**In Florida," I sighed. It was kind of funny to listen to my voice so full of outrage, so fail and weak, so slurred from the morphine as I explained. "He tricked me, Edward. He watched our videos." '**_**Oh yes, that reminds me something James said about…'**_

"**Alice." My eyes worked to free themselves from their shut tight lids. "Alice, the video—he knew you, Alice, he knew where you came from." My mental chatter began as soon as my vocal voice ended. **_**'Arrgh! This is so frustrating. I need to speak urgently to them but it comes out so feeble and slow.'**_** "I smell gasoline." '**_**It must be some weird side effect of the drugs Carlisle gave me.'**_

"**It's time to move her," Carlisle said.**

"**No, I want to sleep," I complained. '**_**I can't walk anyways…unless I sleepwalk.'**_

"**You sleep all you want. Edward's got you now." Mother said in relief.**

"**You can sleep, sweetheart, I'll carry you." Edward's voice was soothing. He put his lips close to my ear and kissed my cheek tenderly as he gently lifted me from the floor. "Sleep now, Bella." **_**'I'll watch over her from now on. Nothing will ever hurt her again. I swear that nothing or no one will ever do anything like this to her again. I love her so much; my sweet, precious Bella.'**_

'_**His voice is so soft, just like a lullaby. When he holds me in his arms like this I know I'll be safe no matter what. I'm floating away and all the pain is gone.'**_** My thoughts were just a faint whisper at the end.**

**The visual showed Carlisle picking up his supplies. Jasper lit a fire to the floorboards and we all started to leave. Chandra stopped the visual right as we were exiting the building. The vampires all sparkled, but no one was in the alley to notice. **

"**I wanted you to see something here Edward. We thought it was rather interesting. Do you remember Alice's vision of the duel-futures?" She looked at Edward who nodded.**

"**Yes, in one Bella was a vampire and in one she was dead in my arms with my eyes ruby from drinking her blood." Edward said soberly.**

"**That's right," Chandra agreed. "Look very closely here at yourself as you exited the back of the studio." We all looked and Edward gasped. The rest of us did as well a second after Edward's. There he was in the visual, carrying my seemingly lifeless body in his arms and his eyes were ruby red from drinking my blood.**

"**But they weren't red at the hotel or the hospital?" Edward said into the stunned silence.**

"**No, they weren't" Chandra said with a smile. "Watch"**

**Then the seven 'observers' came out of the building and each put a hand on top of Edward's head at the same time. So briefly it could have been missed if I wasn't paying vampire attention. Then they vanished and Edward's eyes had become the lightest burning honey butter color.**

"**How?" Was all my wonderful husband could say.**

"**They knew you would suffer enough needless guilt over what had happened to Bella that day and they feared seeing her blood like that in your eyes would make you doubt your worthiness to be her companion. So they gave you a special blessing." Chandra smiled. **

"**And Bella," She said, "Seven came to help save you. Reversing vampire venom is unheard of. It never happens. It changes the tissue it touches immediately. You had it shooting up and down your arm for a good six to seven minutes and even with the slowing put on it to keep it from entering your heart and pumping out to your entire body, it left a high concentration there in your arm. You are dearly loved for the goodness of your heart more than you will ever understand. When your approval came down, we were too busy trying to keep you from getting killed to get a proper look at it until after the crisis was over. Bella, your approval came down from the highest level with an aid and assist call attached to it. That permitted the 'observers' to gather and aid within their guidelines. And your approval came in at 100%. They did not want us to even consider anyone else. You were the only woman that would be able to fill this important and difficult job. Your approval Bella, was truly astounding. By the time you left the ballet studio, you blew the 'approval' meter off the charts. You tested off the charts. Your approval rating came in at five times the needed amount." She said proudly.**

**Why did this feel kind of like after I used my shield against the Volturi? It was embarrassing looking at my family staring at me with their impressed looks. I looked down and felt a non-existent blush somehow creep up my face. It must be from my newly-improved memories. I felt my daughter crawl up in my lap and give me a big kiss. **

"**You're special Mommy." She said smiling. Edward, who had opened his arm to let her into my lap, encircled us both in his loving embrace. He kissed me fiercely. I was too embarrassed to get carried away this time. Edward's Mother was next to join in and the next thing I knew all of my Cullen Family were surrounding me in a massive group hug.**


	30. Chapter 30

I would like to thank two wonderful and gifted Author's here at this site for allowing me to use bits of their Fan Fictions to speak for Edward's New Moon comments. I highly encourage you to read these pieces if you have not yet. (Especially in honor of 'New Moon' this year!)

**In order of their appearance:**

Erica: 'New Moon Edward Decides To Leave'

**I am using her words for Edward as he watches Bella sleep after the Birthday Party and also Carlisle and Esme's words over his decision.**

VampireGirl*aKa*Soph: 'Dark Moon…[Edward's New Moon]

**I am using her words for Edward during his departure from Bella and in some cases, recreating the scenes somewhat.**

**(I have links to both of these great fan fictions up at my profile page here at fan fiction. They are under Chapter 30: Plan B)**

Part IV: The Edward and Bella Story-New Moon Chapter Thirty  
Plan B

Edward's POV

**We had a good six hour helicopter ride from Trujillo, Peru (Chan Chan) to Lima, where our flight would take us back to the states. While still in Chan Chan, Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri had graciously offered to see our Amazon companions back safely to their villages from there. As I flew down the beautiful Peruvian coast-line, my thoughts were carried back to the wealth of information I came away with from our fateful meeting today with Chandra, my reckless angel. Reckless or not, when I looked at my beautiful Bella in her co-pilot seat, I was once again amazed beyond belief she'd chosen me and was there sitting there in the helicopter with me. I looked forward to a very long life with her. It took me a moment to realize why that sentiment felt so exceptionally 'right' to me. Then it hit me. After the things I had witnessed today, I decided 'life' IS the right word. I was done saying 'existence'. That's what I used to have--no more. With the finely crafted, Deity approved, and infinitely good woman I had by my side to share my life with, every day was an adventure. I would never-ever take her for granted. My thoughts drifted back to some of the conversation we'd had today with Chandra. Of course it was very difficult for me to relive the ballet scene, and I was shocked to see on that day, I had fulfilled the second vision of what we had thought was a dual-future for Bella—an 'either' 'or' scenario, but was in reality a 'both' vision. I can't even begin to describe the disturbing shudder than rocked through my entire being when Chandra had showed me exiting the burning Ballet Studio onto a Phoenix alleyway, into daylight, with me sparkling as brightly as in the meadow, with a lifeless Bella held in my arms and my eyes ruby red from drinking so much of her blood she'd required blood transfusions upon entering the hospital. Bella was right to always bet on Alice! And I was glad at the foresight of the 'observers' to have given me a blessing to remove that curse. I am quite sure they were accurate in their assessment that had I seen those red eyes staring back at me, I would have been too ashamed to stay with my beautiful Bella. **

**But even with assistance, I did leave her, and that was the chapter of my life I've always wanted to erase. That was the single most significant mistake I had ever made. In hind sight it was nothing more than sheer lunacy. I'd left my heart and soul in an effort to protect Bella from the monstrosity that was me and my world. I did it to save her and I very nearly killed us both instead. **

**Chandra, of course, had a very different spin on my time apart from Bella and she'd been adamant about parading it out for everyone to see. I especially hadn't wanted Jacob reliving this. I knew it was somewhat irrational, but since it was mostly through his mind and his once accusatory memories that I'd learned the most of how hard my actions had been on Bella's frame of mind and her broken heart. He'd supplied me with plenty of mental images: Bella broken on the forest floor, her first trip to La Push with two broken motorcycles in tow and how lifeless her eyes were, how frail her already thin frame had become; memories of her being flung off her motorcycle into a tree thirty feet into the air and wanting to try again with blood oozing down the side of her face. Memories of her in the meadow—our meadow with Laurent ready to spring; memories of her frantically trying to lock down the door of her truck when she'd realized Victoria was out to get her. Yes, Jacob Black and I had made our peace but there was still a part of me that soured to think of my greatest shame being put on display for him to mock at once more.**

**Chandra had just finished her visual of the ballet studio and I was relieved to see it end. Then she sat on the blue sofa and sighed sadly. "You know, we were watching your interactions with each other as well as your thoughts to see how things were progressing. It was at the hospital I realized Edward, your thoughts were becoming increasingly worried about the danger Bella was in from you directly as opposed to danger from others. I also knew we had a stalemate for Renesmee to be born. She shook her head sadly. You see Edward, ONE of the reasons Rosalie was placed in your home, was to give you a female's perspective of the human things given up after the vampire transformation. This worked very well. It was necessary for you to desire to keep Bella human so Renesmee could be born. Bella on the other hand understood she wanted to be with you forever and knew she would need to be a vampire for that to be a reality. There were two things going on in your mind that were flawed. Your intentions were noble, but your conclusions were wrong. I think you can agree now, that this is a correct assessment. The first idea you had was because Bella's life was in danger from you, you had to leave her. You were even trying to find a way to do so. The other idea you had, was you would stay with Bella for the duration of her human life in a sexless marriage and go hunt up the Volturi after she died to end your own existence. Bella, you'd even had a dream about this second idea the night before your eighteenth birthday, Bella would you mind giving Edward the highlights of that dream? You may remember she was in a foul temper that morning. Listen up—this was why." Chandra added to me before nodding to Bella to proceed.**

**Bella, still seated on my lap looked at me and smiled shyly; I loved her smiles.**

"**Well, the end result was I was standing across from my Grandma Swan and you were standing there with me and she had the same expressions as me; until I noticed the gilded frame and understood it wasn't Grandma Swan at all. It was me—a little, old woman standing beside you in all your 17 years old perfection. I was looking at my future. Of course you kind of knew about my fears anyway, it wasn't like I was silent about them." She rolled her eyes for my benefit. **

**Chandra took the story back up. "Thank you Bella. You know, as much as you've hated that scenario, I guess you can understand how most imprints of the wolves must feel eventually. They'll age, same as you did in your dream and their mates will remain young for a while; sometimes three generations of more." Chandra drifted off for a moment and then came back to the conversation at hand. "Well, we knew in either of the futures Edward was creating, we would not be able to fulfill our task of bringing Renesmee into this world. It was the same noble trait that we'd sought in the two of you that was working against us all. I told my brothers we had a problem after Bella was released from the hospital and we talked about it. I proposed a plan they were vehemently opposed to. They insisted I wait until the end of the summer to see if things changed. Of course, by then Edward, your mind was even more resolved on one of these two futures. So we met and reassessed our tactics."**

**Chandra continued addressing her remarks directly to me now, "In that meeting I laid out arguments which centered on the fact you were calling all the shots in your relationship with Bella. True, you were infinitely stronger than Bella physically, but you also held all of the power—or control—in everything that happened between the two of you. An example of this would be prom, where you didn't even try to talk her into going, you simply made her go." I had never thought about that before. I had only thought Bella was being unreasonable and knew she'd have a good time—which she did—once she'd gotten there. It never occurred to me I may have been unreasonable in insisting she have the 'human' experience of a high school dance. Nor had I considered my actions as 'forcing' her to go. But in effect that was exactly what I had done. It would have been in Bella's nature to have said she was enjoying herself just to make me happy too. The next year, when I did give her a choice, she'd turned me down. I remembered just being so—cocky, showing all the other boys I was with the girl they'd wanted. I'd forgotten Bella's feelings completely. I was suddenly ashamed of my past behavior. **

**Chandra sighed again and then added, "No need to beat yourself up about it Edward, you were still learning about relationships and how to treat a lady. So you had all the power in the relationship and Bella had none. You were driven by a need to keep Bella human and Bella was desperate to become immortal. It was kind of interesting that you had once told her you would gladly pay any price to become a human again for her, but you refused to let her make that same choice: to pay any price to become as you were for you. Of course there were the two driving futures we mentioned earlier that dictated your actions and attitudes towards Bella: that of trying to leave so she could be safe, and keeping her with you throughout her mortal life in a 'name-only' marriage. You were also still constantly fighting your thirst every time you were around her. And your family was firmly in your corner to honor your wishes regarding Bella, although privately some of them questioned your reasoning. This was because their primary loyalty was to you and also, because after the level of commitment you'd gone through in the ballet studio to keep her human, they would not dream of opposing you. All of these reasons coupled with the unspoken motto of your family, of 'preserving human life', and you had all of your ducks in a row. Essentially, you had all of the power in your relationship with Bella. You had all the cards stacked in your favor, so to speak and we needed to change the dynamics of your relationship a bit so Bella had the power for a while so we could reach our goal and ultimately make both of you happier at the same time."**

**I was stunned to realize she was right. Once again, my past actions proved how I'd thought I'd known what was best for Bella and then set about to dictate it to her. I certainly hoped I was starting to learn from those past mistakes. I remembered once telling Jacob Black I was a fast learner and I never made the same mistake twice. Well, in this one area I seemed to have made it over and over again. I was surprised to be brought out of my reverie by Chandra's hand on my shoulder. "You have learned that lesson rather well since Bella has become a vampire. You just had to learn the hard way more than once." **

**She'd patted my shoulder and returned to her place on the sofa. "So, in the end, my brothers, Elizabeth and I agreed something would have to be done, but no one liked my idea—not even myself. We talked about so many options and none of them would have worked so it was with no small amount of reservations we put my 'Plan B' into action."**

"**Plan B was to force your hand Edward." Chandra said softly. "…to stop a raging forest fire by lighting a back fire."**

"**I'm sorry Chandra but I don't understand what you are saying here." I said quietly. "Are you saying it wasn't my idea to leave?"**

"**No, it was your idea alright." Chandra said sadly, almost guiltily. "But you can stop blaming yourself for all the hurt it brought about--at least partially, anyway."**

**I just looked at her in confusion. I still didn't see what she was saying here.**

"**We knew you would leave sooner or later, and we had a time table to adhere to. Plus we knew Victoria was going to be headed back to Forks some time after Christmas. We figured four months was as long as you'd be able to stay away from Bella. We knew if we waited until something happened on its own it would be worse timing for everything."**

"**What do you mean 'if something happened on its own'? Something DID happen on its own. Bella got…"**

**Chandra cut me off and said, "No, Edward it did not happen on its own. I gave Bella the paper cut."**

**Jasper gasped at this new revelation. "You did that? Why? Don't you know how much trauma was suffered because of that? And not just Edward and Bella, we all suffered!" There was a quiet pain in his voice as he spoke and I remembered his deep nightmarish shame he'd personally endured.**

"**I know, Jasper. Believe me, I know." Chandra replied her voice no more than a whisper. When she spoke her voice held sincerity and understanding that went beyond words. There was a pause while she let her words settle a bit before she spoke again. **

"**We all know what happened that night. Well, all of the Cullens know anyway. What I would like to do is just play snippets of what transpired over the next seven months." She shook her head sadly and then looked at me almost in exasperation. "You know Edward; we didn't count on you being gone more than four months. You're as hard headed as Bella."**

"**Harder headed!" Emmett agreed.**

**Once again the wall became a 'movie gallery' and this time the scene was Bella's darkened bedroom, illuminated by the moon shining in through the window. There was my beautiful Bella asleep, curled up in my arms with her gauze-wrapped hand placed directly on top of my chest. An action I knew was to relieve pain. Would that I could have relieved the greater pain I had inflicted next. Mother was there pacing the floor with her head in her hands. Samon stood looking out the window and Chandra sat grim-faced in the rocking chair. I was awake looking at my Bella with a look of pure despair on my face. Of course, I remembered my thoughts that night and the decision I had come to. Those same thoughts now played audibly from my mind; coming out as though I'd spoken them in my own muted voice.**

'_**Human feelings aren't like ours. Once we fall in love, it's as immovable and permanent as our bodies. Humans fall in and out of love all the time. Bella will be no different. She's no more than a teenager in love. It will hurt, but she can heal and move on. I can just see her on her wedding day - with a man, a human, and her life with friends and family, part of ordinary life-- children…. **_**(I winced in the visual).**_** That hurts. Hurts more than anything – all the things I would love to give her, but can't. I'm starting to see reality. I can't give Bella the life she deserves. She deserves better. But can I still be her protector? She needs a protector. Maybe I can stay around and watch over her, make sure she is safe, watch from the sidelines. **_**(In the visual I shook my head)**_**. There's no way I can do that without being a part of her life. She wouldn't let me and I wouldn't be able to control myself. I want her too much. The only way is to leave. But can I? Can I really leave now? Her protector--I need to be her protector. Maybe I can do that by leaving. I can find my purpose–ensuring her protection by staying away, keeping her safe. And there's Victoria – she's run off, but what if she comes back? She wouldn't, but I can make sure. I can find her and ensure she never comes back. **_**(I watched as I tightened my hold on my sleeping angel, my face so deeply anguished it was almost too much to bear just watching.)**_** How can I just walk away?'**_

** I heard a small cry from Esme and remembered my parents' reaction to my decision to give Bella back her life. So did Chandra. She spoke to Bella now. "It was a shocking blow to you Bella to realize ALL the Cullens were gone without saying good bye, and I'm sure you have a pretty good idea how Alice took that." **

**There was a growl of remembrance from my favorite sister—who had warned me it wouldn't go well for Bella and had begged me to reconsider. No, beg wasn't a strong enough adjective.**

"**But," Chandra continued, "Perhaps you would like to know what Carlisle and Esme thought about his choice." The scene changed to my home. I was in the living room surrounded by my family. Everyone had grim faces--even Rosalie, though hers had been a sullenness simply over the inconvenience of moving.**

**Esme stepped forward in the visual. Her face the saddest I had seen since I had left sixty years previously to become a more traditional vampire. She looked at me with those sad eyes. "You have been so happy. And she is special. What makes you think you will be able to move on?"**

_**'Of course I wouldn't be able to move on**_**.' "This isn't about me, it is about her. She needs a chance at a normal life. Wouldn't each of us give anything to have for that opportunity? She deserves better than this." '**_**Better than me**_**.'**

"**I am not sure I agree with you, son." Carlisle said. **

**My face in the visual was shocked at his words. **_**'All your love, all your compassion for humans; can't you see, this was the only way?'**_

"**You are going to hurt her. She loves you. She has already proven that. And she is good for you--you have changed in so many ways. Do you really think you can leave her now? Do you really think this is the right choice?"**

**From the visual I gave one slow nod. Then I moved to leave, to return again to the arms of my beloved, knowing my family would begin the move in my absence.**

**Esme embraced me at the door. She put her hands on my face and looked into my eyes with such love and concern, I could barely stand it. **_**'I hardly remember my natural mother anymore.'**_** Mother patted my shoulder. **_**'Esme has been my mother for so long. She's searching for something – some note of hesitation, some sense I will change my mind.' **_

'_**Son**_**,' Esme's thought voice chimed from the visual, **_**'I**__** believe you are underestimating Bella's love for you. I believe you are making a mistake. I love you deeply and I will stand by you. But I want you to know, I believe you were meant to be together. She is a part of this family and what you are doing is tearing us apart.'**_****

My face held the same anguish I had just seen witnessed on it from Bella's old bedroom. I remembered wanting to cry. Instead I reached for her and she held me like a son, stroking the back of my head as I shook. In that moment, I remembered I'd almost changed my mind. But, as I pulled away I focused on my vision of Bella's other life, _**'Bella deserves a human life, and I know I love her enough to give her that - to give her that chance for salvation.'  
**_**  
From the visual when I was back in Bella's room, Samon said somewhat grudgingly, "Well Chandra, you know I hate to say it, but you were right after all. He didn't waste any time at all to come to this conclusion." Mother still paced Bella's bedroom floor with her head in her hands.**

**Chandra answered back to her brother, "And you know how much I hate to say 'I know I'm right' too." Her voice held the same derision.**

**The next images displayed were quick fades of Bella and I: walking silently between classes, Bella with her head on the table at lunch time; us watching sports with Charlie, my eyes glassy and staring, Bella curled into a tight ball by her father, a sick look on her face and lastly Bella outside standing in the rain, my Volvo departing as she stood, stunned and soaked, watching and waiting for nothing to come. **

**All throughout the visual ran Bella's mental, panicked thoughts. **_**'What's the worst that can happen? Okay, what's the worst I can live through? How long can this last? This is bad…this is very bad.'  
**_

"**I think we can skip the actual break up scene. I know both Edward and Bella have replayed between the two of them over five thousand times. I do think you should know something though Edward. You had always wondered how she could have believed you so quickly when you told her the lie. The lie being, you didn't want her or love her anymore after all the times you had told her you did. The problem was, neither of you ever saw yourselves clearly. Edward, you felt you were a monster and unworthy of love. Bella you thought you were a plain, boring ordinary girl and not remarkable in any way in comparison to Edward. And if that wasn't enough, BOTH of you underestimated the other's love for them. Edward, you thought because humans often fell in and out of love, it would be no different for Bella. You thought her feelings for you were nothing more than a high school crush. Bella, you thought Edward would eventually figure out there wasn't much exciting about you and get bored."**

**I'd never really thought about my relationship with Bella in quite this way. Was this why it had been so easy for her to believe me when I'd told her she was no good for me? Was it because she'd already believed it herself, and was just waiting for me to confirm it? Chandra nodded her head in acknowledgment of my thoughts and then added, "Of course, you were both so self-sacrificing; you played right into or rather right out of each other's hands. Edward you left, to sacrifice your happiness in the hopes she could find some. And Bella, you quickly allowed him his freedom when he confirmed your fear. Thus putting his request above your own, allowing him to leave before your real reactions came." Chandra paused. "Do you now understand Edward? She didn't give you up easily. Bella never gave you up; she just put what she believed to be your needs above her own. And really Edward, you already knew Bella so well, when was her reaction ever the same as 'normal' humans?" She sighed again.**

"**Well, let's just show some small cameos of what the next month was like for Bella and Edward." **

'_**Oh boy, here we go.'**_** I'd thought as the visual started again. **_**'I am not looking forward to this at all.'**_

**Jacob's taunting words came back to haunt me once more. "It's his own fault if he doesn't like what I see."**

***** **

**The first scene was the one I had seen a million times—courtesy of Jacob. It was the scene of Bella fallen and on her side curled in on herself into a tight ball with her arms wrapped around her legs. She was deep in the woods by her home; where Sam Uley found her. Only Sam wasn't there yet. Bella was there. Her eyes open but unseeing. Her hair wet and twisted—plastered to her face. Her pants and shirt caked in mud and bracken. Elizabeth was there with Samon and Chandra. No one looked pleased.**

**Bella's dazed thought voice spoke to me from the visual, **_**'Is it always so dark here? Tonight the sky is utterly black. Maybe there's just no moon tonight—a lunar eclipse--a new moon.'**_** There was a pause and then distant sounds of men calling her name. **_**'What is that noise? It sounds almost like someone is calling my name. Hmmm, yes, it is my name. Maybe I should say something. Hmmm.'**_** She fell asleep in the visual and was awoken by rainfall. **_**'That rain is sort of annoyingly cold and wet.'**_** She wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket. It smeared mud onto her face. She didn't notice or care. The rain hit her face again and she put her arm back up and left it. There were voices calling her further away**_**.**_

"**Sam's on his way," Samon said to Mother and Chandra.**

"**Hold on Bella, dear," My Mother tried to sooth her. She was kneeling by her side trying to keep some of the rain off her face. "Help is on its way. Just hold on."**

'_**There are those voices again. I can't really talk and why bother, they wouldn't hear me anyway. Could I shout loud enough?'**_** Bella thought in a haze. Then there was the sound of a large predator sniffing the ground right next to her. '**_**That's an animal. I wonder why I'm not afraid. I don't feel anything really**_**. (Pause) **_**Oh, look there's a light coming closer.' **_**Her voice was dull and lifeless. In the visual Sam Uley came into focus holding a propane lantern. **_**'Ohhh, that light is too bright. Who is that?'**_

"**Bella," He said from the visual in his deep voice. "Have you been hurt?" His mental chatter started as soon as his verbal stopped. **_**'There she is and I can smell vampire on her too. He may have bitten her, but she's not screaming in pain, so maybe not. How she could have been this close to a vampire and lived is beyond me? Even if Billy said they were an item. Well, good riddance.'**_

'_**No, not familiar. Those words should mean something but how could the meaning possibly matter at this point?'**_** Bella mental voice was a monotone.**

"**Bella, my name's Sam Uley. Charlie sent me to look for you." **_**'He must have used vampire voodoo on her. She's not coherent. Good for nothing Cullens. I knew no good would come of their return.'**_

'_**Charlie,'**_** Bella's thoughts seemed to pick up slightly and the look on her face went from dead to confused**_**. 'Charlie matters somehow. Charlie matters if nothing else does.**_

**The visual showed Sam look at her, shrug his shoulders an, pick her up swiftly, and then race towards the distant voices. All the while Bella moaned quietly over and over, "He's gone…he's gone…he's gone…" I felt a shock roll throughout my entire body as I heard the despair I had caused her. Jacob had never shown me this before.**

'_**Yes, he's gone! He's gone!'**_** Sam thought dryly but somehow giddy at the same time**_**. 'And now she can have a real life.' **_** "I've got her." Sam yelled to the men. Their voices got louder. Half the adult male population of Forks must have been there. More faces came into view. **

**Mr. Newton's face appeared tired but relieved, "Thank goodness, is she okay?" **_**'She looks off somehow?'**_

"**No, I don't think she's hurt," **_**'Thank goodness for that--we don't need another vampire around here!'**_** Sam informed him. "She just keeps saying, 'He's gone.'"**

**Charlie ran to them, his face full of relief, "Bella honey, are you all right?" **_**'Oh, thank you Lord, my baby girl is found—Alive!!! She's okay. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Bella! Oh, my sweet girl, she's found at last!'**_

'_**I do know that voice. I'd know my Dad's voice anywhere.'**_** "Charlie?" Bella said hoarsely.**

"**I'm right here, baby." He said with more love and tenderness than I'd ever heard from him before. He took her from Sam's arms with more than a little difficulty. **_**'I'm going to take her home and not let anything or anyone hurt her again. She is more precious to me than anything. I thought I'd just about died when I couldn't find her.'**_

"**Maybe I should hold on to her," Sam suggested. **_**'And save him a trip to the chiropractor.'**_

"**I've got her," Charlie said a little breathless. **_**'And I'll never let her go again. She's my responsibility to look after. I'm her father. I should have listened to Billy about the Cullens.'**_

**I was reminded of the next time I'd seen his face—half crazed with anger, when Bella was in my arms being carried half-conscious from sleep deprivation, towards her home. **

"**I can't believe you have the nerve to show your face here." His angry voice had been loud and incredulous. "What's wrong with her? Don't tell me what to do! Give her to me. Get your hands off her!" **

**Yes, I had deserved that reaction--more than deserved it. I looked at my daughter sadly watching the video from my mother's lap. Little tears rolled down her cheeks. Mother passed her a tissue and reassured her everything was okay. I felt utterly nauseated from the pit of my useless stomach. Bella threw her arms around me and just held me tightly. It was hard for her to relive as well. If it hadn't been for my stupid actions, she wouldn't have had to live through them the first time.**

*******

**The scene abruptly changed and there I was, pulled completely off the side of the road, my Volvo wedged between two tall trees, in what I later deduced to be Canada. The scene was dark. It was night. My face was as blank as Bella's as it stared straight ahead as I leaned back onto the headrest. My hands clenched the steering wheel tightly, and as I already knew, I wasn't breathing. Dagda and Llasa sat, unbeknownst to me, in the car with me, carefully assessing my mood. From the visual, flashes of Bella danced across the stage in front of me where the car's windshield was. I remembered those flashes to be the specific visual images of Bella's face that had played over and over in my mind those four days I sat there unmoving; in my own hell.**

**I closed my eyes **_**'How is it possible the images of Bella are even larger inside my head?'**_** I'd mentally thought. The image remained on the windshield, growing in size. And then, the image spoke, echoing the same whispered words Bella spoke to me in the trees.**

'**Don't do this.'**

'**You…don't…want…me?'**

'_**Oh, its torture to hear those words come from the lips of my angel. It feels as though each time I hear them, they cut a new wound within me. The pain is excruciating**_**.'**

**It was torture. **_**'At least I still hold in my lungs, my last breath in Bella's presence. The last piece of her that I won't …no, can't give up. Somehow, there's a small comfort in this knowledge as if she's still here with me.'**_** The light of a new day began to touch the horizon.**

'_**I don't know how I did it but it's done now. I've made her safe. Despite my suffering, I can't stay where I am. I need to compose myself, rein my feelings in and let my brain function – just for a short period of time for my family. Then I can to privately mourn the bereavement of my lost love, somewhere alone and remote.'**_

**Dagda shook his head sadly, "Too bad it's too soon to convince him to just go back."**

**In the visual I backed the car out of the trees and continued driving.**

"**I know Brother. He's a glutton for punishment. But—I guess that's why we picked him. He's just too moral and obstinate for his own good." To which Dagda simply nodded his head and looked out the side window. In a minute I'd pulled up in front of a brown two-story house with a wrap-around porch, were my family waited for me, their faces expressionless. They continued waiting there on the porch as I closed the door. Dagda and Llasa magically appeared alongside them.**

**I looked very 'wrong' as I walked to meet them; my thoughts gave away my dread. **_**'I'm not particularly looking forward to seeing you guys right now. I don't want to hear your pity and sympathy, and more importantly, I dread seeing the devotion you share between yourselves as couples. I'm afraid that affection you show to each other will push me right over the cliff ledge I'm subconsciously standing on.'**_

"**Listen to our boy here." Llasa said. His tone sounded strangely like Emmett's**

"**Oh no," Emmett said as if hearing my thoughts and giving me a comparison. "I remember this." Alice nodded her head and shot me a worried glance.**

**From the visual I watched as Alice came and wrapped her tiny arms around me and led me into the house. Their eyes were fixed upon me intently, watching me carefully. **_**'They don't know what to say to me--if anything at all.' **_**I thought from the visual. The tension mounted as the silence wore on. **

**Finally, after several long minutes, Carlisle called to me from inside his head. Everyone in Chandra's home room heard it. '**_**Edward?'**_

'_**I don't want to reply. I don't need to breathe; I just do it out of habit. But I need to breathe in order to talk, and I can't bear to exhale Bella's scent that's contained in my body. I'd inhaled my last breath in Bella's presence - when I had breathed in her scent one final time. I'm not letting it go. No! It's the only thing I have left of her, that isn't a memory.'**_** I remembered my feelings were somehow strangling inside of me over the panic of losing that final part of Bella.**

'_**Edward?'**_** Esme spoke to me in her head. '**_**Are you alright, dear?' **_**I responded by bowing my head in a nod. Once again I watched as her eyebrows pulled together forming worry lines in her forehead. She hurried to stand next to Carlisle. She reached up to whisper into his ear. "What's wrong with Edward? He looks strained and unwell." **

**Dagda said simply, "That's because he is strained and unwell, emotionally speaking at least."**

**My mental voice picked right up, **_**'I don't understand why Esme is making the effort to whisper, she's well aware that myself as well as the other members of our family can hear her perfectly.'**_

**Llasa said rather loudly, "He's not breathing people." Dagda looked around the room to see who would catch the hint.**

"**He's not breathing." Jasper spoke aloud answering Esme's question. **

**Llasa held up his hand and approved, Thank you Jasper."**

'_**Jasper,'**_** my mental voice was a menacing growl. **_**'Why do you have to feel what I'm feeling? – Ahh, the pressure to breathe...but still I so desperately need to keep the only connection that relates to Bella I have left. Oh, I don't care. I don't even have the effort to glare at him in accusation.' **_

'_**Sorry, Edward.' **_**Jasper thought. **

'_**I should have expected Jasper to be monitoring my emotions – probably to update my family on how I'm coping without Bella. They're all worrying because they all know how much Bella means to me, even Rosalie.'**_** My mental thoughts sounded despondent.**

"**What do you mean, he's not breathing?" grumbled Emmett. **

"**You know I don't know the reasoning, Emmett." Jasper answered quietly.**

'_**Edward?' **_** Esme called again.**

'_**Ahh, why can't the rest of my family have the ability to read minds like I can? It would be so much more convenient if I could just answer them in my own head.'**_

"**Edward, you should breathe. It's not healthy for you to hold it all in." Carlisle said softly. **

'_**Thankfully, they don't know why I'm not breathing or realize how precious the air inside my lungs is – they would indisputably think me insane if they did.' **_

**Dagda then interceded, "This is getting ridiculous and it's got to stop." He gestured with his hand then and from the visual, my family's stares focused on me intently. As this happened Alice had a vision of me breathing and practically choking on it.**

'_**No, the pressure is too much. Is it their watchful gazes on me? Is it from watching it happen just now from Alice's head? I don't know but my throat is constricting and the tension building in my lungs. It feels like I'm going to explode. I'm being forced to exhale. I can't allow Bella's scent to leave me – I'm not ready to let it go yet.'**_** I thought in a panic, and I watched as I clamped my mouth shut tightly, biting down on the insides of my lips **_**'Oh. my lungs are starting to deflate, the air—Bella's air is making its way up through my windpipe. I'm going to **__**insufflate**__**. It's inevitable. I'm going to lose what I've spent days trying to save.' **_**I saw the air enter my mouth as I choked and spluttered before gasping in fresh de-bellanized air. Alice gripped my hand tighter, with enough strength to stop me from collapsing to the floor. I began taking hyperventilating, taking in quick deep breaths. '**_**Why am I acting this way? Is this what being apart from Bella is going to do to me?'**_

*******

**I hated reliving that scene. My emotions were raw and on edge. It felt as though I were experiencing it again. I focused on Bella there in my arms. It was painful to contemplate how close I'd come to losing everything during my self-imposed exile. But Bella was there in my arms and she silently shook against my shoulder. This was her first time to experience my living nightmare. I placed my hand on her back and breathed in her scent taking it in and filling my lungs once more with her freesia lavender bouquet—this time without the burn and I held her close for a moment to reassure her and myself we were both there.**

**I was surprised to feel a hand on my shoulder and look up to see Jacob standing there. His stunned look was the last thing I'd expected to see. "Edward," He began slowly as if he really didn't know how to voice his thoughts. "I take back anything I ever said about your feelings for Bella. I'm sorry. Just…" He shook his head quickly and tried again. "…just sorry. Okay?" All I could do was nod. Without realizing it, I'd stopped breathing again, luxuriating in Bella's scent kicking around with the air on my insides. Jacob's simple yet sincere apology was unexpected and it somehow helped to momentarily free me of my distress. Bella seemed to regain her composure as well and she pulled back from me. A small smile graced her ever lovely face. I kissed her forehead and tucked her under my chin so we could watch the next little trauma together.**

***** **

**The next scene showed Charlie walking up the stairs to Bella's room. He'd opened the door and as he did the visual opened up to show Bella as he watched her. She was in her bed half under her covers. Her eyes were awake and she stared at the floor. Interestingly enough, she was staring at the floor in the same location, where I had pried up the floor boards and placed her birthday gifts and pictures. It was almost as if she were unknowingly seeking them out to find a reason to keep going. Her hair was still a tangled mess, but this time it wasn't from the elements. This time it looked as though she had spent at least a week in bed. Her cheeks, no longer cased in mud looked sallow. Her eyes had shadows under them and she looked somehow as though she had died with them open. They had a glassy vacant look to them. There were no thoughts coming from her either, further strengthening the dead theory. My Mother was there trying to get her attention. No matter what she did nothing worked. Chandra and Samon, also present, were deep in conversation.**

"**We're going to have to do something." Samon was saying. "She hasn't eaten anything but literally crackers and water for over a week now, and only reason she's eaten that is because Charlie has put them in her mouth."**

"**I know," was Chandra's simple reply. "Dr. Gerandy is already on his way over with a vitamin injection. He's going to recommend Charlie hospitalize her so he can get an IV started and try her on anti-depressants."**

"**Bella dear," Mother encouraged. "You don't want to be hooked up with needles do you?" No response. "You need to snap out of this right now," slightly more commanding in her tone but still no response from Bella.**

'_**What am I going to do here?'**_** Charlie's thoughts were full of panic. **_**'I've tried everything I can think of. The doctor said he would admit her if there wasn't any change by today; my baby girl. I feel so damn helpless.'**_

**He spoke up breaking the silence; at least the silence Bella would have heard—if she were to hear anything at all. "Bella baby? Are you alright? Dr. Gerandy is coming by today and you need to get up and move around or he's going to take you to the hospital. Hook up an IV and everything. Now, I know you don't want that. Right?" **

**Bella continued to stare unseeing. Charlie went to her bed and gently shook her shoulder. "Bella, Bella sweetie, It's your dad here. Can you hear me?"**

"**Look at your father, Bella," Mother coaxed her gently. Between the two of them somehow Bella did shift the focus of her eyes to look at him. While she didn't change her position at all, her eyes took on recognition. They held all the pain and fear she did not say**_**--He's gone.**_** It was the single most heartbreaking sight I had ever seen. And to think I had caused it. No wonder Charlie had hated me so fiercely when I'd returned. I had caught glimpses of this time from his head occasionally, but never this expression. This was worse than any he had pulled up from his memory around me. Perhaps he had repressed things as well as Bella oft times did.**

"**Bella, Can you hear me?" Charlie said. Bella nodded her head a fraction of an inch. "Good baby, Dr. Gerandy is going to come by today." Bella shook her head once. Her face took on a little more life. It was an approximation of a pout. "If you get up and brush your teeth and your hair and drink a big glass of water for me, I'll tell him you're okay. Can you do that?" Bella seemed to think about his request. **

'_**Come on Bella. It's four o'clock in the afternoon and you haven't been out of bed for over twenty four hours and then it was just to use the rest room.'**_** He was anxious almost agitated with his thoughts, though his voice didn't give him away. Bella raised one shaky hand and Charlie grabbed it, practically lifting her out of her bed and helped her to her feet. She almost fell over her legs were so shaky. He helped her to the bathroom and carried her bag of toiletries for her. When she got to the sink, he put toothpaste on her toothbrush and turned on the sink for her too. The doorbell rang down stairs. **_**'Oh, great timing…just when I get her up. If I let her go, she's likely to slump to the floor.'**_

**Bella took the toothbrush and spoke for the first time in the visual. "I've got it." She said as she leaned heavily on the sink with one hand and her loaded toothbrush in the other.**

"**Are you sure?" He asked hesitant to leave her alone. She simply nodded. He left and closed the door behind him. He went to the front door and let Dr. Gerandy in. From upstairs, the sound of the shower being turned on was heard. No, she wouldn't see the doctor that day, not unless he wanted to wait a while.**

*******

**The next scene was of me running, running, running. The scenery around me blurred as I pushed myself to greater speeds. Occasionally sounds of traffic were heard in the distance. But always I ran. The sky faded between day and night. And I ran on. Dagda and Llasa ran with me. The whole while, my thoughts swarmed around me, **_**'I need to move faster. The highway is a few miles away. But I want and need silence and seclusion'**_

"**This isn't getting us anywhere," Llasa said to Dagda. "We need to make him stop to force him to deal with this mess."**

**Dagda nodded in agreement, "I agree. Running will only prolong it."**

'…_**What is happening to me? My muscles are starting to ache and I'm slowing down involuntary. No! Is it possible I'm beginning to get tired? I've never before experienced the need to stop running. I can't get tired.'**_** I watched in the visual as I tried to force my body forward. It didn't respond. **_**'I feel utterly drained. No, the running takes the edge off the pain. It's the only thing that works. Ohhh the pain is becoming more unbearable by the second. The grief is too intense, it enervates me'.**_** In the visual I slowed to a halt after another minute. **_**'There's no point in carrying on. I can only hear the night breeze delicately whistling through the trees.'**_

"**That ought to about do it." Llasa said.**

**I knew my resistance was futile, so I held my arms out wide and let my mind release itself. I watched myself fall to the ground as I remembered well the pain that engulfed me. It hit me like the stab of a thousand knives and I cried out in agony. **_**'Bella. My Bella. The memories swarm all around me. They demand my attention. Well, I can give them that now.'**_** I then visited with each of the memories I had with my sweet Bella. I welcomed the pain from each one.**

'_**So many thing I should have done – but I didn't, and all because I am a profusely selfish creature. I truly despise myself for hurting Bella and putting her constantly in danger. It was the cruelest act I have ever committed. Nothing can make me feel guiltier – not even murder. Ahh, my eyes ache with the need for tears to cleanse me from my sins.' **_**My frozen body then began to shudder violently as tearless sobs began, and I drowned in my own emptiness. '**_**I left so much more behind than I anticipated when I left Forks. The part of me Bella still holds – my heart. My empty chest throbs in its solitude.' **_

**I watched in the visual as I reached into my pants pocket and pulled out my bottle cap, my souvenir of Bella's acceptance of me and I set it on the ground inches in front of my face and stared at it. **_**'I wonder what Bella is doing right now. Is she thinking of me, as I'm thinking of her? Would she still be hurting in the aftermath of my departure?'**_

**Bella's agonized face flashed across the screen as vividly as it had appeared in my head that day once more as the memory of my quick departure replayed in my mind. I watched her so unwillingly believe that I no longer wanted her. **

'…_**as if such a thing were possible! I just ran away like a coward, leaving my fragile Bella alone on the edge of a forest. Leaving her had been a mistake – another mistake. What if something happened to her? I heard her take a few steps further into the trees. What if she tried to follow me? Would she have done that? She could have gotten lost or worse – gravely hurt or injured, and I just left her there. I can't bear to think of the consequences. No. Bella had promised – nothing reckless or stupid. I asked her not to wander into the woods on her own before, she knows I consider that reckless. I have no reason to worry – Bella promised.'**_

**I dug my fingers into the earth beneath me, trying to grip onto something to stop myself from falling apart. It didn't help – the dirt just crumbled into dust**_**. 'I'm broken. I've been ripped into a hundred pieces and I'll never be reassembled. Only my Bella can make me whole again. No! I must keep telling myself – I did the right thing by Bella, for the first time. I did the right thing. Keeping her safe--that's all that matters--leaving Bella was a means to an end.'**_** I curled up into a ball and let misery take me. **_**'I'm sure this pain I'm feeling now will slowly torture me to death. I welcome it. I know I deserved to suffer.'**_** My mind turned to incoherent, clouded thoughts of Bella. **_**'Her unapproachable mind I long to read, her silky brown hair draping round her shoulders, her delicious scent that set my throat on fire, her inviting chocolate brown eyes that show me the window to her soul. My Bella…so perfect.'**_

*******

**The scene abruptly changed again. This time it was back at Charlie's house. The Christmas tree was set up in the corner of the living room in a sorry attempt to bring joy and cheer into an otherwise dark and quiet home. Charlie opened the front door and Renee walked in. "Where is she?" Her voice was stressed. I remembered that stressed tone from her visit with Bella in a Phoenix hospital room.**

**Charlie sighed, "She's still at school. She'll probably be home in about thirty minutes. I started packing her things already. I'm sorry Renee; I just don't know what to do. I've tried everything I can think of." His voice was full of helplessness. **

**Renee sighed and nodded her head towards the tree. "Going for the holidays a little bit early I see." **_**'Charlie looks so lost. I've never seen him like this before—ever.'**_

"…**just trying to cheer Bella up—unsuccessfully. I have a funny feeling she's not going to like me going over her head like this. Do you want to help me pack up her things the rest of the way before she gets here?" They walked up the stairs and packed while they continued talking. "I'm really glad you're here Renee. I think she just needs her Mother now. One thing's for sure, I'm not doing any good."**

"**But she's back in school, so she must be doing better, right?" Renee's voice was kind in an effort to show Charlie Bella must appreciate his efforts.**

"**You'd think so, but no. She goes to class, to work and home. When she gets home she sits on the couch and just stares out into space. When I come home she's like a robot. She goes to the freezer pulls me out a TV dinner and puts it in the microwave and then stumbles her way up the stairs to her room. I try to give her space, you know; let her work through it before I head up to check on her. But there she sits on the edge of her bed—just lost. It's almost like she's gone dead inside Renee." His voice was sad and barely a whisper at the end. 'I can't believe what a miserable excuse for a father I am.' He mentally accused himself.**

'**Surely he's exaggerating.' Renee thought in alarm. "Don't worry Charlie, we'll figure this out. Bella is the most level headed person I've ever known. It's only been a month…" Just then Bella's old truck chugging towards the house was heard. "Well she's here now."**

"**Wait, Renee." Charlie said. "She doesn't know you're here. I'll go down stairs and you just watch for five minutes and you'll see what I mean." Renee's eyes narrowed but she nodded and Charlie made it down the stairs and into the kitchen before Bella opened the front door. She walked in and dropped her backpack as if she hadn't the energy to lug it one foot further than the front door and then she dragged herself to the couch and sat down. Her eyes immediately found the front window and she simply stared out it without seeing. Mother was by her side looking more and more apprehensive.**

**Chandra and Samon had entered with her and Chandra said. "I think she's ready to begin to deal with this. But we may need to help her a little bit." Samon nodded his head; his expression grim.**

'**Oh Dear God…No!' Renee's thoughts were wild with their sudden horror. Her thoughts cut through my struggling composure with vicious strokes. She'd started to walk down the stairs and her voice was overly bright and cheerful. **

"**Bella! How are you Sweetie?" Bella looked confused. She very slowly turned from the window and leveled her almost blank stare in her mother's general direction. Still no thoughts from Bella though. Renee was to her quickly and gathered her in her arms.**

"**Mom," Bella stated in acknowledgement. Her voice was a flat monotone. Renee pulled back from her and looked in her eyes, but that was all Bella said. **

'_**What is wrong with my Baby? What happened? No this isn't just because a boy left her. Bella wasn't that hung up on Edward. She said he was just a crush. Something else happened here--but what?' **_**She took Bella's face in her hands to keep her gaze locked in her own. "What's wrong Bella?" She asked point blank.**

"**Answer your mother," My own Mother practically commanded her. "You need to start acting like everything's alright or you're going to find yourself shipped off to Florida." She said carefully as if she could will that fact directly into Bella's head.**

"**Mom, I'm fine." Bella said. I almost rolled my eyes and then I remembered there wasn't anything funny about the scene playing out in front of me. Still no mental thoughts came from Bella. She was on autopilot. It was as though she were trapped inside of her mind so tightly there wasn't even room for thinking; just hollow words. Hollow words I had forced on her by my lies. I left to save Bella from a monster, but somehow, the very act of my leaving her had been the act of a monster. It wasn't the attack that had resulted from her paper cut that had been brutal. Somehow, my leaving had been the real attack on her—an attack on her very soul. Her words came back to haunt me as I contemplated Bella's dead look staring back at me from the visual. '**_**This is about my soul, isn't it? I don't care, Edward. I don't care! You can have my soul. I don't want it without you--It's yours already!'**_** That was what bothered me. It looked like Bella was missing her soul. The thought chilled me even here with her in my arms. And seeing that even there, she'd been surrounded by beings sent to make sure everything worked out. Messengers who had set this up? **

**Renee's mental chatter stopped my reverie. **_**'You are anything but fine…but I'll fix that.'**_

"**So," Renee said eyes bright. I have to say, her mother was a much better actress than Bella. "Charlie and I were thinking a change of scenery might do you some good." She paused while finally a tiny bit of spark registered in Bella's eyes. "You know; some fresh sea air. There's nothing more exhilarating than a walk on the beach, the sun in your face, the sand on your toes, the wind in your hair, the gull's cry in your ear and the sound of the surf. It is so wonderful. Just what the doctor ordered. (She paused but when Bella didn't respond she went on.) So, we've got your things all packed and our flight leaves in about six hours…"**

"**Here we go!" Samon said in relief.**

"**WHAT!" Bella was on her feet and flying up the stairs in the space of three heartbeats. From the top of the stair rail she yelled, "I'm not going anywhere! EVER AGAIN!" With that she turned to her room, slammed the door shut, locked it and began opening up her luggage and throwing everything all over the place. "YOU CAN'T MAKE ME LEAVE! I WON'T LEAVE. I CAN'T…I CAN'T. (More sounds from the door as Charlie and Renee jimmied the lock open. And there they were looking at her clothes that had been neatly packed minutes ago now thrown all over her room. Then she started stomping on them as if that would somehow make them irretrievable. "YOU CAN'T MAKE ME."**

**Charlie and Renee were shocked. I was too. I had never seen Bella in this state of mind before. Honestly it frightened me worse than the dead look. Just as suddenly the fury left her and she stared at her Father with such a look of devastation I had to look away. Renesmee was crying again. So were Esme and…Emmett. **

"**Dad," She said softly, "You don't want me either?" and she sank to the floor and started to sob.**

*******

**Today had been a day of reckoning for me—or so it seemed. But reliving the worst days of my Bella's life had been a little more than even I could take. I was blown away by how badly I had broken her and then left for her parents to try and repair. There weren't words to hold the depths of my self-loathing. How could I have been such an arrogant fool? Bella still trembled in my arms from Chandra's little presentation so far. Her face buried in my shoulder. Or was it me shaking? It was hard to tell.**

**And then I was suddenly seized upon by the calmest of feelings. Bella **_**was**_** there in my arms, whole and well, as was I. She stopped trembling and looked into my eyes. Her eyes did not contain the dead look I had just viewed from the past, but were filled with a calm serenity and tenderness. It must be true what they said; love heals all wounds--even deep rivers of them. **

"**There," Chandra said in satisfaction. "We need to go over a few more things here before we review what happened in Volterra. So if everyone has collected themselves, we can proceed." She waited a few moments and then began again. **

"**We had only counted on Edward being able to stay away from Bella for four months. When that didn't happen, Dagda and Llasa really started bringing their powers of persuasion to bear and yet the more they pushed you Edward, the harder you resisted. You were so caught up in your 'keep Bella safe' crusade; you actually used your love for her to fight against returning. As a way to divert yourself and feel as though you were protecting Bella, you started tracking Victoria. Of course, with her talent for evasion, she sent you on a wild goose chase while she went back to Forks, where Bella was 'stuck' waiting, without knowing what she was waiting for. We knew this would be the perfect time to introduce Bella to the shape shifters in La Push and with the Cullens away, and Victoria on the prowl heading straight for Bella, it was imperative we do so. **

**Of course, we were also watching Bella's emotional and mental state and very slowly working to bring her out of her 'shell of isolation' she had carefully constructed. Bella started to behave in a reckless manner as a distraction of her own. In a way, this also helped pull her out of her shell. Bella needed to have Edward in her life for her own stability, but since you weren't being very cooperative, we manipulated her mental thinking a little so when she acted impulsively or was in actual danger, she would hear your voice to either warn her of her folly or danger as though you were really still there."**

"**You sent Bella my 'voice messages'?" I asked. I had always wondered where those had come from. Bella thought they'd been a dubious gift from her sub conscious. **

**Chandra nodded her head. "Yes, actually, Samon crafted them. He placed a temporary 'sub-routine' in your brain that included not just Edward's voice, but factored in his characteristic response to any situation that met the criteria of a 'reckless or dangerous' situations. Did you like them Bella? You seemed to?"**

**Bella just stared at her and then seemed to recover herself, "Well, at least it wasn't just my imagination! And I hadn't gone crazy—option two either!"**

**Jacob muttered, "That's debatable. Bella lives in 'crazy'." Emmett seemed to give his comment serious consideration before nodding once in assent. Jasper grinned. Alice rolled her eyes at the three of them.**

**Then Alice asked for clarification, "So Edward's voice Bella heard, wasn't influenced by her subconscious at all? I guess what I'm asking is: It wasn't her own thoughts being heard just filtered through Edward's voice?" **

"**No, it was completely independent." Chandra said shaking her head. "Her own thoughts and feelings were separate. Her sub-conscious reacted to it. We had hoped it would help her realize the truth of Edward's real feelings for her. Unfortunately, she didn't work that out until he got back—still helpful at that point. It saved Edward weeks of groveling when he finally did return. There were times when Bella was in danger and the 'voice' kicked in when she didn't even know she was in danger and that would only have worked if it was separate from her own system. And no one supplied the words either. It was programmed to respond in Edward's voice with whatever Edward would have said in that moment."**

"**It was an intelligent program?" Carlisle asked with evident curiosity. Chandra nodded, her eyes sparkling at the understanding the good doctor had for the magnitude of Bella's 'mind enhancement'.**

**Chandra continued, "And we felt we could use 'Edward's voice' to get Edward back where he belonged; which it did; only with a few bumps along the way." She added the last bit reluctantly.**

"**So I would like to start out with Bella on her way to La Push for the first time. She had just decided since Edward had already broken his promise to her, **_**'it would be as though he'd never existed' **_**so she decided she would be a 'promise breaker' as well. To help her out in this endeavor, I led her right to the Marks driveway, where in a pile of junk waiting to be picked up, sat two perfectly fine, broken and discarded motorcycles."**

"**You're the one who turned Bella on to the Motorcycles?" I asked in confusion. How could Chandra do something so irresponsible?**

**Chandra just nodded. "Of course I did." She replied rather innocently. "I believe, to use her thoughts at that time, she was looking for something that was completely 'stupid and reckless'. And anyway, it would get her to La Push and right into Jacob Black's playground."**

"**Thanks a lot." I muttered.**

"**You're welcome," Chandra replied innocently. **

"**Anyway, sorry but if you don't like it; you should have come home in January like you were supposed to. Well, that's a bit of an oversimplification. You guys did need the wolf pack with you to fight the newborns so Bella had to be friends with Jacob before you came back. We had planned on that happening earlier as well, but Miss Swan just sat up in her room looking at her closet door every time the Blacks came over to watch sports so that didn't happen earlier either. Finally everything started to come together. While attending a movie outing with Jessica Stanley one night, Bella had her first encounter with Edward's voice and it really started to help her; So much so that you'll finally see she has a marked improvement in this next scene, occurring two and a half months after the one we just viewed." **

**I watched as the visual came back into focus showing Bella, driving her noisy old Chevy Truck up to the Black's house. Mother and Chandra were in the cab with her and Samon was happily sitting in the back looking at the two battered bikes. Bella got out and was half way to the door when Jacob came out to meet her. Ephraim Black was at his side.**

'_**Boy, I hope he can make one of these bikes work.'**_** Bella thought**

"**It's about time you guys got her up here." Ephraim Black called to Chandra and Samon in a teasing tone. "It's kind of hard for my man here to work, without his project in hand."**

"**Great to see you Ephraim," Samon said clasping palms with him. "Are the wolves ready to step up to the plate here? Victoria is heading back."**

"**Hey, this is the Quileute wolf pack we're talking about. Of course they're ready!" Ephraim looked Bella over in concern. "What in the love of all that's holy happened to her? Elizabeth, can't you keep her out of trouble?"**

**Mother put her hands on her hips and in a tone that screamed 'no nonsense' said, "If you think I had anything to do with poor Bella's mental and emotional state then…"**

"**Relax Elizabeth, I know it wasn't you. It was Edward. But you know what they say, 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree''**

"**You have a lot of nerve Mr. Black!" She huffed. **

**Chandra was about to say something to stop the argument when Ephraim Black started chortling in a fit of laughter. "I'm sorry Elizabeth. Really I am" It was hard to take his apology seriously because Ephraim was still trying to stifle spasms of laughter. "You're just so much fun to tease. You take everything so seriously."**

**Mother composed herself and answered him stiffly, "Well perhaps, Mr. Ephraim Black, if you had gone through the last four months Bella and I have, you might be a little more serious too."**

"**Fair enough," Ephraim conceded thoughtfully. "Well let's see what we can do to undo some of the damage of the last four months then, shall we?"**

'_**I can't believe it; Bella Swan is at my house! Am I dreaming or is this some kind of fantasy daydream?'**_** Jacob had a bright warm smile on his face. "Bella**_**!" 'What's wrong here though? She's lost too much weight. Charlie told Billy she wasn't eating. Did she get anorexic? And her eyes-she could pass as a raccoon with those dark circles under them. I don't get it. If all she's doing is sleeping in her room, then why the dark circles? Her hair looks darker, skin paler and her face is just so …so sad. I haven't seen her since last spring when I crashed her prom. She was a lot happier then. Dad was saying something to Charlie about her but this is just wrong! Something else that needs fixing! She's here with me now! Oh, there's a smile finally--a great smile. I feel so…thrilled I get the one smile she's passed out.'**_

'_**How about that; little Jacob Black isn't so little anymore. And he doesn't look so much like a kid anymore either.**_**' Then she greeted him, "Hey, Jacob!" Bella sounded mildly happy--a stark contrast from the last picture of her from the visual. **_**'Wow, I'm happy to see him again. I am? Huh? That's a surprise. Dang, my face is getting wet with raindrops just trying to see his face. My neck may snap too.'**_** "You grew again!"**

**His smile got even bigger. "Six Five," He said in a voice that was deeper than from the visual earlier today. **_**'I'm even tall enough to date an 18 year old now. Right? Even sad, you're still a Goddess of Love.'**_

"**Is it ever going to stop?" She shook her head in disbelief. "You're huge." **_**'Are you on steroids or something?' **_

"**Quit dreaming Jacob," Ephraim said to Jacob, "And step up to the plate. Bella's looking for a good friend here, not a Romeo." He shook his head a little embarrassed and said to Samon, Chandra and Elizabeth, "Kids! What can I say?"**

"**Still a beanpole, though," Jacob grimaced. **_**'Well, let's start 'Operation: Make Bella Smile Again'.'**_** He thought and then said, "Come on inside! You're getting all wet."**

'_**I wonder if she'd like me better with my hair loose or in a ponytail? I'll see her reaction to both ways.'**_** While Jacob followed Bella in the house he pulled his long hair into a ponytail. "Hey Dad," Jacob called out, "Look who stopped by." **_**'Pigs do fly, Hell does freeze over and Bella Swan did just come to Jacob Black's house.'**_

'"**Get over yourself boy, we've got some work to do here." Ephraim chided him but there was humor and excitement in his eyes.**

**Billy wheeled himself into the tiny living room. "Well, what do you know! It's good to see you Bella."He shook hands with Bella, taking her tiny one in his rather large grasp. **_**'…and I see Charlie wasn't exaggerating. You're a mess…but, nothing my boy Jacob here can't fix.' **_

**Ephraim nodded in agreement.**__

"**What brings you out here? Everything okay with Charlie?" **_**'Of course the real question being; is everything okay with Bella?'**_

"**Yes, absolutely. I just wanted to see Jacob—I haven't seen him in forever." **_**'I haven't seen anyone in forever. It feels kind of strange talking to people--like I need a script or something. I hope my voice sounds normal.'**_

"**You're doing fine dear." Mother said to Bella as she patted her shoulder in an encouraging way.**

**Jacob's eyes brightened and his whole face lit up. **_**'But forever's going to start right now. The**__**'Operation: Make Bella Smile Again is about to commence.**_**'**

"**That it is!" Ephraim practically sang out enthusiastically.**

'_**That smile is so big, it's gotta be hurting his cheeks somehow.'**_** Bella thought.**

"**Can you stay for dinner?" Billy asked eagerly. **_**'Maybe then I can ensure you actually eat. How much weight have you lost since your birthday ten…fifteen pounds?'**_

"**No, I've got to feed Charlie, you know." Bella added trying to hide her discomfort**_**. 'No, do not want my Dad; Mr. 'Motorcycles are Suicycles' man himself around here! That is SO not happening.' **_

"**I'll call him now, He's always invited." Billy suggested. **_**'Then we can keep you out your trance-like state even longer. Besides, I'm having too much fun watching my son being so happy. He's more excited about seeing you than he is about his old Volkswagen outside.'**_

**Bella gave one of her little nervous laughs. "It's not like you'll never see me again. I promise I'll be back again soon—so much you'll get sick of me**_**." '…because if Jacob can fix one of those bikes, he's going to have to teach me how to ride the stupid thing too.'**_

**Billy chuckled and said, "Okay, maybe next time." **_**'I'll hold you to it too. Next time!'**_

"**Of course there'll be a next time." Ephraim said. Then he thought and turned to Samon and Chandra and added, "There will be a next time right? Even Casanovas need more than one shot to fix things."**

'_**How in the world am I going to bring up my motorcycles without looking like some phony that just came over to get bikes fixed?' **_**Bella moaned internally**_**. 'Ohhh, I shouldn't have brought them with me right off the bat. But I had too, there's no way I could have gotten them out and hidden at home by myself. Those crazy things are heavy.'**_

**Emmett snorted, "Please!"**

"**So, Bella, what do you want to do?" Jacob asked. **_**'We could play twenty questions, spin the bottle, go for a walk in the woods, or stare into each other's eyes. Walk on the beach, Have my first kiss…'**_

"**Whatever. What were you doing before I interrupted?" Bella asked. **_**'It's kind of strange, but I feel very comfortable here. I remember it from a long time ago…but that's not it--maybe because there aren't any painful reminders here of the recent past.'**_

**Bella was right. There was no way I could have taken way her memories. No way to make it 'as though I'd never existed'; every step she took and every place she went—I was there with her from her memories. She couldn't even sleep at night to get away from them. I was there in her room—even in her bed from her memories as well, and in her dreams. She couldn't escape me. I existed all around her--everywhere but LaPush.**

"**Focus Jacob, you're kind of embarrassing me here." Ephraim said quietly in Jacob's ear**

"**I'll say," Emmett agreed, "You're kind of embarrassing me as well." Jacob punched Emmett and told him to shut up. **

"**Well, I was just heading out to work on my car, but we could do something else…" Jacob said hesitantly. **_**'Now where was I on my list of possibilities…hmmm…Oh yes, have my first kiss….'**_

"**No, that's perfect!" Bella interrupted. **

'_**What…really? My first kiss?'**_** Jacob's face registered shock that quickly turned to chagrin. **_**'Oh dang it, she's talking about the car. Why is she talking about the car?'**_

"**I'd love to see your car." Bella said. The dent was in her forehead; she was making her plans now. **_**'Maybe there'll be room out there to hide a couple of motorcycles out of Billy's watchful gaze.'**_

"**Okay," Jacob said a bit perplexed. "It's out back in the garage." '**_**I can't even get my guy friends to get too excited in that project…and I never figured Bella for a grease monkey.'**_

'_**Even Better!'**_** Bella thought as she waved to Billy. **_**'This way, he won't see anything to tell Charlie about!'**_** Bella called back to Billy. "See you later." **

**In the visual Bella and Jacob walked through some tall shrubs and into the Black's garage where there, resting on cinderblocks, was Jacob's old 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit. They made some small talk over the vehicle and then Jacob admitted it was almost done because his Dad had made good on his promise last spring. I of course, knew exactly what that promise was--so did Bella.**

'_**Great…thanks for bringing that up; Billy's bribe involving cash and car parts along with my warning to keep a safe distance from the most important person in my life. Well, I'm plenty safe now, thank you very much! But I'm going to see what I can do about changing that.' **_**She said, "So Jacob, what do you know about motorcycles?"**

**Chandra was nodding her head with a small smile. "I think this will work for now." She said in satisfaction. At her words my Mother let out a long sigh of relief.**

**Speaking of letting out a sigh of relief, so was I. Bella really had needed Jacob Black. I had no idea how badly she had been broken as a result of my foolish arrogance. She'd tried to explain it to me once but I didn't get it. She was always so protective of my feelings, always downplaying her own suffering. My precious Bella; how had I ever deserve her? **

**I was reminded of a time shortly following my return to Forks, we were sitting in Charlie's kitchen and Bella came and sat right in my lap, like now. She looked down at my hands as she told me with pain of her own, "Jacob is in pain; I can't **_**not**_** try to help him now, when he needs me. Just because he's not human all the time…well, he was there for me when I was…not so human myself. You don't know what it was like. If Jacob hadn't helped me, I'm not sure what you would have come home to. I owe him better than this, Edward."**

**It would appear I owed him as well--even more now that I did understand what it had been like for her. He had literally saved her from becoming little more than a walking corpse.**

*******

**The next scene Chandra showed us was of Bella and Jacob driving her truck near La Push, where she saw someone throwing themselves off the cliffs. She stopped her truck and jumped out. Of course Chandra, Mother, Samon and Ephraim Black were there.**

"**That guy—he just jumped off the cliff!" Bella practically screamed in alarm. "Why didn't they stop him? We've got to call an ambulance." She started to jump back into her truck and Jacob started laughing.**

"**They're just cliff diving, Bella." Jacob said in amusement. "Recreation; La Push doesn't have a mall, you know." **_**'LaPush doesn't have anything.'**_

"**Wow," She said looking up at the ledge. "It's so high. It must be a hundred feet."**

**Chandra got a speculative look in her eye, "We could use this to get Edward back here."**

**Samon gave her an appraising look and added, "If she goes with Jacob, Alice won't be able to see her." **

**Chandra nodded her head. "I know, let's give it some thought though, okay?" To which Samon nodded his head. Mother looked up to the top of the cliff and shuttered. Ephraim just nodded his head in agreement with whatever they decided.**

"**Well, yeah, most of us jump from lower down. Those guys are insane." Jacob said.**

"**You jump off the cliff?" Bella asked excitedly. **_**'I've never seen anything so reckless!!!!'**_

"**Sure, sure," Jacob said grinning. "It's fun; a little scary, kind of a rush." **_**'Hmm another way to impress her here; I like that!'**_

"**Jake, you have to take me cliff diving. I want to jump from the top."She said almost wistfully as she watched the next figure take a running start and fling himself off further into empty space than the others and she thought, **_**'Look at him! He's twisting and doing cartwheels! It's almost like he's skydiving. He looks like he's absolutely freed—unthinking and utterly irresponsible.'**_

"**Bella, you just wanted me to call an ambulance for Sam." Jacob said with a frown. "Okay—we'll go, but not today--when it gets warmer; and not from the top." He rolled his eyes. "Sometimes you're a little strange, Bella. Do you know that?' Then he mentally added, **_**'But as long as you're strange around me--it's all good though.'**_

**Chandra next showed us a conglomeration of scenes involving Bella and Jacob. They were getting parts for the bikes at the junk yard, doing homework, hiking, even in the movie theater with Mike Newton. In each scene, Bella appears to be a little brighter, happier. Then the visual started showing the accidents. In many of their activities Bella seems to be a little more reckless. Included in the visual were accidents that left Bella bleeding and on her way to the emergency room. Most of those seemed to involve the dangerous red 'suicycle'—to borrow Charlie's made-up word. It's a good thing he'd never seen any of this. He'd turn around and 'ground her' all over again. Never mind that she was married, a mother, and not living at home anymore. In the visuals with Bella and Jacob, were of course, Mother Chandra and Samon. The former looking on with much concern--the latter two usually just shaking their heads in mild amusement at all of the ways Bella found to cause injury to herself. Injuries caused to bring back, at least my 'voice', into her life. The voice heard over the entire visual collage, didn't belong to Bella or Jacob. No, it belonged to me; my mental voice. The one Samon created for Bella to hear and help her cope with my absence. It was a little unnerving the things my 'voice' had said to her and how uncanny that voice was. Of course, had I been there watching her do half the things she was doing, I would have said those exact words for real.**

'_**Bella stop this right now. You promised—nothing stupid. Keep your promise. Bella turn around. This is reckless and childish and idiotic, Bella. I told you so. Do you want to kill yourself then? Is that what this is all about? Go home to Charlie. No, Bella! Watch what you're doing! And it ended with a growl of aggravation.'**_

**Jacob drew her out of her shell; however, it appeared he didn't do as well in the 'keeping her safe' department. Of course, a mental flash of a ballet studio in Phoenix reminded me I wasn't the best in that department either.**

*******

**The next scene was of me and the beginning of my pitiful attempt to track Victoria. It showed me traveling through Texas where I'd been tricked into taking a false, stronger concentration of that foul woman's scent and wound up clear down in Brazil. As far away from Forks as was 'humanly' possible to get without involving oceanic travel. I was surrounded by the dense green foliage just outside of Rio de Janeiro, when my thoughts picked up at the trails end. Of course, Llasa and Dagda were there looking as frustrated as I was about to become.**

'_**No, this cannot be happening. What in the world would Victoria want with a hot, sunny and green destination--Brazil? Yet, I'm here and it's right here where the trail has abruptly ended.'**_

**In the visual I watch as I turned around in a circle. My face full of confusion and frustration, my thoughts continued. **_**'I have failed.'**_** I watched as I inhaled deeply numerous times taking in every scent around me. **_**'All I can detect is the nearby wildlife and surrounding trees. There's no other trace of Victoria.' **_**I screamed out a snarl in disgust. **_**'The trail I've followed to Brazil is false. How could I have been so blind and idiotic? It never really occurred to me I might fail. I have been played for such a fool. What is the matter with me?"**_

**Llasa stood facing me and began a naming my problems. "You're stubborn, to self-sacrificing, you don't follow your heart, you over-think things, you assume you always know what's best, you don't take direction well, you have to always be right, you insist on doing things the hard way and obviously, you're not a very good tracker."**

**Dagda shook his head at his brother-in-Law, "Llasa, I believe his comment was a rhetorical one."**

**Llasa looked abashed, "Oh, sorry Edward," he said as though I could've heard him. "But are you ready to listen to reason yet? I certainly hope so because if you are, Bella needs you. She needs you back in Forks—not in Brazil."**

_**Agggh, I detested myself for being so unaware. Why couldn't I have the skill of tracking instead of the ability to read minds? My vampire talent seems so insignificant now because the one mind I desire to read was unreachable to me. Why can't I have a skill that is able to protect Bella?'**_

**Llasa sighed, "Well I guessing then…maybe not."**

**I watched and remembered how demoralized I'd felt as I fell to the ground and rested my head on my knees. **

**Dagda picked it up then. "You know, it's been six months now. That's two months more than Chandra figured he was good for. Maybe we should put some real pressure on him now." **

**Llasa rubbed his hands together and said, "Excellent, let's get to work."**

**Then the two of them proceeded to gang up on me, whispering comments in my ears about Bella, about her beautiful brown eyes, about how sweet her lips were to kiss even with the crazy burn, About how kind and warm and caring she was and about how endearing her accident prone nature was. They were relentless in their attack. They gave me no peace. Every thought they placed in my mind found its mark, while I battled every one of them with my conviction to keep Bella safe. To keep her away from me so she could have a life. There was a war zone inside my mind.**

'_**My head is gyrating. I'm so confused. How could I have been so wrong? And more importantly, what should I do now? I could go back to Texas and follow the other scent. Or I could go back to Washington and begin the hunt again. NO!!! I wouldn't be strong enough to stay away from Bella again, if I went back. All I want is for Bella to take me in her arms lovingly and soothe away my pain and foolishness. I am ready to surrender; ready to go back--back to Forks--back to my Bella.'**_

"**That's right, Edward! Go back to Bella. Go back to Forks. That is the right choice." Dagda said happily. I got up from the ground. I raked my hands through my hair and walked towards the city lights of Rio.**

"**Where exactly does he think he's going?" Llasa said.**

"**The wrong way for Forks, That's where." Dagda said in frustration. Llasa answered with a cloudburst that opened up a rain bomb directly over my head.**

**The visual showed me wandering around the streets of Rio. I remembered it. I had spent eight days there, arguing with myself – contemplating what decision I should make. I was a mess. I paid no attention to my surroundings or anything else around me, so lost was I to my internal struggles.**

'_**I don't know what I should do. I feel like the two different sides of my brain are in a constant dispute; One side arguing to stay away, to remain in my own desolation, my own nothingness, whilst the other side screams at me to go back to the over clouded town of Forks. I am literally torn apart. I have to face up to reality – I can't track and I can't protect my Bella.'**_

"**No you can't Edward," Llasa said dejectedly. "…at least not from here you can't."**

**Well, of course while I was down south, wasting precious time being ineffective and running around in circles, Jacob was busy doing what I was not—protecting Bella—emotionally as well as physically. Thanks to Chandra, my new hind sight was better than 20-20. It was more like vampire hind sight.**

*******

**I had always wondered what was so terrifying in Bella's dreams while I was gone that had left her waking up screaming night after night. I had heard about this from not just Alice but caught memories of her terror-filled screams straight from Charlie's head as he remembered them often in my presence. Well, I didn't have to wonder anymore. Chandra had decided it was time to open up Bella's nightmare to me and the rest of my family.**

**The first image was one of Bella tossing and turning in her bed and as was her way, the night's stillness was broken by the sound of her sleep talking. This time her voice was stress-filled and the dent was between her eyebrows. The vision faded through her head and into a dimly lit forest. There was nothing but endless trees and Bella was searching for something. She hurried on through the gloom without a path and as she went she ran faster and faster. **_**'I can't find it! Where is it? Oh, why isn't it here? Maybe it's over this way.'**_** She changed direction yet the scenery stayed the same. The only sound in the dream was the sounds of Bella's own thoughts. There was no sound of her passage, no rustle of the ferns as she crushed them under foot, no sounds of wind or rain. Nothing but dead silence. Her pace picks up as she runs faster and faster, her panic is more pronounced in her thoughts as well. **

'_**Where…where…where…is it? If I can't find it, then I have nothing. But it's here somewhere. I know it is. It has to be here somewhere. It just has to be.'**_** As Bella became more desperate in her dream state, she tripped and fell—all with no sound. Her thoughts become more frantic as well. **_**'If I don't find it, then my life has no meaning and this is all there is for me. I have to find it. It just has to be here.'**_** Finally, she stopped and turned in a circle; her face awash in deeper fear and dread. **_**'What was it I was looking for? I don't know.**_** (She paused) **_**I don't remember. No matter how hard I try, I can't remember what it is. What it is I'm looking for. **_** (This time there was a longer pause. Then she turns in a slower circle) **_**I'm like a lost moon—my planet destroyed in some cataclysmic disaster—continuing my tight little orbit around the empty space left behind.' **_**Then the dream lifted above Bella and she was standing in a clearing in the woods. I recognized the woods. It was the woods where my family's white house rests. Only in Bella's nightmare, there was no house just a sea of ferns surrounded by the dense forest. She stood alone at the spot where the house should have been. '**_**There is nothing here for me to find. There never has been and there never will be. This is all there is left for me--just nothing. I am alone—truly alone.**_** (She turned around one last time and this time as she did there was an echo, of hurtful words I'd left with her, **_**'It will be as if I never existed.'**_** Chanted—taunting her.) **_**…nothing at all.' **_**And then she screamed and sank to her knees with her head in her hands. **

**What kind of pain had I left my Bella behind to face? I didn't do her any favors. No, she had never come close to explaining to me the depths of the hell she had suffered. Hell I had put her through. Not by being in her life but by leaving her life.**

'**Okay," Emmet said in the saddest voice I'd ever heard him use. "Now, I'm glad I don't dream. That was freaking me out."**

"**Mom you had a scary nightmare." Renesmee said from my Mother's lap. 'Where did our house go?"**

"**It was sort of invisible." Bella told her with the weakest of smiles. "But it was only a dream. Everything is fine now so don't worry about it." She said gently to our daughter who reached over and gave Bella a kiss on the cheek.**

"**I love you Mommy." She said in her sweet musical soprano voice.**

"**I know. I love you too sweetie." Bella responded. **

*******

"**Well Edward, hopefully that kind of helps you understand how Bella became such good friends with Jacob Black" Chandra said with a small shrug. "Now I'd like to show you how the shape shifters became involved in protecting Bella, during your prolonged absence." **

**The visual changed again. Its focus shifted back to Bella--this time without Jacob. She was in her kitchen on the phone calling repeatedly to find out if he was sick, had he gone to the doctor yet, was he up for visitors. As the days went by, her countenance fell perceptively. Bella, being the astute person she was, had seen through the lie and was enveloped by loneliness. She often clutched at her chest, wrapped her arms around herself as though in an effort to hold herself together. She was often shown hunched over and gasping for air. Unlike her life before she became involved with me, this time Bella wasn't handling alone very well at all.**

**Chandra then set the stage by telling us she would give us some snippets of the next Saturday. This was the Saturday Bella had promised herself she would somehow make it over to see Jacob. Of course, what she didn't understand at the time was Jacob had finally phased into a werewolf and had been forbidden, for her own safety, from seeing Bella. She has just gotten off the phone from speaking to Billy who had told her Jacob was no longer sick but was going to Pt. Angeles with some friends. Charlie was getting ready to go fishing. In the visual, Bella had just hung up the phone.**

"**Billy says Jacob is feeling better. So that's good." Bella said sadly. **_**'He just isn't feeling well enough to put up with my company I guess.'**_

'**No, it's not that." My Mother told her. "Don't think that!"**

"**Is he coming here or are you going there?" Charlie asked absently while he rummaged through the refrigerator. '**_**Where is the mustard? Ah, there it is. And where are the cold cuts?'**_

"**Neither," Bella said reluctantly. "He's going out with some other friends." She said in poorly disguised dejection. **_**'Jacob must have changed his mind. He must have decided not to waste his time anymore on someone who can't return his feelings.'**_** In the visual Bella's face went from its fair ivory color to pure white. **

**Before she collected herself, Charlie slowly lifted himself out from inside the refrigerator door. His expression was alarmed; his hand frozen around a package of cheese slices. **_**'Oh hell no, not again; I should have seen this coming all week. She isn't better. Jacob was a Band-Aid and that Band-Aid just got ripped off her still gaping wound from Edward. I can't leave her like this. What if she gets like she was before?'**_

"**Well, this isn't good. Bella's going to go hiking for the meadow by herself today." Chandra said carefully.**

'_**Uh Oh, This is just great! Now I've scared Dad! No sense in having him hovering around me all day—afraid I'll get all 'mopey' again.'**_** She spoke up then. "Isn't it a little early for lunch?" Bella asked in an attempt to hide her sorrow and change the subject.**

"**Where's Victoria?" Mother asked Chandra in alarm.**

"**No, I'm just packing something to take out to the river. Harry called and it's not raining." Charlie said slowly as he created a stack of food on the counter. "Say, did you want me to stay with you, since Jake's out?" He then continued with his thoughts. **_**'I want to go fishing but Harry will understand. If Bella needs me, she comes first. She is my main priority. I've got to be a better Dad.'**_

"**That's okay, Dad," Bella said suppressing emotion, "The fish bite better when the weather's nice."**

'_**I don't know. She's good at pushing her feelings behind a lead wall. Maybe I'd better cancel.'**_** Charlie thought slowly.**

"**Victoria took out a hiker yesterday and now she's back in Seattle getting ready to change someone into a newborn." Chandra said.**

"**It's Laurent we should be worrying about here." Samon added.**

"**Seriously Dad, I think I'll call Jessica. We have a Calculus test to study for. I could use her help." Then Bella continued, her thought voice was dry, **_**'True, I could use her help, but I'll just have to do without it. Jessica has definitely gone over to the dark side. But it will be easier for me, and better for him, to not take Charlie down the drain with me today.'**_

"**Laurent?" Mother asked them in confusion. "Isn't he in Denali?"**

"**Okay," Charlie said to Bella, "But I just want you to be careful to stay out of the woods, like I told you before. We've got more bear trouble. A missing hiker this time…" Charlie said reluctantly, **_**'Yes, Bella should be okay as long as she stays on the main road and straight to Jessica's and back. I can at least keep Bella safe from that huge deadly black bear.'**_

"**No, He's not in Denali." Samon said grimly. "He's here and headed for Edward's meadow—the same place Bella is planning to go to, and he's hunting today."**

"**No! We've got to stop her!" Mother wailed.**

"**I'll let Ephraim know to send the wolves over there." Chandra said in a troubled tone.**

*******

**Then the scene changed to show Bella very determinedly studying a map and with a compass. I was impressed at how hard she'd worked to find our meadow. Of course that observation I made with a small fraction of my brain. This would be my first complete look at exactly what had happened that March morning when Bella met up with Laurent in our meadow. All the while in the visual as Bella walked, Mother and Samon told her to go home, to turn around, because it was a bad idea to be in the woods; that she'd be better off if she just left. Stubborn as always, Bella kept going. Suddenly she was there. She looked around and her thoughts picked up here as she looked around her drinking in the beauties of that lovely place.**

'_**I'm here! I recognize it! Of course I recognize it, the symmetry, the waving grass and the stream bubbling quietly to the east. Not quite so stunning without the sunlight--without him. But still, it's very beautiful and serene. I guess it's a little early for the wildflowers but the grass is tall and sways like ripples in a lake when taken by a light breeze. Yes, it's the same place, but somehow, it just doesn't hold what I'm looking for.'**_

**Abruptly she sagged to her knees there at the edge of the clearing and began gasping.**_** 'What's the point of going further? Nothing meaningful is left here. Nothing but memories I can call back whenever I want—whenever I want to endure the corresponding pain, that is. The pain that has me…right…now…has me cold. There's nothing special about this place without him.' **_**Bella hung her head and was racked with sobs for a time. **_** 'I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting to find here or feel here, this meadow is as empty as everywhere else; just like my nightmares. Good thing I'm here alone. I don't think I could disguise the abyss I feel like I'm falling into now. No way to explain how I'm fracturing into pieces and have to curl myself into a ball to keep my empty hole from tearing me apart. No, it's much better without an audience. Plus, I don't have to explain why I'm in such a hurry to leave now either. How lucky I am I'm here…alone.'**_

"**Get up dear," Mother said urgently to Bella. "There isn't time for your sorrow just now. You need to get going immediately." **

**Bella slowly and with great effort unrolled herself and got to her feet. **_**'…alone.'**_

"**No Bella," Samon said directly into her face. "You are definitely NOT alone here. Turn around now. Leave!" He paused and then sighed and added, "Too late." **

**Just then Laurent stepped out into the meadow in the visual from thirty human paces away. With him were two dark being.**

"**Oh, this can't be happening." Samon said in exasperation. "Not dark beings again. Well, Elizabeth, I'm going to have to let you take the lead for now. Chandra is coming with the wolf pack now but they're tracking Laurent and haven't come upon Bella's scent yet. Chandra says it will be another five minutes before they are to her truck and catch her scent. So somehow we need to drag this out a bit. I can tell you this. Laurent is more into emotional torture than physical. Not that Bella's up for much of either right now. But do what you can to give the shape shifters time to get here." **

**Bella's thoughts picked up almost immediately, **_**'How did someone get out here? Wait, this person is too still, with his pallid skin and his shock of black hair. But I feel anxious almost--fear because he isn't the one I love. No he's not the one I grieve for but it isn't a stray hiker either. It's someone I've seen before…'**_

"**Be on your toes Bella," My Mother said. She was definitely stressed out. "This is Laurent. Remember him?"**

"**Laurent!" Bella cried out to him in a tone of surprised pleasure. **_**'That's not a rational response. What am I thinking? He was with James. I should have stuck with fear. That would make more sense. But Laurent was different than James and Victoria because he went to live in Denali with Tanya's family and they respect human life. So, this is okay. Not only that, but its proof somewhere in the world he does exist! Hmmm, this guy looks the same as he did last year. Why does that bother me?'**_

"**It's his eyes, that's why he looks the same. Look at his eyes." Elizabeth said sternly. The two dark beings screamed at her interference. She turned them a deaf ear. They didn't like that too much. **

"**Bella?" Laurent said in astonishment. **_**'Well, this is a treat--literally! And to think, James died to drain her and Victoria is going all out to make her a four course meal, and yet, despite all that, she just gives herself to me; oh, the irony of it all!'**_

"**You remember." Bella smiled. **_**'That's stupid, of course he remembers. He's a vampire for crying out loud. No reason for me to get all giddy over it.'**_

"**No Bella, this is not a good thing here." Mother was shaking her head.**

**Laurent grinned, "I didn't expect to see you here." He said as he strolled casually towards her. **_**'Oh, why not play with my food a little bit. I did learn a little something from all those years with James.'**_

"**Isn't it the other way around? I do live here. I thought you'd gone to Alaska. **

'_**Yes, but when I want to eat something a little more intelligent than a Moose, I hunt a little further away from home.'**_** "You're right," Laurent agreed. "I did go to Alaska." **_**'Now, to see how she reacts to the mention of the Cullens. I'd overheard something Tanya was saying to Eliazar about them heading to their place for a visit soon.' **_**He pressed on, "Still, I didn't expect… When I found the Cullen place empty, I thought they'd moved on."**

"**See he already knows she's been left behind." Samon instructed Mother. "He's already starting laying his 'web of pain'.**

**Mother nodded her head and said to Bella. "Don't let him get to you. Be strong now."**

"**Oh," Bella answered weakly biting her lip. "They did move on," She finally admitted**_**. 'Oh, just the mention of their name hurts. It feels like the raw edge of my wound is throbbing--again.'**_** The dark beings began dancing around as Bella's thoughts became sadder.**

'_**Oh yes! There's the reaction. This is so much fun. I never could figure out what their fixation was with this frail little girl. I think I'll take another go at it.'**_** "Hmmm," Laurent murmured. "I'm surprised they left you behind. Weren't you sort of a pet of theirs?" His expression was full of innocence; holding no intended offense.**

"**Bella, listen to me," Mother said. "There's more here to worry about than this little number he's trying to pull on you. You need to look at his eyes. Do you hear me? Look into his eyes."**

"**Something like that," Bella said smiling wryly. **_**'I need to try and focus on something else. I don't want to lose it in front of Laurent. So…what then? How about the puzzle about why it bothers me Laurent looks the same as last time I saw him…hmmm. No, Laurent looks the same because of his eyes. They aren't golden from feeding on animals. They're red from feeding on…humans.'**_** In the visual Bella took an involuntary step backwards.**

"**Do they visit often?" Laurent asked, still casual but from the visual it was easy to see the slight shift forward in her direction. **_**'I can get the information Victoria is looking for and report it to her without telling her I already took care of her little problem myself--such a delectable solution! Surely she knows a tiny step backwards will do her no good after her dance with James.'**_

"**You know what," Samon said. "Let's bring in Edward's voice again. She'll listen to that too." Mother nodded her head.**

'_**Lie'**_** My own voice ordered Bella from a whisper of dread.**

'_**Edward? Are you here? Oh, no just the voice in my head. Well, I guess it shouldn't surprise me. I am in the worst danger imaginable now. Heck, that crazy motorcycle was kittens next to this. Well, I can try to do what he's asking me to do at least. I don't have anything left to lose at this point.' **_** "Now and again," Bella said unconvincingly. "The time seems longer to me, I imagine. You know they get distracted…" **_**'Shut up already, I'm babbling here.'**_

"**Take a deep breath and try to remain calm." Mother encouraged her. One of the dark beings tried to nip at her foot. She turned around and stomped it firmly. It backed up surprised at her strength.**

"**Hmmm," Laurent added, "The house smelled like it had been vacant for a while…" **_**'This little slip of a girl has to be the poorest liar I've ever seen! It's actually comical. I might just prolong this 'appetizer' for its comical relief.'**_

'_**You must lie better than that Bella,"**_** my voice urged her.**

"**I'll have to mention to Carlisle you stopped by. He'll be sorry they missed your visit." She pretended to deliberate for a second. "But I probably shouldn't mention it to--Edward, I suppose" From the visual Bella's face twisted in pain as mentioning my name ruined her bluff. She soldiered on. "He has such a temper. Well, I'm sure you remember. He's still touchy about the whole James thing." She rolled her eyes and waived her hand dismissively but there was an edge of hysteria to her delivery. **_**'Oh, I blew that. Hopefully he won't recognize my tone for the terror I'm trying to suppress.'**_

"**Yes, it could have gone better, but you're just getting started." Mother told her by way of a pep talk.**

"**Is he really?" Laurent asked in pleasant disbelief. **_**'This just gets better and better. What will she come up with next?'**_

**As her fear level increased so did the definition to the dark beings. Already their beady yellow and mold green eyes were clearer and their red tongues made their appearance every time they laughed in glee.**

'_**I can't say anything more. I'm too panicked. It'll just give me away for sure.'**_** She took another tiny step backwards, almost tripping over a small stone. "Mm-hmm." **

"**Okay," Mother said. "I'm afraid you're going to have to keep talk because we need to draw this out a bit. Stall Bella alright--just stall."**

'_**Let's turn up the panic a bit more. It does so much in adding to the sport.'**_** The dark beings positively feasted on her fear. Their black bodies became more defined as they absorbed the negative energy around them. Laurent took a casual step to the side that brought him even closer to Bella.**

**There was a sound of my own snarl in response.**

"**Perhaps you can talk about Denali." Mother offered.**

'_**Change the subject to anything else. What do I know about Laurent?'**_** "So how are things working out in Denali? Carlisle said you were staying with Tanya?" **_**'Oh, my voice is way too high. It may be too late for tricking him anyway.'**_

"**Finally," Samon said in relief. "A bite."**

**Mother looked at him in alarm. **

"**Sorry Elizabeth that was a wrong choice of words." He added somewhat abashed.**

**Laurent paused in his tracks. "I like Tanya very much; And her sister, Irina even more. I've never stayed in one place for so long before, and I enjoy the novelty of it. But the restrictions are difficult. I'm surprised any of them can keep it up for long." **_**'There some honesty for the human who knows too much already. There, something else for her to take to her early grave with her; and now to turn up the adrenaline a little more.' **_**Laurent looked at Bella and added conspiratorially, "Sometimes I cheat." He smiled broadly.**

"**Oh, thank goodness the wolves have found Bella's truck now and are on their way. They should be here within four minutes." They both looked somewhat relieved.**

'_**Oh no, I can't swallow. I think I'm getting dizzy. Am I breathing here?'**_** From the visual, Bella started to take another step backwards. Laurent caught the movement and she froze mid-step. "Oh," she said. "Jasper has a problem with that too."**

'_**Don't move'**_** my voice whispered to her.**

'_**I'm trying but it's so hard. I want to run so badly. I can hardly stop here from taking flight; or at least trying to.' **_** Bella thought in sheer terror.**

**The dark beings, reacted this time by starting their insistent chittering sounds that snaked throughout the meadow and echoed back in. Thank goodness Bella wasn't able to hear them when this scene played out for real. She was already scared to death. Nessie didn't like them very much either. She was holding her hands over her ears and had turned her face into Mother's embrace as we watched it together this time.**

"**Really? Is that why they left?" Laurent asked with interest. **_**'Left you here all alone unprotected, and delicious?'**_

"**No, Jasper is more careful at home." Bella said reluctantly. **_**'This isn't good. The need to run is as intense as it was in that stupid ballet studio. That didn't turn out so well for me, but at least that time the Cullens came. Well, I guess I'm on my own this time.'**_

"**Yes, I am too." Laurent agreed. The Dark beings surged into a frenzy from anticipation.**

"**Draw it out some more Elizabeth. We've got another three and a half minutes before the Quileutes get here."**

**Then from the visual Laurent took a very deliberate step towards her. **_**'Oh yes, with the heightened adrenaline rushing through her veins, it's like ringing the dinner bell. Come and get me!'**_

"**Change the subject again Bella. Ask him about baseball, or how he likes Alaska, or maybe how his old friends are doing." Mother suggested.**

'_**Oh, distract him with something. What though?'**_** She spoke without considering, "Did Victoria ever find you" **_**'That wasn't too bright! Victoria--not the person I wanted to think about right now.'**_

**But it did stop his advance. Mother and Samon both let out a sigh of relief.**

"**Yes, I actually came here as a favor to her. She won't be too happy about this." Laurent made a small sad face. Then he grinned as he thought, **_**'No, best not to mention it to her.'**_

"**About what?" Bella asked eagerly as if inviting him to continue.**

"**This isn't good. He's going to unveil his plans for her and that will up her adrenaline and those dark beings are going to get even more powerful." Samon said worriedly.**

**He smiled back like a destroying angel. "About me killing you."**

**Bella staggered back and my growl issued from her head menacingly but ineffectually. **_**'This is it then. Why am I dragging this out? It isn't going to make any difference now?'**_

**Sure enough, the dark beings did grow more in definition as their anticipation mounted.**

"**She wanted to save that part for herself. She's sort of…put out with you, Bella." He said in amusement. **_**'Put out with you for existing but I can fix that right now.'**_

"**Me?" Bella's voice took on an even higher timber. **_**'Victoria…What did I do to her?'**_

"**You didn't do anything dear," Mother comforted her. "That vile woman has a twisted mind, that's all."**

'_**This is rich. The aroma of her fear mixing with her blood pumping faster and faster is absolutely intoxicating.'**_** Laurent shook his head and chuckled, "I know, it seems a little backward to me, too. But James was her mate, and your Edward killed him."**

'_**Edward, why did he have to say his name? Even here on the point of death, his name still tears against my unhealed wounds like a serrated edge. Edward.' **_

**The dark beings danced and slithered around Bella now.**

**Samon said, "We've got three more minutes before the wolf pack arrives.**

'_**Yes, I see how that hurts you. He figured it out didn't he? That's why he left you here unprotected isn't it. It's because you're not worth the trouble to protect.'**_** "She thought it more appropriate to kill you than Edward—fair turnabout, mate for mate." Laurent went on seemingly oblivious to the pain his words imparted. **_**'Or at least mate for cast-off--in this case'**_** However his thoughts told his true malicious nature. **_**'…and now to twist the knife some more; maybe it will be a mercy to her to die after I cut out her heart figuratively. Maybe when I'm done with her I'll do that anyway just for good measure.' **_**He continued verbally, "She asked me to get the lay of the land for her, so to speak. I didn't imagine you would be so easy to get to. So maybe her plan was flawed—apparently it wouldn't be the revenge she imagined, since you must not mean very much to him if he left you here unprotected." **_**'Another direct hit; amazing how every emotional blow seems to increase her adrenaline levels. Interesting.'**_

'_**Oh, another blow; another tear through my chest.'**_** Bella thought in pain.**

"**Be strong Bella. Don't let him have this kind of power over you. Edward would be here now if he had any sense at all." Mother said to Bella. Then over to Samon she added, "Where is he anyway? Chandra said he was supposed to be back over two months ago."**

"**He's just leaving Rio trying to figure out what to do about losing Victoria's scent." Samon said. They both shook their heads. Then Samon looked at Laurent. "Great, he's getting ready to move this right along and we still have two minutes and forty five seconds until the posse arrives.**

**Laurent shifted his weight and Bella stumbled her way back another step**_**. 'Okay, enough for the appetizers. It's time for the main course.' **_** "I suppose she'll be angry, all the same." He said with a slight shake to his head as he frowned.**

"**Then why not wait for her?" Bella choked out. **_**'Why am I prolonging this? I'm a goner already.'**_

**A mischievous grin rearranged Laurent's features. "Well, you've caught me at a bad time, Bella. I didn't come to this place on Victoria's mission—I was hunting. I'm quite thirsty, and you do smell…simply mouthwatering." **_**'In fact, I can't believe I've toyed with you this long. It's kind of entertaining having food talk back to you.'**_

**The dark beings started climbing up on Bella's legs and Mother kicked them off. As a result they started jumping on her. She went down under their ferocity.**

**Samon called out to her, "Elizabeth!" He raised his hand and she gained her feet. The dark beings were shocked as she deftly flung them from her." She brushed her shoulders off and adjusted her skirt. "Sorry Elizabeth, I strengthen you, but if I did anything directly to them…"**

"**I understand Samon," She said very courteously. "You would have alerted them to your involvement and they would have sent more…many more." She shook her head as though shaking off a bad thought. "This is fine. How much more time do we need?"**

"**We need two more minutes and twenty seconds." He informed her. She nodded her head and marched towards Bella and Laurent as though she was an army drill sergeant.**

'**Threaten him,' my voice, distorted with dread, commanded Bella.**

"**He'll know it was you," Bella whispered obediently. "You won't get away with this." **_**'Right, it's not like Edward will ever know or care anyway.'**_

"**Stop that Bella!" My Mother commanded her. "Now, you know that's not true at all. Of course he cares. If you can just look deep in your heart, you'd see the truth too."**

"**And why not?" Laurent's smile widened. He gazed around the small opening in the trees. "The scent will wash away with the next rain. No one will find your body—you'll simply go missing, like so many other humans." **_**'Where should I place the next emotional stab?'**_** "There's no reason for Edward to think of me, if he cares to investigate. This is nothing personal; let me assure you, Bella. Just thirst." **_**'But I must admit, it has been very enjoyable making it personal!'**_** Apparently the dark beings were back and enjoyed making it personal also.**

"**Beg," My hallucination voice insisted.**

**The dark beings tried to climb onto Bella again. Mother removed them by kicking them with her foot.**

"**Please," Bella gasped. **_**'I'm sure that will stop him—not!'**_** her thoughts were derisive.**

**Laurent shook his head, his face kind and friendly, "Look at it this way, Bella. You're very lucky I was the one to find you." **_**'I'm lucky as well. I get it now; why James liked to play with his food.'**_

"**Ha!" Mother scoffed at him. "We'll just see who has the luck at the end of the day, you scoundrel."**

"**Am I?" She whispered as she faltered back another step.**

"**Two minutes and ten seconds," Samon informed Mother.**

**Laurent followed her lithe and graceful**

"**Drag it out a little longer Bella dear; you're doing well." Mother said worriedly.**

"**Yes," Laurent assured her. "I'll be very quick. You won't feel a thing, I promise." **_**'I've already inflicted my torture—emotional torture that is. I'm all done playing with my food now.'**_** "Oh, I'll lie to Victoria about that later, naturally, just to placate her. But if you knew what she had planned for you, Bella…" Laurent shook his head in disgust. **_**'Creating a newborn army to get one small little girl. What kind of overkill is she playing at anyway?' **_**"I swear you'd be thanking me for this."**

"**Oh yes," Mother said reprovingly, "Yes, we can all see you're quite the gentleman." She added scathingly while simultaneously kicking a dark being coming up behind her with a back kick. Then without missing a beat she turned to Bella and said, "Don't listen to him Bella. He's hot off his rocker, that one. And what he doesn't know is help is on the way!'**

**Bella stared at him in horror. **_**'Why didn't I listen to Edward—He isn't the most dangerous thing in the forest? Why didn't I listen to my Dad—maybe the big bear will come and fight Laurent for his meal and I could escape. Yeah, and may cows can lay eggs. I'm a goner now. It's over. I'm done for. And here I thought Jake not wanting to spend time with me was the worst thing that would happen to me today. Looks more like it's a good day to die--whether I like it or not.'**_

"**Fantastic, the pack started hearing how close it was getting and really put the speed on. They'll be here in ten seconds." Samon said with excitement. Then he turned to Mother and said, "I have to say Elizabeth, that last move was quite impressive."**

"**Thank you." She responded with a grim smile.**

**Jared/wolf's thoughts filled the clearing although they were at the time, only heard by the wolf pack and the supernaturals. **_**'Is it just my imagination, or does it seem like Bella knows this leech?'**_

**The breeze blew threads of Bella's hair in Laurent's direction. Much as it did that fateful night back in the baseball field for James.**

**Jacob/wolf's voice was heard though the visual though he was not seen there in the clearing. **_**'No, I doubt it. Anyway, I've seen Edward and he doesn't look like any Cullen I ever saw. And I don't want to wait for him to attack. If he bites her she's a goner either way. I say we move now.'**_

"**Did you hear Jacob?" Samon asked Mother. She nodded and he continued. "They're here but we need them to come out now. Chandra is telling Ephraim to get a move on." **

"**Help is here right now, dear." Mother said to try to comfort Bella. Then added, "Hold on."**

**The voice of Ephraim Black's thoughts came from the forest edge. "Come on now Jacob, you don't want to see that pretty girl turned into a blood sucker. She'd stink to high heaven. You'd better light a fire under Sam boy over there before it's too late!"**

**Jacob/wolf's thoughts filled the clearing though he wasn't seen yet. **_**'Sam, come on! We can't wait until he attacks. He clearly isn't a Cullen and he isn't following the treaty. If we wait until he bites her, it's too late. We have to act now!'**_

**Laurent inhaled deeply and added, "Mouthwatering."**

**In response, Bella tensed as she cringed away and closed her eyes tightly. My furious enraged roar issued from her mind at the same time her thoughts said quietly, **_**'I can say his name now. His name I've so carefully hid behind the walls in my mind I've built to contain it. Burst out and be free…my Edward, Edward, Edward. It shouldn't matter if I think of him now. I'm going to die any second. Edward, I love you.'**_

**Sam/wolf's voice came from the cover of the forest, **_**'I agree with you Jacob. But I will come out first. We don't want to scare Bella so badly she makes a wrong move and the vampire attacks her first. I'll tell you when to join me. Let's turn the tables on the black headed vampire and see how he likes it when someone else plays with him while he dangles on a hook!'**_

**Laurent was inhaling again and abruptly turned his head to the left**_**. 'Wait…' Laurent thought, 'Now that's different. Is something coming after my prey?'**_

**Paul/Wolf's thought voice howled in agreement, **_**'Woo hoo! Its open season on blood suckers today!'**_

**Bella's thoughts were still in a state of shocked panic. She didn't know her deliverance was already there. **_**'What is he looking at now? I can't afford to look. I mean, come on, it isn't like he needs some kind of trick or distraction to overpower me. What is he doing now? He's backing away?'**_

'_**No—not my prey. This something is coming after me--and coming fast.' **_**"I don't believe it." Laurent said his voice low and barely audible to Bella's then human ears.**

**Jared/Wolf thought excitedly, **_**'This is going to be a walk in the park! Five against one; I like them odds!'**_

'_**What? What is it that has somehow spared my life for a few moments.'**_** Bella scanned the forest around the meadow's edge. When she didn't see anything her gaze shifted back to her primary threat, Laurent. **_**'He's leaving faster now. More quickly and his eyes never leave that spot in the forest. What is he looking at?'**_

'_**This is wrong somehow.'**_** Laurent thought in growing alarm. **_**'This shouldn't be happening. What is that scent? It's like an animal but it repels and it smells…dangerous somehow.'**_

**Sam/wolf thought to his wolf brothers, **_**'And now for a curtain call.'**_** There were mental howls of anticipation from the rest of the pack.**

**Embry/wolf thought in satisfaction, **_**'It's time for a little payback. Revenge is a dish that is best served cold--stone cold.'**_

**The visual showed Laurent as he backed away and Sam, in wolf form, who had just entered the meadow. Quiet as a ghost, he stalked deliberately towards Laurent. There was a shadow of a Quileute warrior with him. He was speaking directly to Sam but his voice was not heard in the visual. With a start I realized this was Sam's guardian angel. Sam/wolf let out a grisly snarl from between his teeth that rumbled across the clearing like a prolonged crack of thunder.**

'_**Oh, it's the bear. Oh help now. That 'bear' is enormous—tall as a horse, but he's thicker, much more muscular. This bear…only wait, he's not a bear at all. Still, this gigantic black monster has to be the monster causing all the alarm. I guess from a distance, anyone would assume it was a bear. I mean, what else could be so vast or so powerfully built? Too bad I'm not seeing it from further away--instead of what, ten feet away. Oh help, please help!'**_

**Sam/wolf thought to his brothers, **_**'Dang it, it's not so easy to scare the leech without scaring the girl too.'**_

'_**Don't move an inch,'**_** my voice whispered to Bella in the visual.**

'_**I can't look away from that monster. I can't even think straight to put a name to it. Looks more canine instead of a bear; the way it moves and the cast to the shape of him. It has to be a …wolf? But they can't possibly get that big!'**_** It would have sounded like a teacher's lecture if Bella's thought voice wasn't breathless with fear and the edge of terror wasn't in evidence.**

**Sam growled menacingly again and Bella shuddered in response. **_**'Sorry Bella,'**_** he thought in her direction as though she could hear understand.**

**Laurent was backing towards the edge of the trees he looked afraid for the first time. **_**'This can't be the shape shifters Irina mentioned? No, it can't be. She said they'd disappeared over forty years ago. But he's not afraid of me. Normal wolves would be. But this is not a normal wolf…and I smell more than one—so they're cunning and they ARE dangerous.'**_

**Bella's thoughts were deeply confused as well as still being terrified. **_**'Why is Laurent retreating? I mean, sure the wolf is huge but still, he's just an animal. What reason in the world would a vampire have for fearing an animal? And he is afraid. There's no doubt about that. Somehow, I'm sure he's as frightened as me.'**_

**Sam/wolf thought to his pack brothers, **_**'Okay, it's time to take this show on the road. Move out!'**_

**Then in the visual, Sam/wolf was suddenly not alone but flanked on either side by two more, one gray and one brown. They also each had a guardian angel in tow. Before either Bella or Laurent could react, there were two more wolves and 'angels' there as well. Jacob as a wolf with his rusty brown fur came through so close to Bella she could touch it. Ephraim Black was by his side. Unlike the other wolves' angels, we were able to hear Ephraim clearly. In the visual Bella gasped and jumped back.**

'_**That's the stupidest thing I could have done.' **_**Bella thought through her panic. **_**'Any minute now, the wolves will turn on me. I mean, come on, I'm the weaker of the available prey here and what would stone taste like?**_** (Pause**_**) Oh, why doesn't Laurent just get on with it and crush this behemoth wolf pack—it should be so simple for him. I mean, either way, I'm a goner but if I had to pick between the two…being eaten by wolves would almost certainly have to be the worse option. I guess its all relative.'**_** Bella gasped.**

'_**Bella, it's me Jacob. See somehow, even now I'm still a hero for you.'**_** Jacob/wolf thought.**

**Ephraim shook his head and said to Jacob/wolf in exasperation, "Not now boy! Laurent is this way!"**

**Jacob/wolf turned his head at the sound of Bella's gasp and gazed at her for a fraction of a second.**

'_**Oh, I forgot, I'm a repulsive monster now. Not your friend anymore.'**_** He thought derisively.**

'_**Oh, his black eyes are way too intelligent for a wild animal. Jacob! Oh, thank goodness, I came here alone. Alone to this fairytale meadow filled with dark monsters. At least Jacob isn't going to die too. I won't die having his blood on my hands as well!'**_** Bella thought in…relief?**

**Sam/wolf's thoughts cut into Jacob's, '**_**Keep your head in the game Jacob—Focus!'**_

**Another low growl from Sam/wolf caused Jacob/wolf to whip his head back around to the front.**

**Paul/wolf, of course had to throw in his two cents worth, **_**'Yeah, save the puppy love for later. It's time to burn us some leach!'**_

**Laurent stared at the pack of monster wolves with unconcealed shock and fear. Suddenly and without warning, he spun around and disappeared into the trees.**

'_**Look who's a scared-y cat now!'**_** Jared/wolf's thoughts crowed.**

'_**More like Chicken Little and his sky is falling!'**_** Embry/wolf thought and then added in some chicken clucking sounds.**

**Bella thought, in her still very shocked mental voice, **_**'He ran away.'**_

**Sam/wolf issued the order then, '**_**Okay, let's play 'go fetch then' Let's get him!'**_

**The wolves were after him in a second, sprinting across the open grass with a few powerful bounds, snarling and snapping so loudly Bella's arms flew up almost involuntarily to cover her ears. The sounds faded quickly once they disappeared into the woods--leaving Bella alone again. She was shaking so badly her knees buckled. She fell onto her hands and knees and sobs built up in her throat.**

'_**I know I need to leave—and leave now. How long will those wolves chase Laurent before they double back for me? Or will it be Laurent? Will he turn on them? Which one will be the one who comes looking for me? I don't know. But I can't move. My arms and legs are shaking so bad I can't get up. I just don't get it. A vampire shouldn't run from overgrown dogs. What good would their teeth be against granite skin? Plus, shouldn't the wolves have given Laurent a wide berth. I mean, even if their extraordinary size taught them to fear nothing, it still doesn't make any sense they'd pursue him like that. He can't smell like food to them. Why pass up warm-blooded me to go chase after Laurent? It just doesn't add up at all.' **_** Bella's thoughts calmed down a fraction as she mused out her observations.**

"**Too bad Llasa's not here," Chandra said to Samon. "But I guess I can do in a pinch." She turned once and threw her arms towards Bella. **

**In response, a large gust of air blew through the meadow swaying the grass as though someone was moving through it. Bella was finally able to scramble to her feet, Stumbling in a panic, she turned and ran headlong into the trees the way she'd come.**

*******

**The next scene Chandra took us through was that night in Bella's room where she retired to after double checking the locks of both the front and back doors. She lay down in her bed and stared out at the moon through her bedroom window. Her thoughts were full of trepidation, **_**'What difference would a locked door make to any of the monsters I'd seen this afternoon? I suppose the handle alone would stymie the wolves, not having opposable thumbs. But if Victoria or Laurent were to show up here, those locks will be good for nothing.'**_** In the visual, my Bella curled up into a tight little ball under her old quilt. Her thought voice continued with mounting dread. **_**'Well I guess I'd better face the facts here. There's absolutely nothing I can do. There are no precautions I can take. There's no place I can hide. There's no one who can help me. **_**(Pause) **_**and to make it even worse, all of these facts apply to Charlie too. My poor Dad is sleeping just one room away from me. He's just a hairsbreadth off the heart of the target—centered on me. My scent will lead them here—whether I'm here or not.'**_

**From the visual Bella's entire quilt started to shake. What kind of a nightmare did I leave for my Bella to try to handle alone? It was too much to contemplate.**

'_**I've got to calm down. I'm going to pretend. Yes, pretend. Pretend the impossible: Those giant wolves caught up to Laurent and they massacred the indestructible immortal. Destroyed him the same way they could a normal person. Not that I believe it for a second, but still, somehow if I pretend I'm living in a fantasy world--then I can make up all the rules I want. And it does make me feel a little better. Yes, because if the wolves got Laurent, then he couldn't go and tell Victoria I'm here all alone. And he can't tell her the Cullens left. Maybe she'll think they're still here protecting me. If only the wolves could win such a fight. But my good vampires aren't coming back; how soothing it would be to imagine the other kind could also disappear.'**_

**In the visual, Bella closed her eyes. As she did an image of Victoria displayed on the visual straight from Bella's mind. She had a beautiful smile on her face, her eyes black and bright with anticipation and then her smile widened, showing her gleaming teeth and her fire red hair blowing chaotically around her wild face.**

**Then the word's Laurent had spoken to Bella sounded again from the visual, **_**'If you knew what she had planned for you…'**_

**Bella pressed her fist into her mouth to keep from screaming.**

***

I would like to thank Sophie Beament (Vampire Girl *aKa* Soph and Sophieeeee) for allowing me to use her words for Edward during his 'New Moon' scenes from her wonderful Fan Fiction, Dark Moon. If you haven't had an opportunity to read that story…it is exceptionally well written and I highly commend it to you.

And of course again my thanks to Erica K. Bailey for allowing me to work with her New Moon story from Edward's perspective. She always gets inside of Edward's head so exceptionally well, it's scary!

I have links to both Fan Fictions up on my profile page underneath this chapter heading.


	31. Chapter 31

_Chapter Thirty One  
Come Together _

Edward's POV

**Chandra briefly went over Bella's next week for us. Her confrontation with Jacob where he told her they couldn't be friends; followed by that night when Jacob had come to her room and gave her the hint that led to her remembering the correct legend about werewolves. She also briefly told us about her meeting with Jacob the next morning where Bella and the Quileutes finally filled in the puzzle pieces of what Victoria was after and the shape shifters vowed to protect my Bella while I was wandering around the streets of Rio de Janeiro wondering what to do with my miserable life.**

"**Finally, after things settled into a routine, the four of us realized that we needed to set up something cataclysmic to bring Edward back home where he belonged," Chandra explained. "So we met and discussed our options. I remembered that Bella had wanted to cliff dive and Jacob had promised to take her the very next day. I also knew that Victoria was going to make another attempt that next day to get at Bella and Jacob would be unavailable to go with her. That being the case, we knew that if Bella decided to go by herself, Alice could see a vision of it. A vision that we would make sure she did have. Our reasoning was that if Alice were to have a vision of Bella jumping off the cliff that would do it. It would get her here against Edward's wishes. And if Alice came and saw the terrible predicament Bella was in, she would get word back one way or another to Edward, and he would come home and end the stalemate. Unfortunately, Bella didn't decide to go cliff diving alone early enough for Alice to get here and stop her."**

**The next visual showed Bella on the beach at La Push. Chandra, Samon and Mother stood to the side of her, silently watching and following her with their eyes as she paced back and forth. A big swell was looming off-shore and Bella was restless. Eventually she stopped her pacing and got into her truck, heading for the cliffs. **

**While the visual showed Bella's actions, her mental voice was delivered loud and clear. **_**'Dang it, I was really counting on hearing Edward this morning. It seemed like that would be the one thing that would make it bearable to live today. My crazy hole has been festering lately, sort of like its getting revenge on me and it burns. How is that possible? This storm is so wild my hair even has static in it. Huh? Gee, those waves are huge out there, but the storm's still a ways out…and over there…is my cliff that I was supposed to go cliff diving off of. Hmmm…Oh why not? This wretched pain is hurting worse by the second. I can't stand it. I need a distraction—badly. I'm so going to jump! Where's the turn off for the lower ledge Jake talked about? I don't see it. Oh like I want to go off that one anyway. No--I just got a drop of rain on my face and the wind is already picking up. This is going to be a one shot deal and I want to jump from the top! That is the image I've had in my head. I want the long fall that feels like flying. Ha! This will be the stupidest, most reckless thing I've ever done.' **_**Bella smiled as she thought of breaking her promise to me—big time.**_** 'Wonderful…The pain in my chest is already lessening, almost as though my body knows that Edward's voice is just seconds away…' **_**She stepped to the edge. Her toes stepped out until they reached the edge. She breathed in deeply and held it.**

"**Will she be okay?" Mother asked Chandra with worry in her expression.**

"**She should be. Jacob is almost here. He can go in and save her. But she has to jump before he gets to close." **

"**I'm more concerned about Victoria swimming out there in the bay. She sees Bella and is just realizing it's her. I better get Sam over here as well. Jacob by himself won't be enough to deter her." Samon disappeared in the visual.**

**I was a little surprised to hear Victoria's thoughts pick up. Her high soprano baby voice was anything but cute, **_**'What is that pathetic little human doing now? Does she think I'll let her get off that easily? No you .don't Bella. Not after all the trouble I've gone to for your 'enjoyment'. Ha! Drowning? Dream on. It's not going to happen on my watch. But maybe I can play with you a bit first for making you think I'd let you off so easily. Let you nearly drown.' **_**She started to swim slowly forward underwater so Bella wouldn't see her there.**

'_**Bella'**_** My voice called to her. She smiled and exhaled.**

'**Yes,' she thought back as though the sound of her voice would dispel the illusion. **_**'He sounds so real, so close. I'm not sure why, but it's only when he's disapproving like this that I can hear the true memory of his voice—hear the velvet texture and his musical intonation that makes up the most perfect of all voices. Ahhh…'**_

'_**Don't do this,'**_** my voice pleaded from Bella's thoughts.**

'_**You wanted me to be human,'**_** She reminded me, **_**'well, watch me then.'**_

'_**Please. For me.**_**' My voice thought again.**

'_**But you won't stay with me any other way.'**_** She said lightly.**

**Jacob's frantic thoughts cut through the thoughts my voice was having with Bella. '**_**Where is she? What is she thinking? There's a hurricane brewing and Victoria on the prowl again; not to mention poor Harry's heart attack. Come on Bella! You didn't jump already, did you?'**_

'_**Please.'**_** This time my voice was a whisper blowing in the rain. By now Bella was drenched in the visual as she rolled up on the balls of her feet. **_**'No Bella!'**_** My voice was now angry in her thoughts.**

'_**What is that shape shifter doing here?**_**' Victoria thought savagely. **_**'He's going to ruin all my fun--or maybe not. He's just one. I'll bet I could take him.'**_

'_**Ahh, he sounds so perfect when he's angry.' **_**Bella thought as she crouched down for more spring and flung herself off the ledge. As she fell in the visual she let out a scream of exhilaration and then her thoughts continued**_**, 'Yes, I'm dropping through the air like a meteor! This wind is fantastic. I'm like a rocket spiraling and crashing to the earth. Yes!"**_** She thought as she sliced through the water, plunging deeper and deeper into the black apparently freezing water. **_**'Wow--that was really cool! No terror, just an amazing adrenaline rush! Really, it wasn't scary at all. Where was the challenge in that?'**_

'_**Oh, dang it, what is pulling on me? Oh, it must be the stupid current--or am I the stupid one? No, here's the true danger I was looking for; here under the water. Who would have thought that the real menace would be lurking down here under the heavy surf? Dang! It feels like the waves are fighting over me…jerking me back and forth trying to pull me in half. Let's see, I know the right way to avoid a riptide: swim parallel to the beach rather than struggling for shore. Like that's going to help me! I don't know which way the shore is. I don't even know which way the surface is. It's black every way I look. No downward pull in any direction at all. I've got to keep this little bit of oxygen locked in my lungs. No, if I lock my lips, it ought to keep my tiny breath in. I'm going to drown. I didn't see that one coming. But there isn't a doubt in my mind whatsoever. This is it. I am drowning.' **_

**Ephraim Black's voice cut through as the visual showed him leading Jacob to the Cliff's side. Bella scream was heard again as she plunged into the black angry water. "Did you hear that Boy! Get a move on. Don't bother going to the top. Just dive in now. Can you see the spot where the bubbles are rising? Right there!" **

'_**Keep swimming!'**_** My voice screamed at her urgently.**

'_**Where? There's no place to swim too. It's dark everywhere.'**_** Bella said to my delusionary voice.**

'_**Stop that!'**_** I ordered. '**_**Don't you dare give up!'**_

"**Bella, don't waste your energy. It will deplete your oxygen faster. Just hold still. Jacob is coming!" Mother coaxed her.**

"**Now, see that Bella?" Emmett said sternly. "This is why you should never skip gym class." He shook his head disparagingly. **

"**I'm coming Bella!" Jacob said as he dove from a sixty foot drop off the cliff face.**

'_**And I'm coming too--you annoying wolf man.' **_**Victoria thought viciously as she moved even closer.**

**Bella's thoughts continued to press on though they were becoming somewhat weaker. **_**'My arms and legs are going numb. …must be the cold water. But I don't feel the buffeting so much as before; just more of just a dizziness now; like I'm helplessly spinning in the water. But I should listen to Edward and try.' **_**Bella could be seen underwater in the visual even though it was very dark, and now she tried again to kick her legs and push with her arms again but every kick had her facing a new direction and she was completely turned around.**

**Bella's thought voice was discouraged and resigned, **_**'Well, this isn't doing any good. What's the point now anyway?'**_

"**The point is to stay alive for Edward. Stay alive for Edward!" Mother said to her urgently.**

'_**Fight!'**_** I yelled at her, **_**'Damn it Bella, keep fighting.'**_

'_**Why?'**_** Bella thought back as her body became still and limp**_**. 'I don't want to fight anymore. And not because I'm lightheaded or cold, or my failure to get anywhere swimming, or my body giving up in exhaustion that makes me content to stay here. I'm almost happy it's over. This is a lot easier death than other's I've faced--oddly peaceful…somehow. And who cares about seeing my life pass before my eyes when I die. Who wants a rerun anyway?**_**' **

**My face showed up as if we were seeing inside her mind. It was actually a replay of her memory showing me from many different moments we had shared together. It ended with the photo she'd snapped of me just before we'd left to go to my family's house for her 'paper cut' birthday fiasco. It was amazing how her feelings towards me actually 'enhanced' my appearance somehow—making it better than it actually was**_**. **_

'_**I see him and I have no will left to fight with. Thank goodness my subconscious has stored him up so perfectly for me, in flawless detail for this final moment. It feels like he's really here. I can see his perfect face, the exact shade of his icy skin, the shape of his lips, the line of his jaw, the gold glinting in his furious eyes. Of course he's angry now--angry that I'm giving up. I can tell.' **_** She thought weakly as the picture changed to one of me in a 'not so happy' mood. One that she had seen, unfortunately more often than I would have liked.**

**Sam showed up on the cliff face, Samon was by his side. Sam scanned the water where Jacob had dived in. His thoughts came into play. **_**'There he is! It looks like he's about got her. I'll make my way down to the beach to make sure she's alright. What was Jacob thinking, putting an idea like cliff diving in her head?'**_

'_**No! Bella, no!'**_** I screamed at her in her head.**

"**Don't exhale Bella! Keep your mouth closed!" Mother said to her frantically.**

'_**Huh? Even though my ears are filling up with all this cold water, it doesn't affect how clearly I can hear his voice. Anyway, why would I fight when I was so happy where I am? Funny really, here my lungs are burning for air and my legs are cramping up—but, I'm content. It feels as if I'd forgotten what real happiness felt like and I just now remembering. Happiness…huh? It really makes this whole dying thing pretty bearable.'**_** Bella thoughts were getting noticeably weaker by the end of her monologue.**

'_**No, not another werewolf!'**_** Victoria wailed from where she'd suddenly stopped swimming. She looked scathingly at the drama playing out in front of her, before retreating a little further out into the bay. **_**'Oh well, that will just make more fun for another day--another day when I can take down as many players with her as possible!'**_

"**Help is here dear!" Elizabeth said from under water.**

'_**Ooouuuch!'**_** Bella thought as she was slammed underwater into what she perceived to be a rock, but was actually Jacob's leg. As she did so, all her air supply left her body. **_**'Oh this is it then. Water is rushing down my throat; chocking, burning. Something is pulling me down to the ocean's floor—away from Edward. Edward, goodbye, I love you…'**_

**From the visual Bella's head broke the surface as Jacob started towing her to shore. Elizabeth and Ephraim were right by their sides the whole way. Swiftly Jacob had her out on the beach and turned her over, pounding her back between her shoulder blades. **

"**Keep that up Jacob. You're doing great there. You make a fine emergency technician." Ephraim said in satisfaction.**

**Bella's mental voice picked up confused and weak, **_**'How disorienting, I thought I was sinking. But that crazy current won't let up. It just keeps slamming me against the rocks. They just keep beating brutally against the center of my back. It's pushing at the water in my lungs.'**_

"**You're not out of the woods yet dear. Stay with me now!" Mother said lovingly. **

**We watched the visual as Jacob gave another blow and was rewarded by Bella spewing salt water out of her nose and mouth directly from her lungs. She practically choked on it.**

"**Breathe!" Jacob called to her frantically!**

'_**No, no, no!'**_** Bella wailed internally. **_**'That isn't Edward's voice…its Jacob's; my friend Jake. Not Edward.'**_** Then her mental tone became almost exasperated. **_**'Now how in the world am I supposed to breathe when there's a waterfall pouring out of my mouth nonstop? My lungs are burning from that black, icy water; burning.'**_** Jacob delivered another blow between her shoulder blades and another volley of water spewed out of her lungs**_**. 'Ouch! That rock again!'**_

"**Breathe, Bella! C'mon!" Jacob was begging her now wild with anxiety.**

'_**Where are those black spots coming from? I don't know, they just get bigger and bigger and blot out the sun though. Huh? Dang that ROCK keeps hitting me. That is a weird rock too. It isn't cold like that water was--no, this rock is hot. In was hot on my skin. Oh, that ain't a rock. That's Jacob's hand. He's trying to beat all the water out of my lungs. Oh, the black spots are covering everything. Does that mean I'm dying again? This isn't as good as last time was. That's for dang sure. This is all dark and there's nothing really worth looking at here at all. Huh? The sounds of the waves are getting further away.'**_

**In the visual, Jacob started to give her mouth to mouth resuscitation. This day he had saved my reason for living. I remembered another time he had done the same; as part of CPR, the last time she almost died. The day Renesmee was born; the day she gave him, his reason for living.**

'_**Now that feels weird. And it sounds like air right behind my ear drums. What is that?'**_** Bella puzzled out in her thoughts.**

"**Bella?" Jacob asked. His voice was still tense but not as wild as before. "Bells, honey, can you hear me?"**

'_**Uh oh, I feel really sick. It feels kind of like my head is spinning around in that water still.' **_**Bella thought with a moan.**

**Sam Uley came running up to the ocean's edge alongside Jacob, and asked, "How long has she been unconscious?" When he'd reached the beach, Victoria let out a mental snarl and retreated to her original position in the middle of the bay.**

'_**Who is that?'**_** Bella thought as she heard Sam. **_**'That is a really good question. Whose voice is that? Wow, I'm not moving around anymore. The heaving isn't the current—it's inside my head now. I'm on the sand of the beach. It's all gritty on my arms.'**_

"**I don't know," Jacob said still frantic. He brushed her wet strands of hair away from her face. "A few minutes? It didn't take too long to tow her to the beach." He started breathing for her again.**

**Bella's thoughts were getting louder and stronger, **_**'Ouch, Jacob…stop blowing air down my throat. It hurts. It burns so bad it feels like your scrubbing out my lungs with steel wool. My whole bronchial tube is raw. Cut it out. I'm breathing already. See. Up and down. Up and Down. I'm freezing too. What is that? There's like a million sharp icy beads hitting me in the face and my arms and…'**_

"**You're going to be fine now," Mother said tenderly. "…well almost fine anyway."**

"**Yep!" Ephraim said, "We make a good team."**

"**We are not a 'team' Mr. Black." Mother said a little tartly.**

"**Oh, I meant me and Jacob." Ephraim replied slowly. Samon smiled knowing Mother was closer to the truth and Ephraim was simply covering his tracks.**

"**Well, we're all on the same team." Chandra said putting an end to that little discussion.**

**Sam examined Bella lying still on the beach. "She's breathing. She'll come around. We should get her out of the cold, though. I don't like the color she's turning…"**

'_**Oh, that's Sam's voice. I recognize it now!' **_**Bella thought drowsily. **

"**You think its okay to move her?" Jacob asked him.**

"**She didn't hurt her back or anything when she fell?" Sam asked him back.**

"**I don't know." Jacob thought and the two of them hesitated.**

"**No, she's fine to move." Ephraim said confidently.**

"**Jake?" Bella said. Her voice was a croak.**

**Jacob looked over her, "Oh!" His face was awash in relief. "Oh, Bella! Are you okay? Can you hear me? Do you hurt anywhere?"**

"**J-just my t-throat," Bella stuttered from shivering lips.**

"**Let's get you out of here, then," Jacob said as he slid his arm under her and lifting her with ease as her head lulled over his arm. She stared vacantly back at the furious water where Victoria watched.**

"**You've got her?" Sam asked.**

"**Yeah, I'll take it from here. Get back to the hospital. I'll join you later. Thanks, Sam." Jacob said as he took off running with Bella in his arms.**

**Samon whispered into Bella's ear, "Bella take a good look at the ocean. What do you see out there? Take a good look and it will come to you later."**

**Chandra looked at him and added, "Alice is on her way." Ephraim, Elizabeth and Samon all looked relieved. **

"**Fantastic! It worked!" Ephraim said.**

"**We'll see about that." Samon added. "There are still a lot of choices that have to be made before we can see the end clearly."**

**Bella's thoughts came in as she continued to stare out to the choppy sea. **_**'That water is acting like it's mad that Jake escaped with me. And what is that weird fire out there dancing on the waves? It's out there dancing in the middle of the bay in the choppy black water. That doesn't make any sense at all—it's the freakiest thing I've ever seen. I'm so sleepy. I wonder if I'm allowed to sleep or if I'm getting drowning mixed up with having a concussion? Maybe that's why I keep seeing that fire out there on the water. Maybe it's oxygen deprivation.'**_

***** **

[A/N: The following scenes are not complete texts from the 'New Moon' dialogue.]

**The next visual showed snippets from when Alice came to Bella's home later that evening. First shown was Bella walking in her front door. Of course, Chandra, Samon and Elizabeth were quietly at her side. As she fumbled around for the light switch, she was mentally realizing Victoria's presence that afternoon on the beach. **_**'That water today was as black as it is in here. It made that strange orange flame even more dramatic as it danced on its surface. No, that can't be right. Wait, Jacob said that Victoria took off into the water. He said 'That's why I raced home—I was afraid she was going to double back swimming.' And Victoria's hair could look just like that—like flames on the water--especially if it were blowing in that crazy wind. It was her. She was right there.'**_

**Alice's mental chatter picked up adding her own confused thoughts. **_**'Bella is here? But how? I saw her go off the cliff. She never came out. Oh, I have never been so happy to be wrong in my whole life! Bella is ALIVE! Oh, she can't see. I'll get the switch for her.' **_

**The lights suddenly turned on lighting up up the front room at Charlie's house and also revealing Alice standing in the middle of the hall. Bella's knees trembled and she nearly fell over. Then she hurled herself at my sister.**

'_**YES! Alice? Are you real? Oh, please, please, please be real!'**_** Bella mentally exaulted before her reactions caught up with her thoughts. "Alice, oh Alice!" She cried as she hit her head long like a football player going for a tackle. **_**'Ouch! I forgot how hard she is. It's almost like running into a wall of cement.'**_

"**That's my girl," Jasper said as he turned his head from the visual and patted Alice's knee. She grinned at him in response. "…solid state components."**

"**Bella" Alice whispered in confusion and relief. **_**'She's alive alright. Stinks to high heaven and her heart rate is slightly elevated and her breathing is okay, but she's quite a mess. Mess or not, she's alive. My very best friend ever is alive!'**_

**Alice stood still in the visual while Bella locked her arms around her and breathed in her scent.**

'_**Oh, she's really here. I'm not imagining this am I? No, her scent is not like anything else! It's not floral or spice or citrus or even musk. No perfume company in the world could hope to get this right.'**_** Bella thought.**

"**Thank you Bella," Alice said to my wife. 'What a wonderful compliment." She added with a wink.**

"**She's right, your scent is better than perfume." Jasper agreed bringing Alice in for a rare display of public affection by planting an ardent kiss on her lips.**

'_**Alice, you're here and I'm so happy. No, happy doesn't even begin to cover it; my best friend is back with me. She wouldn't be if she didn't care.'**_** Suddenly Bella was crying in the visual and Alice dragged her to the living room couch and pulled Bella into her lap. It was actually quite comical, as Bella was somewhat bigger than Alice. Bella's thoughts kicked in again. **_**'I feel like I'm curling up with a stone--but in a good way.. A stone that is contoured comfortingly to the shape of my body. Plus it's Alice. It's Alice! Here in my house! How did I ever get so lucky?'**_

**Samon, Chandra and Mother looked on in happy satisfaction.**

**Alice rubbed Bella's back in a gentle rhythm while waiting for Bella to gain control of herself.**

"**I'm…sorry," Bella blubbered. "I'm just…so happy…to see you!" '**_**Understatement of the century!'**_** She added mentally.**

"**Its okay, Bella. Everything's okay." Alice soothed her. **_**'…at least everything is okay until Edward finds out about this. Well, I'm here now, so I might as well figure out how she got out of that dark water and why she is such a stinking mess.'**_

"**Yes," Bella said in a gasp. **_**'For once it really feels that way.'**_

"**Speaking of which, would you like to explain to me how you're alive?" Alice added pointedly**_**. 'Your stringy hair and clothes covered in dry sea salt tells me my vision was accurate so don't even try to lie your way out of this one.'**_

*******

"**Your best friend is a werewolf?" Alice asked with a shocked expression. **_**'What is the matter with Bella? I told Edward she would not get over him. But who would have thought she would completely go insane—werewolf. Come on Bella! I've always believed you to be a level headed, practical person. Werewolf? Best friend? Does that mean he's MY replacement? I don't like that one little bit. Edward made me lose my best friend to a stinking dog--a stinking very dangerous dog?' **_

**Bella nodded sheepishly. **_**'Why is Alice so upset? Surely she's heard about werewolves before and would know that they are nice people too.'**_

"**How long has this been going on for?" Alice asked shocked. **_**'I can't believe she's still alive. What does she do to protect herself during full moons? Is that the terrible smell then? Has she been bitten by one of the Children of the Moon?**_

"**Not long," Bella said defensively. "He's only been a werewolf for just a few weeks." **_**'Why is she so shocked? Jake is just Jake. You know a good guy.'**_

**Alice glowered at Bella. "A young werewolf? Even worse! Edward was right—you're a magnet for danger. Weren't you supposed to be staying out of trouble?" **_**'A few weeks…well, there hasn't been a full moon yet so maybe I can get her away from here before she gets infected. But this Jacob is a young werewolf. If he changed around her, there would be no way he could control himself--especially if she made him mad. And Bella could do that without even trying. What am I going to do?'**_

'_**Why is she so upset with me? What did I do now?'**_** Bella thought. "There's nothing wrong with werewolves." Bella grumbled. **

"**Thank you Bella!" Leah said from across Chandra's room. She had been so quiet all day I'd almost forgotten she was there. Bella smiled back to her and nodded her head.**

"**Until they lose their tempers." Alice said in a critical tone as she shook her head from side to side.**

**Chandra spoke up to Samon and Elizabeth just then. "I'm going to try to let Alice know that the Quileute's are not the Children of the Moon here. I think it will help the progression of the conversation--especially since there aren't any of those pesky 'dark beings' around here." Elizabeth and Samon nodded in agreement.**

**Chandra then whispered into Alice's ear while Alice continued speaking to Bella. It was the only interactions from the supernaturals for the entire visit with Alice until the fateful day of the phone calls.**

"**Leave it to you, Bella. Anyone else would be better off when the vampires left town. But you have to start hanging out with the first monsters you can find." Alice said in an incredulous tone. **_**'…unless…these aren't Children of the Moon. Carlisle said there were other human wolves around here ages ago. Maybe Bella found those?'**_

'_**I don't want to argue with Alice. I'm still so giddy with relief she's really, truly here. I can touch her and hear her beautiful voice—but she's got it all wrong.'**_** Bella thought before speaking up, "No, Alice, the vampires didn't really leave—not all of them, anyway. That's the whole trouble. If it weren't for the werewolves, Victoria would have gotten me by now. Well, actually, if it weren't for Jake and his friends, Laurent would have gotten me before she could, I guess, so…"**

"**Victoria?" Alice hissed. "Laurent?" **_**'What in the world are they doing here? Victoria? No wonder Edward couldn't find her down in South America--she's here! What about Laurent? What is he doing here? I thought he was up in Alaska with the Denali vampires. What does he want with Bella? Well, clearly there's no way I can just leave now. Carlisle must be told about this! I'll let him figure out how to tell Edward. Maybe I'll mention to him this could have been avoided if he'd let me do more checking up on what James' cohorts were up too.' **_

'_**Ohhh, I hope I didn't upset Alice to much. She's getting that dangerous cast to her very dark eyes.'**_** Bella thought as she pointed to her own chest in an attempt at levity and said, "Danger magnet, remember?"**

'_**Werewolves, half-visions, cliff jumping, stinking smells, Bella an emotional mess, Victoria and Laurent out to get her…what a mess! Well, I'd better get to the bottom of this before Carlisle returns from his hunting trip.'**_** Alice shook her head again. "Tell me everything—start at the beginning."**

*******

"**Our leaving didn't do you any good at all did it?" Alice murmured deep in thought**_**. 'I knew it wouldn't but since Edward insisted that I not look at her future, I had no idea how much harm our leaving caused. I'm sorry Bella. It really was against my better judgment. I should have followed my own intuition. I really do love you!'**_

**Bella let out a solitary laugh—it was hysterical despite its raspy quality. "That was never the point, though was it? It's not like you left for my benefit." '**_**You left because Edward didn't want me around anymore to annoy him. You all left because I don't matter to him anymore. Just like Laurent said, I must not have meant very much to him if he left me here unprotected. Edward himself said I was no good for him and he didn't want me anymore. That's why your whole family picked up and left.'**_

**Once again I found myself at a loss to explain how much it grieved me that I had caused Bella this amount of suffering because of my absence and also because of the hurtful, lying words I had said to her. If I could ever go back in time to change anything in my life—that would be the day I'd left. But maybe, just maybe, our love was stronger because of the separation. Chandra said something about it being necessary for a power shift. I was eager to see exactly what she meant by that remark. I hoped this wasn't making my little Nessie too sad. She was sitting in my lap just then; well, I guess she was sitting in her Mother's lap, who was sitting in mine. I reached down and kissed her head again. Remembering how for so long, it had been only a dream to think of ever touching her again.**

**From the visual Alice scowled at the floor. I didn't need to hear her thoughts to know why. I remembered her begging and pleading with me to not leave, to let her say good bye to Bella. It had been as hard for her as it had been for me, but unlike me, she had known it wasn't the best idea. Of course she was right, it was the worst idea. **

'_**I have never felt so ashamed in my life. I feel like such a …cad. Bella probably doesn't even want to be my friend anymore now. She probably thinks that I don't care about her either. She probably thinks the whole family doesn't care about her now. Edward screwed this up for more than just himself.'**_** "Well…I guess I acted impulsively today. I probably shouldn't have intruded."**

**Bella's face in the visual drained of blood. She started to hyperventilate. '**_**What? She's leaving already. What am I going to do? I need you Alice. Don't you understand? You're the dearest friend I've ever had and I just need to have a chance to prepare myself before you go; so it isn't such a shock—like last time. Just don't leave. Don't disappear!' **_**She grabbed Alice by the shirt collar. I had never seen her plead so desperately. "Don't go Alice," Bella whispered. "Please don't leave me."**

**Alice's eyes opened wider. **_**'For the love of all that's holy! What has happened to you Bella? You were never like this before. You were always so independent and self assured. I have never seen you so--afraid. Not afraid OF me, but afraid of me leaving.'**_** "All right," She said slower, enunciating each word with precision. "I'm not going anywhere tonight. Take a deep breath."**

'_**Okay, where are my lungs now?'**_** Bella thought in deep concentration.**

"**You look like hell Bella." Alice said almost sharply. **_**'Something else I intend to get to the bottom of. Is this Edward's doing or is it from being forced to interact with vile werewolves? Or is it something else?'**_

"**I drowned today." Bella said in defense. **_**'Sorry I didn't get a chance to get all 'prettied' up for you. But if you stay, I'll gladly let you give me as many makeovers as you want.'**_

"**It goes deeper than that. You're a mess." **_**'Deeper because what in the world would possess you to get up on that cliff in the first place? What would drive you to that desperate act? It's there in your eyes, in your skin, your posture. Bella something is wrong with you; my poor dearest best friend. What happened to you?'**_

**Bella flinched and said, "Look, I'm doing my best." **_**'Literally, just getting up every morning is quite the accomplishment!'**_

**Alice's thoughts were bewildered, **_**'Oh no, there is no way that this is Bella Swan at her best. I've seen you at your best Bella. This is not your best…it's your worst. So then…"**_** "What do you mean?"**

"**It hasn't been easy. I'm working on it." Bella said sadly looking down at her fingers and not wanting to meet Alice's gaze.**

**Alice frowned. "I told him," she muttered under her breath. **_**'I told Edward you wouldn't take him leaving well. If it isn't bad enough that she has to live without him--without us, she has been living a nightmare--complete with real monsters bent on her destruction, while Edward forbade me to check on her so she could have a 'normal' human life. Ha!'**_

*******

**Next the visual faded to the kitchen where Bella had just hung up the phone from talking to Jacob Black.**

'_**Why is Jacob so pissed off? He knows Alice is a good vampire. Honestly, sometimes he is so dang unreasonable!'**_** Bella sighed and then said, "That's going to be a problem" Bella said as she sighed and stared up at the ceiling.**

**Alice squeezed her hand. "They aren't excited I'm here." **_**'I wonder if Bella remembers that with my excellent hearing, I could hear the entire conversation; not just her end.'**_

"**Not especially. But it's none of their business anyway." Bella added to blow off her irritation at Jacob. **_**'Why can't he just be happy for me that Alice is here and I won't be pestering him so much for a little bit? Gee, I wonder how long--or short, a 'little bit' will be?'**_** She mentally added.**

**Alice put her arm around Bella. "So what do we do now?" She talked to herself aloud adding, "Things to do. Loose ends to tie..." **_**'How do I make Bella safe and not get Edward mad at me? Hmmm, Carlisle can figure this out a lot better than me! How long until his cell phone will be in range of a signal tower?'**_

"**What things to do?" Bella asked anxiously. **_**'She sounds like she's getting ready to go right now. Like she's tying up her lose ends so she can leave and cover her tracks. AGAIN.'**_

**Alice's expression became guarded. "I don't know for sure. I need to see Carlisle." **_**'I don't want to say too much and get her hopes up if Carlisle sides with Edward on this. No, I couldn't do that to her. Not now.'**_

**Bella's expression immediately deflated, '**_**Oh, will she leave so soon…'**_** "Could you stay?" She begged. "Please? For just a little while. I've missed you so much." Bella sobbed. **_**'What will I do without her? I don't know. I'll have to prepare myself…somehow.'**_

"**If you think it's a good idea." Alice said with unhappy eyes. **_**'The longer I say, the greater the chance that Edward will find out somehow. Plus, it could be harder for her when I do leave if she gets used to me being here.'**_

**Bella nodded vigorously. "I do. You can stay here—Charlie would love that." **_**'And I bet that would make Victoria think twice about sneaking in here and killing me in the middle of the night too.'**_

"**I have a house, Bella." **_**'That would give me a little space to maneuver in if I have to leave.'**_

**Bella nodded again, but this time in a slower resigned manner. **_**'That's true. Alice should get to stay where she's comfortable. Her house is nicer and I can still see her during the day. Besides, I wouldn't really want anything to happen to Alice if Victoria did come in the middle of the night. If Victoria came then, Alice would be safe at her house and could go home to Jasper. I need to keep Alice safe too. Just because I'm not safe, doesn't mean I have to be all needy and make Alice unsafe too.'**_** Alice paused as she studied Bella's behavior.**

'_**What is she thinking? I don't know, but it's clear I can't leave her alone for very long anyway.'**_** Alice thought in alarm and then said conceding, "Well, I need to go get a suitcase of clothes, at the very least."**

**Bella threw her arms around Alice and said with enthusiasm and relief, "Alice, you're the best!" **

"**And I think I need to hunt. Immediately," She added in a strained voice. **_**'You are too exuberant for your own good Bella Swan! I've got to hunt so I can enjoy being around you instead of wanting to drink your blood.'**_

"**Oops," Bella said as she took a step back. **_**'Alice is thirsty and I smell appetizing. I haven't had to think about that for a while. Sorry Alice.'**_

"**Can you stay out of trouble for one hour?" Alice asked skeptically. Bella opened her mouth to respond, but Alice held up one finger and closed her eyes. Her face went blank for a moment while she checked the future.**

**In the visual, the scene blanked out and suddenly a vision of Bella appeared on the visual for all of us to see, clearly it was the vision Alice was having from that moment in time. It was a vision that I saw for myself as a replay from Alice as we walked in the sewers of Volterra to meet Aro. It was a vision of Bella as she woke up the next morning, tired, sad and alone. Abruptly there was a change and Victoria was there in the woods by her house--stalking her movements from the forest line—way closer than she should be. Then there was another shift as Victoria came into her bedroom window one night and grabbed her, carrying her back out the window like a rag doll. Her face a mask of crazed malice'**

**Alice opened her eyes back up dispelling the vision, and answered her own question. "Yes, you'll be fine. For tonight, anyway." Alice grimaced.**

'_**Even making faces Alice looks like an angel.'**_** Bella thought.**

"**I couldn't have said it better myself!" Jasper said happily from his seat next to Alice. He was very proud of Alice and the role she'd played in bringing our family back together. **

"**You'll be back?" Bella asked in a small voice.**

"**I promise—one hour." Alice declared**_**. 'Her life is in even more danger than she realizes. But I'm not going to tell her about Victoria now. Poor thing, it would just send her right over the edge. No wonder she's so frightened.'**_

**Bella glanced at the clock over the kitchen table. Alice leaned in and quickly kissed her on the cheek. Then Alice darted out the back door. **

**Bella took a deep breath. **_**'Alice will be back.'**_** She sighed in profound relief. **_**'Alice has never broken a promise to me. If she says she is coming back then I know she will. I feel so much better!'**_** and her tone was indeed much happier than it had previously been.**

*******

**The scene then faded quickly, returning to show Charlie trudging up the driveway slowly. Bella rushed out to meet him half way. He didn't even notice her coming to him until she wrapped her arm around his waist and hugged him. He drew her into a fierce hug there on the driveway.**

"**I'm so sorry about Harry, Dad." Bella said softly.**

"**I'm really going to miss him." Charlie mumbled and shook his head. He kept his arm tight around her as he started towards the door. **_**'I just went fishing with him last Saturday. I had no idea he was this sick. I keep thinking he will call on the phone or something.'**_

"**Um Dad," Bella said slowly. **_**'I'd better warn him'**_** "You'll never guess who's here." Bella said.**

**In the visual Charlie looked at her blankly. His head swiveled around and spied the Mercedes across the street. In the next second Alice was in the doorway. **_**'No! Not Edward. Absolutely NOT.'**_

"**Hi Charlie," She said in a subdued voice. "I'm sorry I've come at such a bad time."**

"**Alice Cullen?" Charlie said peering at the slight figure in front of him.**_** 'Alice--not Edward; Alice, well that's probably okay. She was always a great friend to Bella.' **_**"Alice is that you?"**

"**It's me," She confirmed. "I was in the neighborhood." **_**'Hopefully he doesn't get to upset with me showing up unannounced. That might appear rude to a human.'**_

'_**Edward better not be here too. But I don't want to say his name and get Bella upset again. It will be hard enough for her to have Alice here, because she will remind her of that--that sorry excuse for a boy. Better ask if her dad is here instead.'**_** "Is Carlisle…?" Charlie asked hesitantly.**

"**No, I'm alone," Alice said. '**_**And Edward isn't here. He should be, but I'll have to do for now.' **_

'_**Not to subtle Charlie. We both know you meant Edward. I wish Edward was here…' **_**Bella thought and then added, "She can stay here, can't she? I already asked her."**

'_**Bella wants the reminder? Well, what can I do? She is Bella's friend—a good friend at that. Besides, if I say 'no' now, it would be very inhospitable of me.'**_** Charlie took a deep breath. "Of course, we'd love to have you, Alice." Charlie said mechanically.**

"**Thank you, Charlie. I know its horrid timing." Alice replied. **_**'It is with your friend Harry's death, but not as bad as if I'd come and it was Bella's death you were dealing with instead.'**_

"**No, it's fine, really. I'm going to be really busy doing what I can for Harry's family; it will be nice for Bella to have some company.**

**Charlie went into the kitchen and Alice sat beside Bella on the couch and pulled her against her shoulder. "You look tired." Alice told her. **_**'Has she been worried about Victoria coming? Is that why she isn't getting enough sleep?'**_

'_**Tired, that's putting it mildly, but I guess its true enough.'**_** "Yeah," Bella agreed and shrugged. "Near death experiences do that to me. So, what does Carlisle think of you being here?"**

"**He doesn't know. He and Esme were on a hunting trip. I'll hear from him in a few days when he gets back."**

"**You won't tell **_**him**_**, though…when he checks in again?" Bella asked**_**. 'It still hurts to think about him. Will it ever go away?'**_

"**No. He'd bite my head off." Alice said grimly.**_** "…more like I'd bite his head off, after what he has allowed to transpire here. All the suffering Bella has endured. No, I'll not tell him anything. I'll leave that thorny issue in Carlisle's capable hands.'**_

**Bella laughed once, and then sighed. **_**'Well, I don't want Alice headless for checking up on me. Well, still, it would have been nice if he were to even care in the first place.'**_

*******

**The scene shifted to the Swan's bathroom where Bella scrubbed the bathroom while the doorbell buzzed again twice. Alice had just explained to Bella that it was probably Jacob Black and that she was leaving.**

"**You don't have to go anywhere, Alice. You were here first." **_**'Jacob can just deal with it. He is being such an unreasonable jerk!'**_

**Alice's silvery little laugh that followed contained a dark edge to it. "Trust me—it wouldn't be a good idea to have me and Jacob Black in a room together." **_**'I don't need my visions to see how bad it would be to put us together. No thanks!'**_

**Alice kissed Bella's cheek and the vanished into Charlie's room as Bella stood up with soap on her hands.**

**The doorbell rang again. **_**'Alright already, Jacob--I'm coming! Let me wash the soap off my hands at least!' **_**Bella mentally grumbled.**

*******

**The next scene was one I had seen before. It was a scene of me alone and sitting in a dark crawl space of an attic. I'd shared my space with rats and spiders. The air I remembered was heavy with pollution--a mix of rancid meat, cooking oil and human sweat. Of course, the new additions to the scene were Llasa and Dagda who were sitting there with me. Dagda was bouncing another one of those balls of energy off my head. Neither one of them looked too happy.**

**My mind told on me, expressing how dismal my outlook was as my thoughts came out for everyone to hear**_**. 'Well, I guess all the smells here are from the four floors of human tenants living out their lives below me. Their happy human lives--just like my Bella is. These humans are oblivious to the presence of a heart sick vampire in their midst. I hear their musings both internal and external, but frankly, I don't have the motivation to care for either. I don't even have the motivation to move. I am not exactly sure where I am—and I don't exactly care about that either. I am a sorry mess. Here I am o**__**nce again, finding myself in a futile place unable to formulate a plan of action for my life. So instead I just sit here and let all the sounds bounce off me; another form of torture--torture for my meaningless life.' **_

**Dagda said, "Alice arrived in Forks two days ago. So what's the hold up here?"**

**Llasa, "Well, apparently Alice decided to wait, stay with Bella and consult with Carlisle instead of Edward because she's afraid she'll 'bite his head off' because she is so furious with him." They both rolled their eyes.**

**Dagda replied. "Maybe she should worry about us biting his head off instead. This is getting old. Carlisle's not going to be anywhere near cell phone signal for another day and a half. Speaking of cell phones, did you make sure that Edward's is charged up all the way?"**

**Llasa smiled broadly, "Of course. Made sure that the electrical zap I gave it also gave him a little zap of static electricity."**

**Dagda grinned, "Oh how the mighty thunder god likes to play with his toys. Let's mess with our boy some more."**

**Then they started again with their barrage of thoughts of Bella. They must have played every angle imaginable from how the sun-glinted auburn highlights through her hair to how very forgiving she was, to how I was a lost cause without her.**

'_**Oh my Bella!' **_**I'd thought in agony, putting my head in my hands as my body cried without tears.**_** 'What if you aren't happy? What if I was wrong and you need me as much as I need you? Could I risk it? Could I risk just one glimpse from the shadows of your life? If I came back, could you love me again? Would I deserve to have your love again? I can't stand this overwhelming need to return to Forks, to my Bella. But how can I do that AND keep you safe from my world? Maybe I'm doomed to fail. Maybe I should just give up and return to my love. Ahh, just the thought is so soothing--so healing.'**_

"**Yes it is!" Dagda said. "It's that way so you'll act on it. Chandra told me you were hard headed but you're starting to make me look bad here."**

**Llasa laughed. "Ahh, what's the matter? Did Cupid loose his quiver of arrows now?"**

**Dagda shook his head. "That's just the problem. It isn't working. No matter what we throw at him, somehow he turns it around. It is because he loves her that he is destroying his own future. It is so backwards it's…unbelievable." Dagda was clearly frustrated.**

**They started in on me again. This time when they did, my mental thoughts were in sync with them. **_**'I could go back. Bella would forgive me. I just know it. She didn't want me to leave in the first place. I could hunt every day; keep her away from Jasper unless he had just hunted. I wouldn't have to track anybody to keep her safe if I were with her.' **_

**The visual showed a vision of Bella that had been in my head. In it she was smiling her most beautiful, welcoming smile; inviting me to return to her. **

'_**I can't go back! What am I thinking? What is my pain in comparison to her happiness? She should be able to smile…smile without fear and danger lurking at every intersection of her life. She should be free from longing for a soulless future. She deserves better than that. She deserves better than me.'**_** I'd continued my thought miserably **

**Dagda slapped his palm on his head and Llasa groaned so loudly that the building actually trembled for a brief three seconds.**

"**What are we going to do with this boy?" Llasa said in frustration when the building stilled.**

**My derisive thoughts continued, **_**'When my Bella leaves this world, she'll go to a place that will be forever barred to me no matter how I conduct myself here.'**_

"**Oh really?" Dagda asked rolling his eyes and fixing me with an incredulous glare. "Like they would approve a soulless monster destined for the gates of hell to become the father of The Hope of the World."**

'_**And oh, how the thought of that final separation will be so much worse than the anguish I'm feeling now. Just the thought of that day is more than I can bear. I won't be able to stand it. When Bella goes to the place she deserves to go, I can only hope for oblivion. That would be a relief. So it will be my hope. Of course, there is no guarantee. Even when I'm ash, will I still feel the torture of her loss?'**_** In the visual I shuttered again.**

"**Well," Llasa said in disgust, "I guess we can add 'wallowing in self-pity' to the list of things that Edward Cullen is extremely good at."**

**I remembered those days of agony with perfect clarity. It felt as though I were living it again. So I was surprised when my entire family burst into a fit of suppressed laughter at Llasa's remark. Of course, I understand their frustration. I was being obstinate. But somehow, I don't see the humor in any of this.**

'_**Damn it—I promised that I wouldn't haunt her life again; that I wouldn't bring my black demons back into her world. I am not going back on my word. Can't I do anything right by her? Can't I do anything right at all? But maybe I could go back to my true home--just one more time; one more time to check on my Bella. Make sure she is safe and happy. She wouldn't even need to know I was there. No! Damn it—No!' **_

'**Here comes an incoming phone call again." Dagda mused. "Think he'll answer it this time? He hasn't the last twenty three times its rung.'**

"**I don't know what Rosalie wants to tell him, her mind is blocked to me right now." Llasa said with a sigh. "…maybe about Alice going to Forks. Let's try to reason with him here. One thing's for sure, anything is better than the stalemate we've got going here!" To which Dagda heartily agreed.**

**Then sounds of the phone vibrating was heard with its bee-like quality buzzing. **

**Immediately Dagda and Llasa started in on me again; this time to get me to answer the phone. With such ideas that it may be important; maybe Carlisle needed something, maybe I could use the distraction, etc. until finally the visual showed me reach into my pants pocket and pull out my still buzzing cell phone. As I checked the incoming phone number my face registered complete shock.**

'_**What in the world would Rosalie call me for? Out of my entire family, she would be the one most likely to be enjoying my prolonged absence. If she's calling me there must be something really wrong with my family.**__**After the recent thoughts I heard from her about my Bella, I have no desire to talk to her. On the other hand, there must be something wrong if she needed to talk to me. There must be something terribly wrong with my family.'**_

**In the visual I opened the phone and pressed the 'send' button.**

"**What?" I asked tensely.**

"**Oh, wow. Edward actually answered the phone to me. I feel so honored."**

**With that tone in her voice I know that my family is perfectly fine**_**. 'She must just be bored. It's difficult to interpret her motives without her thoughts as a guide. Then again, Rosalie has never made much sense to me. Her impulses usually founders on the most convoluted kinds of logic, typically herself.' **_

"**Gee thanks for the amazing compliment Brother dearest," Rosalie said rather sharply, from her seat next to Emmett in Chandra's home room. I was immediately reminded of the adage that said to temper your thoughts. I was going to have to take care of that.**

"**Sorry sister dearest," I replied from the couch where I sat with my wife, daughter and Mother. Perhaps I was a little too stressed out just then to have it come out right. "You have to take the statement in context with your behavior at the time." To which Rosalie rolled her eyes. Then again, perhaps she was as stressed out about the role she'd played with her phone call and it's almost disastrous consequences too.**

**Back in the visual, I'd snapped the phone shut, hanging up on her.**

"**Leave me alone." I whispered to the emptiness around me.**

**The sounds of the phone vibrated again at once.**

'_**Will she keep calling until she's passed along whatever message she's planning to annoy me with? Probably. It could take months for her to grow tired of this game. Maybe I should let her just hit redial for the next six months.'**_

**I sighed and answered the phone again. "Get on with it! What do you want Rosalie?" I barked.**

**The sound of Rosalie's voice coming through the cell phone was heard for everyone in the Sun Temple today. Rosalie rushed through her words. "I thought you would want to know that Alice is in Forks."**

**From the visual my eyes flew open in shock. **_**'What was my other sister doing in Forks?'**_** I furiously thought.**

"**Finally!" Llasa said triumphantly. Dagda had a look of deep concentration on his face.**

"**Hold up on that 'hallmark moment' if you will Llasa." He said somewhat worriedly. "Chandra and Samon have a 'situation' they are trying to deal with over at the Swan residence involving Jacob Black. I don't know if Alice ever told her siblings that Bella was still alive. I'm waiting for Chandra to get things resolved there. Give it a second." Llasa's face turned from joy to worry in an instant.**

*******

**The scene abruptly changed to show Jacob Black pacing back and forth in Bella's kitchen about to wear a hole in the floor. Bella walked in exasperated.**

"**Where's your friend?" Jacob asked agitated. The visual showed his nose wrinkled up. **_**'I know a vampire is here. I can smell it. Where though, in the hall, upstairs…'**_

"**You need to calm down Son," Ephraim Black said sternly from the table where he was perched.**

"**She had to run some errands." Bella retorted watching him pace back and forth before finally planting herself in his path and looking up at him with her hands on her hips. **_**'He is really starting to get on my nerves. Plus he's so mad he's shaking like a leaf.' **_** "Hey, what is your problem?" **

**Jacob stopped pacing and said, "I don't like having to be here." '**_**Not anymore that is. Not since it became enemy territory. I'm so mad I could just…FOCUS!'**_

**Chandra was becoming alarmed. "If he can't control himself, I'm going to throw him right out the door, Ephraim. Get him under control now!"**

"**Now that would have been impressive. Can we re-enact it again but this time have Jacob thrown?" Emmett said in mock anticipation. Jacob punched him and Emmett looked at him in innocence. "Don't be upset. It's not your fault. Not all of us can keep our focus. It's nothing to be ashamed about." **

"**Wow Emmett, is that your feminine side talking?" Jacob shot back. Emmett fluttered his eyelashes in response. I don't think anyone can get the upper hand on him. Although Jacob was determined to try.**

"**Then I'm sorry you had to come." Bella muttered to Jacob in the visual. Her mental voice contained nothing of the sarcasm of her vocal response. She was really upset**_**. 'Why would you say that Jacob? That really hurts my feelings.'**_

"**Why would Jacob hurt Mommy's feelings like that. Because Aunt Alice is nice and Jacob shouldn't be mean to her." Renesmee asked my Mother who was sitting next to us.**

"**Because, this was a long time ago and Jacob didn't know your Aunt yet. He only thought that all vampires were bad because of what his instincts told him." Mother calmly told her. "Don't you worry your pretty little head about it. After you were born, all of Jacob's confusion went away." **

"**I only need to clear up a few things and then we have to get back to the funeral." Jacob said angrily. "It shouldn't take very long**_**." 'I'm ready to crawl out of my skin here. It better only take a few minutes.'**_

"**Okay, get it over with then," Bella said with animosity. **_**'I know I'm overdoing it with the anger, but it's just because I don't want him to see how much it hurts to see him so mad at me. And this is my fault anyway right? I chose the 'bloodsucker' over him last night. I hurt him first.'**_

**That was a classic Bella move. Take all the responsibility for other's anger. No matter what the reason. Still, couldn't she see how upset he was? How close to phasing he was? Where was Alice?**

**Samon led Bella a little further away from Jacob down the counter to keep her further away from the monster that raged to get out of Jacob. Bella would have thought she had just stumbled on her two left feet and tripped her way down the counter a ways to the back door. Then he turned to Ephraim and said, "Get him calmed down now Ephraim. It would be hard to explain if Chandra were to throw him out the door."**

"**Steady boy." Ephraim commanded. "If you are here for information, get it and then leave. Have some dignity here, Jacob." At his words, Jacob's face smoothed out to become a serene mask.**

"**One of the Cullens is staying here with you," he stated flatly.**

"**Yes, Alice Cullen" Bella confirmed his assumption.**

**Jacob nodded thoughtfully, **_**'Well at least it's a girl vampire and not Edward. If it was hot shot, read-your-mind Edward I would…FOCUS!'**_** "How long is she here for?"**

"**As long as she wants to be." Bella's tone was belligerent. "It's an open invitation."**

"**You go sister!" Emmett said. "She ain't afraid of no big bad wolf! That's for dang sure!"**

**Jacob, on the screen, nodded and said still coolly and detached, "You should know that we can only watch our own lands with a Cullen here. You'll only be safe in LaPush. I can't protect you here anymore."**

"**Okay" Bella said her anger immediately deflated. **_**'So what does that mean for when Alice leaves? And worse than that; what does that mean for Alice? Could she take Victoria by herself? Victoria's kind of feral. Do I have to send Alice home now to keep her safe?'**_

"**And one more thing," Jacob asked in a cool quiet voice. "Are the rest of them coming back now?" **_**'They better not come back. Not if they know what's good for them.'**_

'_**Why are you asking me that? Jacob, you know how badly I want them to come back. You know how much I miss them--miss him. Do you want to hurt me? I'm starting to think you do. You do…just like all the Quileutes out there lighting celebration bon fires on the cliff when they left the first time. So go on then. Light them again. I'm sure you'll just love twisting the knife in my gut.' **_**Bella looked at him with anger glinting in her eyes. "No," She finally grudgingly replied. "They aren't coming back."**

"**Okay, that's all." Jacob said. **_**'Thank the Lord and let the celebrations begin!'**_

**Bella glared up at him and replied sarcastically, "Well, run along now; go tell Sam that the scary monsters aren't coming to get you." **_**'There that sounded regular; like he didn't just slap me in the face with his last remark.'**_

"**Hey," Emmett said proudly. "Them scary monsters are us. I'll bet she was talking about me specifically there."**

**Bella started to answer him back with a jab but then changed her mind and said simply, "How did you ever guess Emmett? And of course, your newly designed fingernails only add to your scary effect." Everyone appreciated that comment--including Emmett who flaunted them in a threatening bear claw gesture.**

"**Okay," Jacob replied still calm, in the visual, as he strode from the kitchen and Bella slumped against the counter and put her face in her hands. **_**'I don't understand how she can still care for the monsters that did this to her. It boggles the mind. Has she forgotten what they did to her? How they left her? And she knows the Cullen is leaving again. Yet here she is defending them.'**_

**Elizabeth was at her side at once. "Don't cry now. Everything will be fine. Alice will get a hold of Carlisle tomorrow and this will all get resolved.**

"**Uh oh," Samon said with a sigh. Chandra who was watching Jacob from the kitchen doorway and Elizabeth both looked questioningly at him. "Rosalie is talking to Edward on the phone right now."**

"**But, Alice didn't call her and give her an update about Bella." She said slowly with narrowed eyes. "What game is Rosalie playing at?"**

'_**Great! Now Jacob's gone. What a disaster. How did I manage to alienate him in such a short amount of time? That has to be a world's record even for me! Will he forgive me when Alice is gone? What if he doesn't? Then when Alice leaves I won't have any help with Victoria. How do I keep doing this? I just keep making a mess out of everything. But I don't see how I could have done anything differently.' **_**Bella thought as she cried silently.**

"**Bella" Jacob said as he re-entered the kitchen. **_**'I can't stand to see her cry. I've been working so hard for so long to make her smile. These tears break my heart. Don't cry!'**_

"**Now look at what you've done Jacob," Ephraim said disapprovingly.**

"**I'm sorry," He said as he walked right to her and ducked his head so they were looking on the same level. "I broke my promise again. I knew how you felt about them. I guess it shouldn't have taken me by surprise like that." He said but his expression was one of revolution. **_**'Well, at least she's sad to see me leave. That's something right?'**_

"**Sorry, can't I be friends with both of you at the same time?" She said sadly. **_**'This is so…so stupid.'**_

"**No, I don't think you can." Jacob said slowly shaking his head. "It's just the way things are." He stood back up. **_**'How can I explain how I can hardly control myself from just the smell alone?'**_

"**I do not like the way things are." Bella said dejectedly.**

**Jacob put one hand under her chin drawing her face up to his. "Yeah, it was easier when we were both human, wasn't it?'**

"**What are you doing Jacob? This is not on the agenda for today. Stop it now Jacob." Ephraim said in exasperation.**

"**We have a problem." Samon said softly.**

*******

**The scene switched back to my phone call with Rosalie from hell.**

"**What?" I asked in a flat, emotionless voice, **_**'Please say I misunderstood her. Alice is in Forks?'**_

"**You know how Alice is – thinks she knows everything. Like you." Rosalie chuckled humorlessly. Her voice had a nervous edge to it. **

'_**What is that about?'**_** I wondered mentally**_**. 'It sounds as though she's suddenly unsure about what she's doing. Like I care about what Rosalie's problem is. Alice had sworn to me that she would follow my leads in regards to Bella, even though she did not agree with my decision. She promised me she would let Bella alone for as long as I did. She promised that she would not interfere and not look at her future. I know she thought I'd eventually fold to the pain. Maybe she's right about that. But I haven't completely given up yet. I haven't gone back. So what was she doing in Forks? It makes me want to wring her skinny neck; not that Jasper would let me get that close to her once he caught a whiff of the fury blowing out of me.'**_

"**What is Rosalie doing?" Dagda said. "She is going to ruin everything."**

"**Are you still there, Edward?" Rosalie's voice coming out of the speaker of my phone brought me out of my thoughts.**

**I didn't answer. I watched as I pinched the bridge of my nose with my fingertips, **_**'Is it possible for a vampire to get a migraine? Although…if Alice had already gone back, maybe I could too? NO. I made a promise. For the love of all things holy – I am going to keep it! Bella deserves a life.'**_

**Abruptly the screen was filled with my vision of Bella's bedroom window. I shook my head as if I could dispel the image**_**. 'Bella's bedroom window is the doorway to my only sanctuary; the entrance to my home. There was no doubt that I would have to grovel, if I were to return – to beg Bella's forgiveness. I'd welcome that. I'd welcome it because I know I deserve it. I would happily spend the next decade on my knees as long as I was with her.'**_

"**Edward? Don't you even want to know why Alice is there?" Rosalie asked a little put out at my silence.**

"**Not particularly." I answered, **_**'Actually I'm dying to know.' **_

"**Well," Llasa said thinking. "It might still work, if he calls Alice to confirm what Rosalie tells him."**

**Rosalie's voice turned a trifle smug; pleased no doubt, that she had forced a response from me.**

"**Well, of course, she's not exactly breaking the rules. I mean you only warned us to stay away from Bella, right? The rest of Forks doesn't matter."**

**In the visual I blinked my eyes slowly. **_**'Bella has left? She hasn't graduated yet, so she must have returned to Renee - her mother. Well, that is good. She should live in sunshine. She loves the warmth and brightness of the sun. It is good that she's able to put the shadows behind her, including me.**_** (I stopped breathing) – **_**Bella has moved on. She's left me in her past like I had intended her to. My heart is forever lost. I can't swallow. This pain feels as if it will eat me alive.**_

"**That would be the logical thing for him to do." Dagda said. "There is a 98% chance that he will indeed call Alice to get his story straight."**

"**So you don't have to be angry with Alice." Rosalie trilled a laugh. **

"**Then why did you call me, Rosalie, if not to get Alice in trouble? Why are you bothering me?"**

"**Wait!" She cried, sensing rightly that I was going to hang up on her again. "That's not why I called."**

"**Then why? Tell me quickly, and then leave me alone!"**

"**Well…" She hesitated.**

"**Spit it out, Rosalie. You have ten seconds."**

"**I think you should come home," Rosalie said in a rush. "I'm tired of Esme grieving and Carlisle never laughing. You should feel ashamed at what you've done to them. Emmett misses you all the time and it's getting on my nerves. Not to mention Alice, she has been a wreck. You have a family Edward. Grow up and think of someone else besides yourself."**

"**Interesting advice Rosalie, maybe you should take your own guidance?"**

"**I am thinking about them, unlike you. Don't you care how much you have hurt Esme, if no one else? She loves you more than the rest of us, and you know that. Come home."**

**I didn't answer. **

_**I know I'm being very selfish; however I want to revel in my loneliness. I don't want my family members to witness my depressive state. **_

"**Oops," Chandra said looking at me from her seat across from me, and mouthing 'Sorry.'**

**Rosalie continued, "I thought once this whole Forks thing was finished, you would get over it." **

"**Forks was never the problem, Rosalie." I said, trying to explain patiently. What she had said about Carlisle, Esme and the other members of my family had struck a chord, so I tried to make an effort. "Just because Bella-" I paused. **_**'Why is it so hard to just say her name?'**_** "…has moved to Florida, it doesn't mean that I'm able… Look, Rosalie. I'm really sorry, but trust me; it wouldn't make anyone happier if I were there."**

**Back in the present, I wondered how Rosalie was enjoying being on the hot seat for everyone to see. I guess I shouldn't enjoy seeing her squirm. She had made her peace with Bella. That should be enough for me. I should leave it in the past. I should be able to sympathize with her pain. After all, her guffaw would never have occurred had my bigger one not happened first.**

"**Umm." Rosalie hesitated.**

'**There it is – that hesitation again.' I sighed and soldiered on, "What is it that you're not telling me, Rosalie? Is Esme alright? Is Carlisle…"**

"**They're fine." She interrupted me. "It's just… well I didn't say that Bella had moved."**

'_**What? Yes she did, didn't she? Let me think here… No, she never actually said that Bella had moved. So Bella isn't in Forks? What did she mean? Where is Bella if she hasn't moved?'**_

"**This is not going to be pretty." Dagda said sadly. Llasa nodded in agreement.**

"**They didn't want to tell you, but I think that's stupid. The quicker you get over this; the sooner things can get back to normal. Why let you mope in the dark corners of the world when there is no need for it? You can come home now. We can be a family again. It's over." Rosalie rushed through her words again, in an almost angry tone. **

'_**What is wrong with me? My mind must be broken. It isn't functioning again. I can't make sense of her words. It's like there is something really obvious that she's telling me, but I have no idea what it is. My brain feels like its short circuiting replaying the information, trying to decipher it. But I can't seem…' **_

"**Edward?" She said callously.**

"**I don't understand what you are saying, Rosalie."**

**There was a long pause, the length of several human heartbeats.**

"**She's dead, Edward."**

**My world stopped.**

**Rosalie was speaking but I barely heard a word she was saying.**

"**I'm…sorry. You have a right to know, though I think. Bella threw herself off a cliff two days ago. Alice saw it, but it was too late to do anything. I think she would have helped though, broken her word, if there had been time. She went back to do what she could for Charlie. You know how she's always cared for him –"**

**The phone went dead.**

'_**Oh, I must have shut off the power.'**_** In the visual, I watched as the phone dropped from my hand and clattered to the floor. There I sat in the dusty darkness. **_**'Time has stopped. My universe has stopped. It can't be true. Its just Rosalie playing a cruel trick on me – hoping that it would make me rejoin my family. But I have to check, just in case.' **_

"**Call Alice, Edward!" Dagda commanded.**

**Slowly, I reached around searching for my phone. I switched it back on and dialed a number.**

"**It's Alice you need to call!" Llasa shouted in my ear. "Alice…don't call the Swan's house. You need to speak with Alice."**

"**It's no use, he's not listening." Dagda said and then tried again anyway. "Call Alice!"**

'_**Well, I have to call the one number I promised myself I'd never call again. If my love answers – I will hang up. If it is Charlie – I will get the information I need through subterfuge. I'll prove Rosalie's sick joke wrong, and then return to my nothingness.'**_

**Llasa said glumly, "I guess I should take back what I said about anything being better than the stalemate we were in. If he doesn't get his story straight, this could end infinitely worse than a stalemate."**

*******

**The scene shifted back to the Swan's kitchen where Jacob still held Bella's face in his hand.**

"**Bella," Jacob whispered. **_**'This is it! I'm finally going to get my chance! Just when I thought my chance was over with a Cullen showing up. She's not sure, but I know she'll like this. I'll make her forget all about that leech. Don't think about them. This kiss is somehow meant to be.'**_

**Bella froze in the visual, staring back at him.**

'_**No! I haven't decided to do this. I don't know if I can--and now I'm out of time to think.**_**' Bella's thoughts were in a panic. **_** '…but if I reject him now—what consequences will there be? There would be plenty of consequences, including facing Victoria alone. No, he isn't my Jacob, but he could be. His face is familiar and beloved to me.'**_** Bella thought slowly.**

"**Bella," Mother said slowly. "What are you doing here?"**

"**She's thinking she's out of options. That's what" Samon told her.**

'_**Don't panic Bella. You'll like this—a nice hot-blooded kiss. No more frozen lips for you.'**_** Jacob dreamed in anticipation. I was a little surprised to hear Emmett's low growl before Rosalie, who was still tensed reached over and smacked him. In Chandra's home room Jacob's face was even darker with a blush and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably—good! Then in the visual Jacob's thoughts continued. '**_**I'll be your prince. And I'll be in heaven; with you as my angel. And it won't be like last time when you tasted like the stormy sea. Well, that can't even count--you were unconscious. This will be a real kiss; one for both of us to remember.'**_

"**Jacob! Stop this right now!" Ephraim scolded his charge. "No, don't even think about kissing her."**

"**He'll get pretty mad if she resists him at this point." Chandra said with narrowed eyes.**

**I felt sick inside as I watched my Bella try to talk herself into kissing Jacob.**

'_**In so many real ways I do love him. He's my comfort--my safe harbor. Right now, I could choose to have him belong to me. Alice is here for the moment—but that doesn't change things. She's going to have to go back to Jasper soon. And Edward, well, Edward isn't coming home to me. No—true love is forever lost. My prince is never coming back to awaken me from my enchanted sleep. Ha! I'm not a princess after all. So what is the fairy-tale prototype for other kisses? The mundane kind that don't break any spells?'**_

"**Bella, Edward is coming home to you." Mother told her with some urgency. "Alice is here already, and any minute now he's going to call her and find out what's really been going on here! Stall here. Remember how you did with Laurent? Go for the stall, dear."**

"**Jacob, you're not thinking boy!" Ephraim was practically shouting at him now. "Have you imprinted on her? No, you haven't. She isn't the one for you. Can't you see that she doesn't want this? She's trying to talk herself into it just so she doesn't hurt your feelings. Stop this now!"**

'_**Geez am I ever trapped in her eyes. They are so intense. What is she trying to say to me with them?' **_**Jacob thought.**

"**I'll tell you what she's saying," Ephraim bellowed. "She's saying 'stop, stop, stop! That's what she's saying." Then he turned to Chandra and added a little sheepishly, "Uh ha, kids today." With an apologetic expression comically placed.**

'_**She's probably saying, 'let's take this slow'. That's what I think I see written all over her face. Okay, let's prolong the moment. I'm all for making this last all day. And I'm going to savor every moment of it.'**_** Jacob's thoughts continued down their predetermined path.**

"**If she stops him, he will get too upset because he's already angry and smelling vampire in the room, and on Bella too." Chandra said worriedly.**

'_**Maybe it would be easy—like holding his hand or having his arms around me. Maybe it will feel nice. Maybe it won't feel like a betrayal. Anyway, who am I betraying? Just myself.'**_

**Mother looked at Chandra with a perplexed look on her face. "Are you saying that she may need to kiss him to keep him from phasing on her?"**

"**He is a werewolf of only two weeks." Samon added voice tense. "That is a possibility."**

'_**Oh no Miss Swan, there is no turning back now.'**_** Jacob thought**_**. 'This is Jacob time. You want this too…you just don't know it yet. And I ain't about to let some bloodsucker take this away from me.'**_

**I watched Jacob slowly bend his face to hers.**

"**Where is Alice?" Mother asked quickly. "Does she have her phone turned on?"**

'_**No—I can't decide. What should I do? Do I still have a choice here?'**_

**The sound of the Swan's phone ringing made Jacob and Bella jump. In Chandra's home room it also made Renesmee and Rosalie jump as well. My daughter was probably just startled. Rosalie was probably reacting to the end result of her handiwork. In the visual Jacob took his hand from under Bella's chin and without losing his focus from Bella's face reached over her to grab the receiver.**

"**No!" Chandra said in surprise.**

'_**I'd better get that. It might be Sam with important information, otherwise I'd just let it ring. And if it's not important I'll hang up quickly and pick up where I left off…'**_** "Swan Residence" Jacob said with a voice too intense. **_**'Make this quick, I'm working here.'**_

"**This is Dr. Carlisle Cullen." I said from the receiver, imitating my father's voice perfectly. "May I please speak to Charlie?"**

"**He's not here." Jacob said menacingly. **_**'And even if he were; what are you doing calling this house? What is this, 'Everything Cullen Day' today?'**_

**Mother looked confused. "Dr. Cullen? That sounds like Edward."**

"**Well, where is he then? I demanded back, getting impatient.**

**There was a short pause while Jacob thought. **_**'You are the enemy. Why would I give any information to the enemy? I can't do it and I won't! But, I guess this isn't top secret. I just don't think anything in Forks is their business. Especially if it involves a Swan's activities…'**_

"**That's because it is Edward," Samon replied grimly.**

"**He's at the funeral." Jacob finally answered reluctantly.**

**From my Mother's lap, Renesmee peered at Jacob with narrowed eyes.**

*******

**Of course, the scene abruptly returned to me; me at the beginning of the darkest twenty four hours of my life. I was still there in the attic crawl space. The phone dropped from my hand.**

"**My poor Daddy!" Renesmee said as she stood up from Mother's lap and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. She sent me pictures of the happiest moments of her young life. All of them included Bella and I and a feeling of peace settled over me. A small portion of my brain registered it was getting a little crowded in my lap with Bella there already and clutching even tighter still. Somehow, it hadn't mattered at all. In fact, it gave me strength to watch the scene that followed feeling the two of them so close and Nessie's peaceful memories, that it kept the replay of my torture to a dull ache. I clutched my girls back tightly and that was the way we stayed for the rest of the scene.**

'_**I'm dead. It feels as though my eyes are clouded and everything just went black. My end has come--too quickly. How could this have happened?'**_

'_**Bella is dead. It feels like nothingness surrounds me. My world feels empty. My life is over My existence is nugatory. My purpose is decapitated. I have nothing left to live for.'**_

"**Actually, she's not dead." Dagda said hopefully. **

'_**And to think I believed my pain, my torture, my suffering I've felt from leaving Bella was the worst thing imaginable. I was devastatingly wrong--that was nothing compared to this. This affliction scorching through my body – tears me apart. I feel as though my heart is shattering into a thousand pieces.'**_

"**I may help you with that if you don't stop torturing yourself and call Alice right now." Llasa said. "Actually, this is just an extreme case of a 'comedy of errors'" He added weakly.**

"**Not funny," Dagda responded softly shaking his head.**

"**Oh, sorry. I was just trying to be helpful. I guess your right" Llasa said conceding the fact.**

'_**I want to weep. I feel extraordinarily numb and completely drained. I'm paralyzed from the pain and I don't even have the energy to sob tearlessly. The world has stopped rotating. I can feel time itself has ceased to tick by. The universe has disappeared—blinked out of existence as though trapped, sucked into a mauling black hole. I've crawled in behind it—sucked into a dimension where nothing resides.' **_

"**Why didn't you call Alice instead of the Swan's home phone?" Dagda asked in dismay. "You could be on your way to Forks right now!"**

'_**How could this of happened? Bella…dead? Bella dead and gone forever? Deceased--never coming back; my sweet, uncoordinated, breakable Bella is forever from my grasp. The bitter sweet memories overpower me; me and her together; her face, her touch. There are no longer opportunities to ever see her beautiful face again. The way it would light up in an astonishing smile –to fill me with joy; and when it flushed with a blush – it made my breath stop, seeing her sweet blood underneath her skin. Her soft touch that sent tingles of warmth throughout my cold body; and when she declared her love for me, I felt my frozen hart beat. All of that is now extinct. Now understand how it feels to have loved and lost. I had loved and lost the day I had left my Bella. Was this pain I suffer now how Bella felt when I departed? Was it like I had died? I can't bear the thought of her enduring the torture and agony I am in this moment.'**_

"**Yes Edward—this is exactly how she felt when you left her. At least you can see that." Llasa said wryly. **

'_**All I ever desired for my Bella was that she be safe and happy, instead I've destroyed her. This is my fault. I have destroyed her--Charlie and Renee as well – being the reason for their daughter's death. I am a vicious monster; a repulsive iniquitous murderous creature.' **_

**In the visual, I suddenly stood up abruptly and departed my solitary confinement. I threw the phone in a loaded trash receptacle as I left the confines of the decrepit apartment complex and continued walking purposefully away.**

"**Wait, wait, wait! Where are you going?" Llasa demanded of me as thunder suddenly rumbled in the distance.**

'_**I want to die. I deserve to depart this life. I need to burn in the fiery pits of hell. Bella's life has been stolen from her. Death has taken her from me because of my own actions. The time had come to compensate for my transgressions. I'm going to atone for my sins now. I'm going to Italy.'**_

"**Oh, no, no, no! Stop Edward. Don't go there. Don't even think it!" Dagda said in growing alarm as they followed me out of the building. "Pick that phone back up this instant." They followed as I paced swiftly away from the building. "Go back and get the phone."**

"**He won't listen to us. He's too focused on his grief." Llasa stated solemnly. "You know, its times like this that I really dislike the 'Rules of Engagement'" Dagda nodded in agreement.**

"**Well, it's time to tell Chandra we have a serious problem." Llasa said as he looked up at the approaching storm clouds and sighed.**

*******

**The visual switched back to the Swan's house, where Jacob, having just caught Alice's scent approaching had decided to make his exit.**

"**Time to get out of here pronto Jacob," Ephraim said to his charge.**

"**Bye Bells," He spit out as he whirled towards the door. Bella ran after him. **_**'I gotta get out of here before the Vamp gets in here. I can smell her coming.'**_

"**What is it?" Bella asked in confusion.**

'_**Wrong way, she's coming down the stairs. Better head out the back door.'**_** Jacob thought in surprise.**

**She ran into him as he had stopped, rocked back on his heels, turned sideways and he and Bella fell in a tangled heap on the floor; Jacob cursing under his breath the whole while.**

"**Shoot, ow!" Bella complained as she extricated herself. Mother was at her side showing her the fastest way to do so. Alice stood motionless at the foot of the stairs. Jacob ran to the back door and froze.**

"**Keep Jacob back!" Chandra said to Ephraim as she came down the stairs beside Alice. "We're working on a very small window of opportunity here to fix this. Edward has made a VERY bad choice"**

"**Bella," Alice choked. The sound of her voice was full of despair and loss. **_**'Oh no. What are you thinking Edward?'**_

**In response, Bella ran to her side. Alice was caught up in her vision--a vision that everyone was now privy to; A vision of my next destination—Volterra. There I was being led into the great hall of the Volturi Coven; standing before Aro, Marcus and Caius—where I made my request of death. Aro read my every thought with a touch of a hand and told me they would have to deliberate on my request. I was to return the following day. The vision faded.**

"**Alice, what's wrong?" Bella cried. She put her hands on Alice's face to focus her. **_**'I need to calm her somehow. She's having a vision. What is it about to cause her so much pain?'**_

"**Watch this Jacob. It's time for a lesson on the difference between Cullen vampires and other vampires." Ephraim said softly.**

'_**Huh,' **_**Jacob thought in confusion. **_**'I was under the impression that vampires didn't have feelings. But this Alice vampire is clearly upset about something. I don't know whether to be amazed or disgusted at how comfortable she and Bella touch each other. I wouldn't have thought that a vampire could get that close to a human without hurting them. But Bella is very familiar with her. I don't believe it. Bella is treating her as if she were human. She actually regards Alice as human. I can't understand this at all. And this Alice, she's a tiny little thing. Probably not much to take out—still I'd better be on my guard; she might be a vampire with a special talent--maybe even one for killing werewolves.'**_

**Jasper proudly patted Alice's knee and said softly to her. "Tiny and tough!" He said kissing her neck.**

**Alice abruptly focused on Bella. **_**'Can I speak yet? I can't breathe. No Edward, stop!'**_** Her eyes were wide with pain. "Edward," she whispered.**

**Bella started to faint. **_**'What does she mean Edward? Why is she so…so upset? What happened…'**_

'_**Did this tiny vampire hurt her somehow?'**_** Jacob was suddenly there, a string of profanities flying out of his mouth.**

'_**Jacob—come on! Is this what you're learning from your new set of friends? If so, then they are a bad influence on you.'**_** Bella thought dryly.**

**Jacob dragged Bella to the couch where he sought to protect her placing himself between her and Alice. **_**'Somehow I have to protect her from this unseen deadly assault from the mighty-mouse vampire.'**_

"**Samon! Help Ephraim here." Chandra ordered. Samon was instantly by Ephraim and Jacob's side. "Keep him from phasing. I've got to work with Alice and Bella to get them going to Italy right away."**

'_**How did I get on the couch? And why is everything shaking? Is there a fault line in my living room?'**_** Bella thought in a daze.**

"**What did you do to her?" Jacob demanded. **_**'I have to figure out what her talent is if I'm to have any chance of defeating her.'**_

"**Are you sure that's the only way?" Samon asked worriedly. "It would be beyond dangerous; having both of the approved in the heart of the 'Forces of Evil's lair?"**

**Alice ignored him. "Bella? Bella, snap out of it. We have to hurry."**

"**It's not a question of saving just one of them. They have to be both saved, or they both die--either way." Chandra said grimly.**

"**I guess I see your point." Samon conceded in a hushed anguish. "This is going to be fraught with too many perils and obstacles. We may all be exposed and lose everything." **

"**Stay back!" Jacob warned. **_**'Do I have room to phase without hurting Bella myself?'**_

"**No, actually Jacob—you don't have room to phase. Calm down now!" Ephraim commanded sternly.**

"**Calm down, Jacob Black," Alice ordered. "You don't want to do that so close to her." **

**Ephraim nodded his head in agreement. "Thank you Alice, I was just saying the same thing myself!"**

"**I don't think I'll have any problem keeping my focus," Jacob retorted back somewhat mollified. **_**'What? She's worried about me hurting her? Maybe she didn't hurt her after all…'**_

"**Alice?" Bella asked in a weak voice. "What happened?" '**_**I want to know. But I very much also do not want to know.'**_

"**It's Edward." Alice replied in a chocked whisper. "He thinks you're dead. He's going to Italy."**

"**You need to concentrate now Bella," My Mother told her. "Edward needs you now. Put it together. It was here in this very room he told you. Remember? You were sitting on this very couch watching 'Romeo and Juliet'. That's right; it's coming to you now." **

**Then my voice came again from Bella's head--this time not a sub-routine, but a memory. **_**'…Well, I wasn't going to live without you. But I wasn't sure how to do it. I was thinking maybe I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi. You don't irritate them. Not unless you want to die…'**_

"**No! No! No! No! No! He can't! He can't do that!" Bella half-shrieked as she jumped to her feet. 'Why**_** would he do that? He left. He doesn't love me anymore? What reason could he possibly have for this kind of behavior? It doesn't even make sense! What is he thinking?'**_

"**Oh, get out of my way Jacob" Bella ordered as she elbowed her way around his still-trembling body. "What can we do?" **_**'There has to be a way to stop him!'**_

**Samon looked at Chandra and said, "We're going to need help here. The four of us can't get away with much inside their stronghold and poor Elizabeth; she's getting stronger with each encounter with 'dark beings', but you remember from our observations there. That place is swarming with them. They could take her down and Bella with her. I have to tell Mother and Father and see what strings they can pull. This is top priority." Chandra nodded gravely.**

"**There might be a chance but we would be in the heart of the Volturi city. It could be very dangerous for both of us." Alice said gravely. '**_**Is there a way to win this? Too many decisions unmade to see anything. But there may be a chance; however it is so wrong for me to expose Bella to such a dangerous risk. Would she risk herself for Edward? I would for Jasper. Truth be told—I would for Edward too, but unlike Edward. I will give her the choice.'**_

"**This is what's keeping us here?" Bella asked her in disbelief. "I'll go alone if you're afraid." **_**'Now how much money is left in my savings account after those motorcycles? Hmmm…maybe Alice will loan me the rest.'**_

"**That's the spirit, Bella! Save your Edward!" Mother encouraged her.**

'_**I hope she understands how high the stakes are here.'**_** Alice thought and then said, "I'm only afraid of getting you killed." Her tone was full of the stress that lined her face now.**

'_**You've got to be kidding me! Edward's life is WAY more important than mine.'**_** Bella snorted in disgust. "I almost get myself killed on a daily basis**_**." 'At least this time it will be for something that matters. Something that matters more than anything else in the world! I'd better go get my bag--and my passport.'**_

"**Don't forget your toothbrush." Mother said as she followed her up the stairs.**

'_**Now for this Alice vampire; can I talk to her like a person? Especially when I'm fighting this crazy strong urge to phase and rip her to shreds?'**_** Jacob was furious. He turned to Alice accusing her, "You may control yourself on occasion, but these leeches you're taking her to…"**

"**Yes. You're right, dog." Alice snarled back. "The Volturi are the very essence of our kind—they're the reason your hair stands on end when you smell me. They are the substance of your nightmares, the dread behind your instincts. I'm not unaware of that."**

"**And you take her to them like a bottle of wine for a party!" Jacob shouted back**_**. 'Bella thinks this Alice vampire cares about her. Hah! If she did she wouldn't be taking her to the slaughter like this. Some friend; no, you're not her friend. I've just exposed you. I'm her true friend now.'**_

"**You think she'd be better off if I left her here alone, with Victoria stalking her?"**

"**We can handle the redhead." Jacob shot back. **_**'She talks like a person, but she is all angular lines and she kind of shimmers like moving crystals. Plus, she's really ticking me off! What does she think we've been doing for the last several months while she and her coven have been off going all 'batty'?'**_

"**Jacob, don't be a hothead!" Ephraim said as a reprimand.**

"**Then why is she still hunting?" Alice retorted smugly. **_**'Yes, Jacob Black, think what you will. You didn't see the vision I did of Victoria coming here to take her away--soon! I don't dare leave her here. Plus if Victoria doesn't get her, she is still left to deal with the lot of you werewolves. She'd be a goner for sure here. At least with me and Edward in Volterra she stands a slightly better chance. I love Bella and I have to give her the best chance I can—and save Edward at the same time!'**_

**Jacob started shuttering more violently as a growl escaped him. Bella came down the stairs with a small bag and said impatiently, "Stop that! Argue when we get back, let's go!" '**_**Cut out all the monster crap already. It is absolutely ridiculous.'**_

"**Heaven help us!" Chandra said in despair.**

*******

**The next scenes were from the plane trips over to Italy with Bella and Alice. I was already in Volterra and devising my plans first of how to ask, and second how best to get them to destroy me.**

"**If there was any way for me to do this without you, Bella, I wouldn't be endangering you like this. It's very wrong of me." **_**'Really, it is VERY wrong of me; but I can't use anyone else, Edward would hear them and only act quicker. Plus, he won't believe you're alive unless he sees you. I've searched out every other option and they all end in tragedy. This scenario does to, but not every time.'**_

"**Is there really no other way?" Mother asked with misgivings.**

"**Don't be stupid! I'm the last thing you should be worrying about." Bella responded impatiently. **_**'Worry about something that matters--like how to stop Edward. Can we make this plane go faster?'**_

"**That, that right there Chandra! That's the attitude that's going to get her killed." Elizabeth said giving voice to her fears.**

"**I know Elizabeth," Chandra stated calmly as she sighed. "It is the only way at this point and it is in her nature to put herself last. It's why she was chosen. It is unfortunate that she is suffering from such low self-esteem since Edward's departure but let's focus on the hope that they will be together soon and self-esteem issues will correct themselves—for both of them.'**

"**Bella, the Volturi have assumed the position of enforcing our rules." Alice said in a whisper to keep their conversation private. **_**'She doesn't understand how dangerous they are. Charlie's a cop. Maybe vampire police would get the point across.'**_

"**Where is Samon at?" Elizabeth asked.**

"**He went to see about getting some help for us." When Mother's expression looked puzzled Chandra went on. "He's finding the correct automobile to get them there as quickly as possible, and talking to our parents to arrange for assistance." Mother sighed in relief.**

"**There are rules?" Bella looked as though her eyes were going to pop out. "Shouldn't someone have mentioned this to me earlier? I mean, I wanted to be a…to be one of you! Shouldn't somebody have explained the rules to me?" **_**'Well, like there's any chance of that happening now. I'm not going to become a vampire; only a vampire's meal. Just—please let it be AFTER Edward is saved. '**_

**Alice's thoughts cut in adding, **_**'Why should we have when Edward squelched any talk of you becoming like 'one of us'. Well, I might as well explain now. It isn't like Edward is in much of a position to decide what Bella does or does not know now is he?'**_** Then Alice explained. "It's not complicated, Bella. There's only one core restriction. We have to keep our existence a secret." **

**Bella looked confused as she said, "So, Edward…"**

"…**is planning to flout that in their own city—the city they've secretly held for three thousand years. They are so protective of their city that they don't allow hunting within its walls." Alice explained. "I doubt they've ever had a situation quite like this." She muttered in disgust. "You don't get a lot of suicidal vampires."**

**In response a muffled cry escaped Bella's mouth. Alice wrapped her thin arm around her in comfort. She said, "We'll do what we can, Bella. It's not over yet."**

"**Not yet." Bella said softly. **_**'She knows our chances of succeeding are poor though.'**_** "And the Volturi will get us if we mess up."**

"**Good, that should alert Alice to Bella's train of thought." Chandra grinned in weary satisfaction.**

**Alice stiffened and glared at her. "You say that like it's a good thing." **_**'Is she off her rocker? I'd better make sure she isn't carrying any sharp objects. She might go Kamikaze on me there if we're too late.'**_

**Bella shrugged. **_**'Whatever. I can pretend it was just an errant thought. Honestly though, what's the point without Edward?'**_

"**Knock it off Bella, or we're turning around and going home." Alice said in a tone that said no nonsense. **_**'Not on my watch, Sister! I've got my eye on you.'**_

"**What?" Bella asked innocently. **_**'She can't read my mind. Did she read my face?'**_

"**You know what. If we're too late for Edward, I'm going to do my damnedest to get you back to Charlie, and I don't want any trouble from you. Do you understand that?" Alice continued sternly. **_**'I am not going to explain to Charlie how I got his little girl killed. That would destroy him.'**_

"**Sure Alice." Bella said and then added mentally, **_**'I'm a better actress than you remember. I've had a lot more practice acting 'normal' now.'**_

"**Oh yeah! Academy Award Nominee for sure there." Emmett quipped theatrically.**

**Jacob added, "Where did that popcorn go?" He looked around, found the half eaten tub by his foot and started eating again. "I know the scary parts coming. Now I'm ready."**

'_**I can't believe this. Bella was never so reckless before. Maybe cliff diving was a symptom of the problem and there is something deeper going on here.'**_** Alice pulled back slightly to glare at Bella again. "No trouble."**

"**Scout's honor." Bella muttered. **_**'Dang it! I forgot how perceptive Alice is. Plus she sees everything. It's virtually impossible to fool her. She's foolproof! What was I thinking? I need to keep my thoughts to myself better than this or I'll blow the whole thing.'**_

"**We need to do something." Chandra said abruptly. "Aro may want proof that Bella's transformation is in the works. We need to have Alice decide to change her so her vision of Bella as a vampire will become strong again. It has become quite distorted with Edward's departure.**

'_**Well I can at least be honest about this wish.'**_** Bella thought and then said sadly, "I wish you had been right about me Alice."**

"**What do you mean?" Alice asked, **_**'Right about what; Victoria coming for her or about drowning from her cliff jump?'**_

**Bella spoke so softly it was nearly inaudible. "You saw me become one of you." **

'_**Oh that vision.'**_** Alice sighed. "It was a possibility at the time."**

"**At the time," Bella repeated**_**. 'At the time Edward wanted me. At the time I had a future I cared about.'**_

"**Actually Bella…" Alice hesitated and then seemed to make a choice. "Honestly, I think it's gotten beyond ridiculous. I'm debating whether to just change you myself" '**_**Then we can keep Edward happily at home without compromising his ethics. Just take that decision away from him all together. Yes, it would be for Edward. If we had done so in the first place then we wouldn't be going to Volterra now to try to save him from idiocy.'**_

**Bella stared at her, frozen with shock. **_**'I can't believe it—I better not believe it either. I can't afford that kind of hope. I mean, what if she changed her mind. I couldn't take that disappointment on top of everything else.'**_

"**Did I scare you?" Alice wondered. "I thought that's what you wanted." **_**'Be careful what you ask for Bella.'**_

"**I do!" Bella gasped. "Oh Alice, do it now! I could help you so much—and I wouldn't slow you down. If you don't do it now, you'll change your mind." She added biting her lip. **_**'Of course, she'll change her mind as soon as Edward hears about it. She'll cave to his demands. Everything is always Edward's way.'**_

"**Ain't that the truth," Emmett said glumly as though commiserating with Bella inside the visual.**

"**No," Alice frowned--her expression unhappy. **_**'Boy will he be upset; having his Bella strong and immortal—his equal.' **_**"I don't think I will. He'll be furious, but what will he be able to do about it?**

"**Nothing at all." Bella said and sighed added mentally**_**, 'Well, at least I have something to hope for now if we do make it out alive. If Alice makes good on her promise—and if she doesn't kill me—then Edward could run after his distractions all he wants, and I could follow him. Who knows, maybe when I'm beautiful and strong, he won't want distractions.'**_

**As Alice thought through her discussion with Bella and became more resolved in her mind, the vision of my immortal Bella became clear again in the visual--straight from Alice's renewed vision inside her head.**

"**Let me concentrate now. I'm trying to see what he's planning." Alice had a vision of me in front of the Volturi a second time, being told by Aro that they would not honor my request because it would be wasteful considering my talent and because they didn't want to offend Carlisle. Then In Alice's vision I suffered through thoughts of hunting in town, lifting cars in public and thinking of anything else to get my desired reaction.**

**Alice closed her eyes and Bella looked out the window at the overcast sky. As she did so her thoughts took over. **_**'I wish there was something safe for me to think about here. I can't think about the horrors we're headed towards, or even worse, the chance that we might fail—not if I want to keep from screaming aloud that is. I need to be really careful here too because I can't anticipate anything either. I mean, maybe, if I am very, very, very lucky, I will somehow be able to save Edward. But I can't allow myself to be so stupid as to think that saving him will mean that I can stay with him because I have to face it—I'm still the same girl he left seven months ago. I'm no different. Not unless you count the big hole in my chest—but that's not a plus. No, I'm no more special than I was before. There will be no new reason for him to want me now. So I have to understand that the best case scenario here will be; saving him, seeing him…and losing him again.'**_

"**Bella dear, Edward won't be leaving you ever again. That is a fact you can bank on. You will never have to suffer emotionally like this again. You will see each other in a few short hours now." Mother said comfortingly to her. Then she turned to Chandra, "I can't bear her anguish. It's so intense."**

"**I know. Edward's is pretty bad too." Chandra said grimly. Mother sobbed into her hands.**

'_**Ahh I can hardly bear to consider suffering his loss again. But I have to! Because that is the price to save him-- and I will. I will pay that price to keep him alive. I'll deal with my own grief somehow…later.' **_**She looked sad but determined as she stared out the window at nothing. **

*******

**I was in awe of the strength of character my wife possessed, and still carried. I suddenly heard an echo in the chambers of my mind of a conversation I'd had with my Bella in a crowded lunchroom at Forks High School the day after she'd told me she knew my secret. That she knew what I was.**

**We'd been speaking about why she'd felt she cared more for me than I did for her, and when she said that she wasn't saying good bye, I proceeded to explain my arrogant and flawed theory to her.**

"**Don't you see?" I had told her. "That's what proves me right. I care the most, because if I can do it; if leaving is the right thing to do, then I'll hurt myself to keep from hurting you; to keep you safe."**

**Bella had glared at me with her chocolate rich brown eyes and retorted, "And you don't think I'd do the same?"**

"**You'd never have to make the choice." The last words echoed over and over in my head as I watched my Bella sit in that plane, having made that choice for me that day. She was 'hurting herself' to keep me safe. She had no hope of having her feelings returned, yet she'd put herself on the sacrificial alter for my welfare. I knew she was magnanimous. But this—I was in complete awe of her.**

…

**The sky turned dark. Alice had told Bella that I was deciding how to ask as they traveled over the Atlantic now. Alice had gone back into her trance while Bella looked out the window into the flat black of night, thinking again.**

'_**I sure am glad I had all those months of acting normal and controlling my thoughts with Charlie. Speaking of Charlie, what in the world am I ever going to say to him IF I get back? What about Jacob? He said he'd wait for me, but that's probably out the window now. Will I end up in Forks alone, with no one at all? Maybe I don't want to survive—no matter what happens…'**_** Then she drifted off to sleep.**

*******

**Another vision from Alice's head had me walking out at the stroke of noon, shirtless and sparkling under the clock tower into the main square. I was out there an entire minute and ten seconds before two cloaked Volturi guards dragged me off and disposed of me, thus ended her vision.**

"**Wake up Bella! Edward has made a decision. He's going to keep it simple. He's just going to walk out into the sun." Alice said quietly but somehow slightly optimistic. **_**'That gives us at least two hours and thirty seven minutes to land, go through customs, get your bag and me steal a car. Then the forty minute drive there, which I can cut in half, and get you to the alley behind the clock tower.'**_

"**That IS going to be cutting it close." Mother stated. "Does Samon have a car yet?"**

**Chandra nodded. "He's got it parked in covered visitor's parking. He's getting ready to send her a vision of herself getting in it so she'll be able to find it right away."**

'_**Just walk out into the sun? That's it? Well, I guess it would be enough. I remember how he looked in the meadow; his skin glimmering as though it were made up of a million diamond facets. No, any human who saw that would NEVER forget it. The Volturi couldn't possibly allow it. Not if they wanted to keep their city inconspicuous.'**_** Bella looked out the window and lamented, "We'll be too late." Her voice was a whisper of panic.**

**Alice shook her head. "Right now, he's leaning towards the melodramatic. He wants the biggest audience possible, so he'll choose the mail plaza, under the clock tower. The walls are high there. He'll wait till the sun is exactly overhead." **_**'The walls are high but there is also a big plaza that opens up too. And there's lots of sunshine today. Where did I put those long gloves of mine? I'd better get them out now.'**_

"**So we have till noon?" Bella asked anxiously. **_**'Is that enough time?'**_

"**If we're lucky; if he sticks with this last decision." Just then a vision of Alice running to the visitor parking garage appeared on the visual. She got into a bright yellow Porsche 911 Turbo sports car where the keys were conveniently in the ignition already. She drove it to the front of the airport where Bella waited with eyes about to pop out of her head. **

**The pilot voice announced their imminent landing.**

**Bella asked Alice, as she snapped her seatbelt, "How far is it from Florence to Volterra?"**

**Alice thought as she replied, "That depends on how fast you drive. Bella?" **_**'And we just got us one hot set of wheels.'**_

"**Yes?" Bella replied.**

**Alice eyed Bella speculatively. "How strongly are you opposed to grand theft auto?"**

*******

**Next the visual showed Alice and Bella actually driving the sporty car in question so fast that it appeared the cars they passed were traveling backwards.**

"**Well," Alice said, "that's ironic. It's St. Marcus Day."**

"**They're not going to be very happy if Edward messes things up for them on St. Marcus Day, are they?"**

"**No," Alice said with a grim expression while shaking her head. "They'll act very quickly."**

**Bella looked out the window biting her lip again. Her thoughts cut through the scene. 'I better watch it with the lip biting today. Bleeding probably isn't the best idea right now. But the sun is so high already.' Her voice was full of anxiety and impatience. "He's still planning on noon?" She checked.**

"**Yes. He's decided to wait. And they're waiting for him." Alice confirmed.**

"**Tell me what I have to do." Bella commanded.**

"**I'm going to get you as close as possible and then you're going to run in the direction I point you." Alice said.**

**Bella nodded.**

"**Try not to trip," Alice added. "We don't have time for a concussion today."**

"**There" Alice said abruptly, pointing to the castle city atop the closest hill.**

'**Oh shoot! Now what am I feeling? I've only had a fear of Edward's death--of losing him forever. But now, looking at the ancient sienna walls and towers crowning the peak of the steep hill, I feel another more selfish kind of dread course through me—fear for my life. I suppose the city is very beautiful. So, why does it absolutely terrify me?' Bella thought as she stared at the walled city.**

"**Volterra," Alice announced in a flat, icy voice. **_**City to the 'Gates of Hell'. Volturi'**_

*******

**Back to me, the video next showed me walking morosely through the alleys of the lively city of Volterra. I knew that Felix and Demetri were a discreet distance keeping an eye on me and I was counting on that. It made me shudder to think of how close it had come that day to my own annihilation. My morbid thoughts kept time with me.**

'_**The more I deliberate about it – the more confident I am with my current plan. Nobody will get hurt, with the exception of myself, which is all I care about. Why should others suffer because of me? They shouldn't. I have already caused pain to enough people: Bella, Bella's family and friends for having a hand in her death, and now my own family too. I feel extremely guilty for bringing agony to my family, but I simply cannot go on living without Bella. I'll follow Bella wherever she goes from now on. The blazing sun has already risen up in the sky. I will make my appearance into the sunlight when the sun was at its highest point in the sky – Noon. **__**That will also be the time when the festival takes place in the Piazza dei Priori – it will be busiest and overcrowded – giving me a large audience and creating a substantial disturbance to the Volturi. **__**For now I have to wait. The wait is somewhat bearable compared to what I have experienced recently. But for some reason I feel strangely impatient. I don't want to prolong the remaining seconds I have left to exist. I seek solace. I require my home. I want my Bella. I have spent these final hours imagining our reunion. When we are reunited, will she forgive me? Even in death?'**_

"**What is taking them so long?" Dagda said anxiously. "We're running out of time."**

"**They got held up in the traffic, but they're inside the city now and Bella's getting ready to start her run." Then Llasa got a small tense grin on his face. "You know, we can't do anything to alert the 'Powers of Darkness' but what about something small?" **

**From the visual, I saw myself as I watched the square become crowded from the shadows.**

**Dagda got a big grin on his face and said, "You know Llasa. I like how you think!"**

"**By the time Alice gets Bella close enough, she will only have two minutes left to reach Edward before this clock tower starts chiming away. Taking into account her balance problems and also the crowds here today, how much of a slowdown do you think we could get away with here?" Llasa said conspiratorially to his brother-in-law.**

"**If we start it slowing now so it doesn't look as obvious, maybe we can slow it down enough to buy her another minute and a half?" Dagda said as a question.**

"**A minute and a half," Llasa said. "That is almost double the time and I like them odds a lot better. You?" He asked with a grin.**

"**Definitely!" Dagda replied clasping hands with Llasa. Right away the big clock started going slightly slower. No one even noticed.**

'_**It is almost time; This alleyway where I had first encountered Demetri and Felix, located directly under the clock tower - Palazzo dei Priori. That's where I will wait out the last few minutes before I eventually step out to my death. I can see the clock from my current location. It shows me that I have five minutes left.**_

**The words that were recalled and echoed through my mind that day repeated again. **_**'I wasn't going to live without you.' –**__**My own words. Yes, my own words that I had spoken to Bella on her previous birthday. Why has Bella's life been taken so soon, I am so…so furious that I hadn't been there to protect her. I can't bear the thought of her being alone--alone and falling--falling and drowning in deathly cold water. I can just imagine her gasping for air as she slowly lost her breathing ability and the water took her as a prisoner. Stop it! I don't want to visualize her death, but my mind can't be controlled. It's determined to remind me of exactly what I have caused.'**_

*******

**The visual returned to Bella as she got out of the stolen Porsche and started her frantic run to the tower. Chandra ran beside her. Often she actually moved Bella's direction keeping from tripping over pedestrians. Sometimes she stumbled anyway, but Bella, driven with a need born of desperation that day and I watched her as she struggled. Watching her single-minded determination filled me with another surge of love for this woman who was willing to sacrifice everything--even her own life to save someone's she deemed more precious than her own--mine. I didn't deserve her. Somehow, I would find a way to become worthy of her though. If it took me forever, I would.**

**She ran with the same bold fearlessness she'd used as we'd viewed her running to save her Mother from James the spring before. She sacrificed for those she love; my Bella—the protector. Was that what made her such a strong shield? Because it was her strongest trait and it had been enhanced during her transformation? She'd run to save me that day. That day we'd both been nearly killed and Alice along with us.**

**Chandra directed her to a large fountain of water and somehow changed the temperature of the water to be cold. Thereby making people get out of her way to avoid getting splattered by freezing water as she hurried on her way. She actually used the fountain's edge as a springboard to throw herself into the crowd. The clock finally let out its first boom as Bella neared the alley's edge. **

…

'_**The time is here now. The clock is tolling for the first time, marking the approach of high noon. And its echoing sound is so soothing. It helps calm my anxious state. Thankfully I can hear the thoughts of the several Volturi guard members nearby. So I know that they are ready and waiting to attack instantly at my impending exposure.'**_** I thought in dreaded anticipation. **

"**Yes, Edward," Dagda said. "We know the guards are ready to attack. That's what's got us worried here."**

"**Correct," Llasa agreed. "And you're not going to want them around either. You just don't know it yet.**

"**I sure hope Samon gets here soon with reinforcements. If Alice gets here quickly after Bella reaches Edward…they might be able to just walk out of here without having to put in an appearance at hell's gate." Dagda said low and worried.**

"**Assuming Bella makes it in time." Llasa commented.**

"**Hey! My wife is helping her. Of course she'll make it!" Dagda replied confidently.**

*******

**I watched the scene play out from Volterra as Bella started screaming my name even though she was out of breath. She barreled right through a circle of officiators for the celebrations in her haste. They hadn't even slowed her. The chimes rang out three, four, five times and on she went. Finally she passed a family of four and came into the alley itself. Chandra was pushing her along and in truth; Bella was running as fast as a decent human athlete. It would have only looked strange to someone who'd actually known my Bella when she was human. Mother also kept pace with them but it was Chandra who was calling the shots in the plaza.**

'_**I'm too late. The sun is too high and I can see both hands on the clock pointing straight up! I know it's too late. No! I'm stupid and slow and human--and we're all going to die because of it. Oh, I hope Alice will see me from the dark shadows somehow so she will know I failed and she can still go home to Jasper.'**_

"**Don't give up now, Bella." Mother said frantically. "Push harder. If you don't, Alice won't go anywhere. You know that much is true! So give it all you've got; faster now Bella, faster."**

**Somehow, she did seem even more determined and persevered. Chandra**

*******

**The scene changed again to my thoughts from the time the clock had first begun to chime.**

**From the visual I closed my eyes tuned out the voices in my head and stepped to the edge of the shadows. I removed my shirt at dropped it at my feet. I heard Bella call my name from the distance.**

'_**I'm ready to sparkle for the world to see. Oh, how I have desired for so long to hear my Bella's voice again. It's ringing in my ears, and the sweet sound makes me melt. And it sounds so extraordinarily real. I know I'm hallucinating. In fact, I welcome the insanity. I can picture Bella's face behind my closed eyelids as she beams at me with a brilliant smile. Ahhh!'**_

"**Here she comes now!" Dagda said impressed. "…and looking like a triathlon."**

**The clock continued its toll, booming throughout the square and I smiled. That was when Bella saw me. Shirt off, eyes closed with deep purple circles under them and with a peaceful expression on my face. Bella's thoughts picked up as the visual slowed to the pace of the real time. Well, I guessed it was real time plus a minute and a half extra. **

"**Maybe we should have slowed down that clock by another fifteen seconds." Llasa said slowly as he raised his hand and made a small gesture with his index finger. In response a tiny cloud moved a fraction of an inch closer to the Sun. When he was done he cast a quick glance over his shoulder at Felix and Demetri making sure they hadn't notice the cloud movement. "Sure hope Samon was able to get the SWAT team sent."**

"**Alice is already walking this way." Dagda responded. "She's walking at a fast human pace but describing everyone's clothes in Italian to try and blend in. She's describing the designer fangs one woman is wearing to match her blood red dress and nails now."**

"**That would probably do it if Edward were paying attention, but Edward isn't listening anyway." Llasa said. "He's tuning everyone out."**

"**Hopefully he won't tune Bella out." Dagda said worriedly. "Anyway, Alice describing fashion items probably would be a tip off—except for today, Edward is usually quite astute."**

"**Edward, no!" Bella screamed. Her voice was drowned out by the boom of the chimes. Her thoughts began though they were tinged with the same gasping she would have experienced if she were trying to talk while running. **_**'I can see him now. Oh, it's really him! But he can't see me. Not a hallucination this time. My delusions were flawed. More flawed than I realized. They never did him justice. Oh, I've never seen anything more beautiful. I can appreciate that. The last seven months mean nothing and his words in the forest mean nothing. And it doesn't matter if he doesn't want me—I'll never want anyone else, no matter how long I live.'**_

"**Edward!" Bella yelled frantically. **_**'Please, please, please turn around. I'm right here. I'll do whatever you want; even if it's simply to turn around and pretend to forget I saw you…just STOP AND LOOK TO YOUR LEFT! He isn't listening…'**_

**My thoughts picked up where Bella's ended, 'I**_** hear my love as she calls me into the light. Patience my Bella; I won't speak aloud though. I must prevent the sound of spoken words from destroying my glorious moment.'**_

"**No Edward!" Dagda said. "She's not calling you to the light. She's calling you towards her. She's here now--alive!" He sighed and then added, "I'll say he's tuning everyone out."**

**The clock tolled again and in the visual, I took a large stride towards the light. Llasa moved the cloud another inch towards the Sun. He then looked over his shoulder at their 'company', grimaced and quickly put his arm down.**

"**No!" Bella cried. "Edward, Look at me!" **_**'Oh, he isn't listening. Why is he smiling? Edward? Does he really want to die? Edward, I need you. I need you to live. I have to somehow go faster. Why can't he hear me?'**_

**Chandra gave her a final boost that sent her running even quicker as she raced to me in that last step screamed at Bella in alarm. "Save Edward. Run right into him . Try to knock him over. Go faster now, Bella. Everything you've got!"**

"**Edward, look at me." **

'_**Her voice still dazes me. I'm coming, love.'**_** I took an involuntary step forward towards the sound. **

"**Who is that girl calling him?" Demetri asked Felix from the shadows. Neither was visible in the visual.**

'_**My monumental moment is here. The toll rings again and it's time to take my step into the light--my final step. What? What has collided with me? I don't know but I have reflectively caught it and it's in my arms now. There is no sign of attack; I've just caught whatever it was that has been flung into me. What is it? I will do what Bella asked me to do. I will open my eyes and look.' **_

**Chandra let out a sigh. Mother openly wept. Dagda embraced his wife. Llasa asked, "Where is Alice now?" as he gazed once again into the shadows.**

'_**Oh, my neck! Did I hit Edward or the stone wall? Was I too late?'**_** Bella thought as she opened her eyes and looked into my opening ones.**

**I slowly opened my eyes as the twelfth toll rang. It was with a jolt of sublime joy that I found I was looking into the eyes of my love.**

'_**Bella is in my arms. It is astounding. I don't believe my good fortune! I have found her in death!'**_

"**Amazing," I whispered**

'_**I have a soul after all—even though it is against the general myth of vampires; but I have one because I am in heaven. I am with my love, my Bella. The love and wonder that fills me is indescribable! I can actually feel her in my arms! My chest is no longer hollow. My heart has been replaced. I am whole again!'**_** My thoughts were the most joyous they had been yet throughout the entire presentation.**

"**Carlisle was right." I spoke in a voice radiating astonishment. **

**I lifted my hand to touch Bella's cheek to ensure she would not fade away as quickly as she had arrived. **

'_**She didn't disappear; and I feel the same electric shocks run through my body like when she was with me before. She is truly real! It's as if the past six months had not occurred and I am finally back where I belong.'**_

"**Edward." Bella whispered my name again and I remembered how it felt as though my dead heart had shuddered. Bella thought, **_**'I can hardly talk. And Edward is here with me. I've got to keep him safe. No, we're not safe yet.' **_**She gasped out, "You have to get back into the shadows. You have to move!"**

'_**This is beyond anything I could ever have imagined.' **_**I thought as I inhaled deeply. **_**'Her scent still sets my throat on fire, but there is a difference. With the burning, there is no desire to eradicate her by indulging in her blood. Her scent hasn't changed – the sweet smell of freesia smells more luxurious than ever and I can hear her heart beating furiously in her chest – pumping the warm blood around her body. Her pulse is rapid too- like it usually is when we are intimately close. This is perfect. It feels to me as if she is still alive and human—my wish fulfilled! I can't believe that I am here so soon; embracing my Bella, stroking her hair. My death occurred immediately. The Volturi acted **__**instantaneously**__** to prevent my exposure. Remarkable!'**_

"**No time for comparing notes now, children," Llasa said imperatively. "The big boys are coming to play now." Samon and Chandra peered into the shadows.**

**Dagda said to Mother, "Elizabeth, how strong are you feeling right now?"**

"**I feel great!" Mother said triumphantly.**

"**Good," Dagda replied. Then added, "We are about to encounter 'dark beings' at the mouth of hell with you being the only supernatural they can see anyway…"**

**Mother nodded her head in understanding, "I know. I'll have to take the lead." She said straightening her shoulders. "We can't alert the 'Powers of Darkness' that there's anything suspicious or unusual going on, especially after everything we've done to get them together again."**

**Dagda nodded.**

'_**Oh my Edward, I could stay right here with you forever. But just now we've got to move.'**_** Bella thought. **_**'Funny, he doesn't seem to even notice that I'm trying to force him back. He's so solid; I may as well be trying to push against the alley wall for all the progress I'm making here. Still--it's so strange. Here we are, both of us in mortal danger. Still, I feel well—whole. I can feel my heart racing. I can breathe in and fill my lungs with the sweet scent coming off his skin. And somehow, it doesn't feel like there ever was a hole in my chest. I'm perfect—not healed, but more like there was never any wound inflicted in the first place.'**_

"**I can't believe how quick it was." I told my Bella. "I didn't feel a thing – they're very good." I gently kissed her hair and closed my eyes.**

**Bella thought, **_**'His voice is like honey and velvet. The most beautiful enchanting voice I have ever heard.'**_

'_**I remember from Bella's previous birthday telling her that I envied Romeo his ease of suicide. Well, that jealously was misconstrued. My own suicide has been simple – all it took was a step into the sunlight.'**_** I thought happily.**

"_**Death hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath no power yet upon thy beauty."**_** I quoted Shakespeare's character.**

"**Okay Romeo," Llasa said dryly. "It's time to cut the romance short and get a move on."**

"**You smell exactly the same as always. So maybe this is hell. I don't care. I'll take it" I explained my tone one of bliss. **_** 'Although, I would have never envisaged this being hell. I am with Bella after all – and that's all that matters. **_

"**Bella, give him a hand here" Chandra begged.**

**Bella spoke agitatedly interrupting my thoughts. "I'm not dead. And neither are you! Please Edward, we have to move. They cannot be far away!" **

'_**Why is she struggling in my arms? I don't understand her words or her belligerent movements. We're happy and safe – what in the world is she talking about?'**_** I thought as I puzzled out her message. "What was that?"**

"**We're not dead, yet! But we have to get out of here before the Volturi…" Bella explained breathlessly and in a rush.**

**In the visual, my brows furrowed in confusion and then my eyes flashed open as I heard nearby thoughts.**

'_**He has a human with him.' **_**Demetri thought. **

'_**This will mean death surely--for them both. Maybe our masters will allow me to devour the human at Edward's expense.' **_** Felix thought at virtually the same instant.**

'_**No! I understand now. I am not dead. Bella is not deceased either – she is here, in my arms; only now it is too late. I could just scream profanities at myself because I have put Bella in danger again--the worst possible danger. Bella may have been on the edge of death before due to my actions. But now I may very well have killed her. They are coming to acquire us. Me and Bella, my Bella. Bella is here. I can hardly believe she's real. But yet she is here – here in my arms. I don't have time to think about how this has occurred let alone ask for an explanation from her. We are now both in grave danger. I almost made a disastrous mistake and left Bella here unprotected, if she had arrived one second later…'**_

**In the visual I suddenly yanked Bella away from the edge of the shadows and pushed her as gently as possible against the wall before putting myself in a protective defensive stance in front of her, spreading my arms wide. At that very same moment, Felix and Demetri appeared at the end of the alleyway – both in dark cloaks that covered their pale skin from sparkling in the sunlight, whereas my chest was bare and my shirt somewhere at my feet. I didn't dare even look down to locate it. **

'_**I have one more important thing to attend to –namely, thinking of how I can get Bella out of this situation. I need her to escape. It isn't possible to win a fight – There isn't a chance I can take on two skilled vampires as well as protecting Bella. The consequences would be dire. Well, courteously seems like the best option to begin with. Perhaps if I don't provoke them, they'll be lenient. All I want is to keep Bella safe. To somehow save her as she has saved me – once again.'**_

**Felix and Demetri finally made a visual entrance into the scene, but they were not what I was expecting. Yes, they had the same gray cloaks on; they looked the same in appearance as well. But they were swarmed with dark beings. The foul creatures were actually clinging to them. They were on their legs, their backs, crawling up their torsos. There had to be at least six on each of them, though it was hard to say for sure as they appeared to blend in with each other. I don't know if it was an effect of the dark beings, or Felix and Demetri themselves, but there was a glowing of black haze around each of them. Almost like tendrils of smoke emanating out from their personages.**

"**Greetings, Gentlemen. I don't think I will be requiring your services today." I told Felix and Demetri, in a calm, pleasant voice. "I would appreciate it very much, however, if you would send my thanks to your masters." I said in a polite tone without showing a hint of the anger that effervesced in the pit of my stomach.**

***

A/N: Sorry I didn't follow the dialogue from the books exactly in all of the scenes…it was an attempt to somehow shorten them…

*****I would like to thank Sophie Beament (Vampire Girl *aKa* Soph) for allowing me to use her words for Edward during his 'New Moon' scenes from her wonderful Fan Fiction, 'Dark Moon—Edward's New Moon'. If you haven't had an opportunity to read that story…it is exceptionally well written and I highly commend it to you. **

**I have a link to her fan fiction on my profile page.**


	32. Chapter 32Part One

***I would like to thank Sophie Beament (Vampire Girl *aKa* Soph) for allowing me to use her words for Edward during his 'New Moon' scenes from her wonderful Fan Fiction, Dark Moon. If you haven't had an opportunity to read that story…it is exceptionally well written and I highly commend it to you.

You can find the link to Sophie's fan fictions on my profile page under Chapter 30.

**Chapter Thirty Two  
"The Gates of Hell—Part I"**

**Edward's POV**

**I was caught up in my thoughts from my experience with Chandra in her home room; still stuck on that cobbled alley and my reunion with my sweet Bella, when I landed the helicopter in the wake of an approaching storm system at the International Airport in Lima, Peru where everyone cheered and started too climbed out. I looked over at my beautiful wife in the co-pilot chair and gave her a sheepish expression. We had been fairly quiet on the chopper ride from Chan Chan. "Sorry Love, I wasn't much company for the ride."**

"**You and me both," she replied with a grin. "I was so busy trying to sort out everything we learned from Chandra today that I was kind of caught up in my own thoughts for the trip."**

"**Then our minds were doing the same thing." I looked around at our now empty cab and turned sideways, reaching for her once more. I needed her touch as an assurance she was real and she was there. I breathed in the scent that permeated her being and remembered that same scent when it had hit me that day in the alley. Only then it still held with it the most potent human blood I'd ever been subjected to. It was the day I'd realized my response to her human scent had begun to change. Her scent had still burned my throat like crazy and the call of her blood still sang to me in that Volterra nightmare—especially as I had no time to re-acclimate myself to it. But the feel of her in my arms, that feeling of becoming whole again, of the gift of her presence, of her continued existence, had tempered it somehow; making it amazingly easy to ignore. **

**There with the others disembarking at the airport, I gathered her into my embrace once more and drew her in for another electric kiss. It still zinged with the flare of passion it always did but no burn anymore, just the feel of her glass smooth lips in concert with mine creating an intensity that made me wish for a cabin in the woods as opposed to the cabin of a helicopter--a helicopter that maintenance workers were waiting outside to service. So it was with a sigh that I pulled back and gazed into the tender eyes of my wife, the most wonderful and amazing woman in the world who was mine to love forever and ever. "How did I get so lucky?" I asked her quietly.**

**Bella snorted and rolled her eyes. "After everything we learned today, what makes you think luck had anything to do with it?" She made an excellent point. It wasn't luck that had brought Bella and meaning into my world. No, it was something much more powerful. We were fated to be together--made for each other. Literally two halves of a whole. No wonder our separation was almost our undoing. **

"**Do you have any idea how much I love you Edward Cullen?" She asked me in a voice deep with emotion. Her eyes were probing mine. I smiled but before I could respond she continued. "Do you finally understand that I have always loved you? Even having to relive the saddest days of my life, you were still the only true love of my life. In my heart you were always there. Our separation was a nightmare, but we came through it stronger than we were before. Didn't we? When we were reunited, I knew that there would never be anyone who could take your place. I remembered how I felt when I saw your face in Volterra. You were getting ready to step out into the light, and just seeing your face restored me whole again. Thank you Edward, for letting me be a part of your life. **

"**Thank you for giving me one." I said simply as I kissed her again and said, "We're about to get kicked out of here." I added with a sigh of contentment. "And your daughter is anxious to get your attention." I added pointing over her shoulder to where Nessie was bouncing up and down on the tarmac beside Rosalie waiting for us to exit the vehicle.**

"**What does she want?" Bella added with a laugh as she turned her beautiful face to stare at Nessie who was now blowing her kisses and trying to get her mother to join them.**

"**Apparently, they want you to go shopping with them one last time on the trip. Alice has already acquired a taxi since our flight has been delayed five hours due to ****inclement**** weather. Go ahead and go Love, we can't have you disappointing that little girl of ours now can we?" Bella grinned and started to open the door and exit the helicopter when I was suddenly seized upon by an unexplained, gripping terror of losing her—my reason for living. I couldn't let her go! I grabbed her hand. It was bizarre—the rush of emotion that flooded me from her movement away from me. **

"**Bella!" I sighed with pain in my voice. She turned around in confused alarm and was instantly in my arms. I clutched her tightly to me. I couldn't breathe and then my breath suddenly escaped me in a wild gasp. I was acutely aware of how close I had come to losing her over and over again in the past and somehow it had an effect on the simple act of her leaving my side to have some well deserved time 'girl time' with the women of our family. "Don't leave me, Bella" I whispered. I couldn't explain what the mix of emotions was doing to me on the inside. I was a mess. I was trembling from tearless sobs as Bella pulled back her head and looked at me with more love and concern than I deserved.**

"**It's okay Edward." She said quietly. Her gentle assurance was a healing balm to my suddenly aching soul. "We've just had a lot thrown at us today. It's a lot to take in at once." I nodded weakly. She paused while studying me for a minute before adding, "You know what; I think I'll pass on the shopping thing. I'd much rather spend the time with you."**

**I just nodded my head, grateful that she was somehow with me still and knew exactly what I needed. I was being irrational—and I knew it, but just then, after reliving our painful separation from both sides for a second time within six hours (once with Chandra and then again as I reviewed it in my mind during our chopper ride here), I was left staggering again. Bella held me close for another three minute. There was a tap on the glass from behind her and there was our beautiful daughter smiling and laughing at 'catching' us again.**

**We left the plane and walked towards Rosalie, who waited for us by the gate. Bella kept me firmly in her delicate but strong arms. It was a good thing we were both vampires, I would have tripped over my own feet otherwise as I could not let her out of my embrace.**

"**What is wrong with Daddy?" Nessie sent in a 'message' to her mother colored with her worry for my welfare. **

"**Your Daddy is having a little problem processing all of the information we received today. Don't worry though. He'll be okay. But Mommy is going to need to stay with him for a while. Will that be alright with you Nessie, sweetie?"**

"**Sure," She added aloud as she took my other side and wrapped her little arms around me as far as they would go. She almost comes up to my chest now. I noted absently as I continued to attempt to regain my composure. Being in the arms of the two most important ladies in my life helped me start to regain my composure. From searching with my mind, I located the rest of my family who were lounging around different locals of the airport and I would have to interact with some of them shortly. "My poor, Daddy," Nessie said tightening her grip and leaning her head against my chest.**

**Point in case was Rosalie. I had to sigh as I read her mind before she spoke. As we approached her, **_**'Edward, You can just forget about keeping Bella to yourself because Alice has Bella's 'flight delay' already been planned out...'**_

**I must have not gotten that good of control over myself yet because she suddenly stopped and her eyes got wide in shock as she appraised my emotional state. She quickly masked her first response and addressed my daughter. "Nessie," She said to change the direction of her thoughts, "I think your parents need some 'alone time'. We'll just have to buy extra things with your mother in mind." **_**'I'm sorry Edward; of course this has been a rough day for you. Alice will understand. Take care and I'll see you back at the departure gate.'**_

"**Thank you Rose," Bella said softly as she leaned down to kiss Nessie and sent her off with her Aunt. She stood back up and reached up on her tip toes and kissed me again; then she murmured, "Five hours? I think I would like some alone time with you Mr. Cullen. Are you up for a little football practice?" She batted her lashes and looked at me with smoldering eyes. This was one of the moves I had seen her try out on Jacob Black during Chandra's video today; only this time it was no act, this time there was not a show. This time it was real--and it was only for me. Now how exactly did she do that? Dazzle me in the middle of an apparent vampiric 'panic attack'? It was a good thing there were hotels right at the airport. I needed Bella and I didn't need to be around a lot of people.**

"**Alone time sounds perfect," I said somewhat still shakily. I knew Bella was right, I was having problems processing all of the influx of new information that came with the retelling of our story and I hadn't really had a chance since our visit to Chan Chan to really connect with her and talk privately about it. I needed to try and apologize again for leaving her even though I knew she wouldn't hear it.**

**After a few hours in the airport hotel, I was cuddling up with Bella and feeling much calmer than before. We were discussing some of the things we had learned about each other during the course of the afternoon. I had tried to apologize again and as I suspected, she wouldn't hear it. I brought her back into my arms and admitted to her, "Honestly Bella, I am feeling better now. It was so strange though. I haven't felt that panicked about losing you since we found out about the Volturi coming to destroy us. Thank you Bella love, you really know precisely what I need when I need it. How exactly do you do that?" I meant it. I was sure she was somehow reading my mind.**

"**It's in my job description as your wife to know what you need." She said confidently as she leaned up on one elbow and let the tips of her long brown hair tickle my chest. "And I take my job very seriously. I don't want you trading me in on another model." She said teasingly.**

"**That will NEVER happen." I said grinning ruefully at her. "Job security is something you will never have to worry about love," I kissed her again and…**

**We barely made it back to our departing gate in time. Esme sighed in relief when she saw us. "There you are! Is everything alright?" She added as she gave me a loving embrace before answering her own question. "Of course it is. Bella is with us—and our family is complete. Oh, I love you two." She added bringing Bella into her arms as well. We boarded the plane and departed on the first part of our plane trip back home to Forks. **

**I noticed Emmett's somewhat pained expression and listened in on him as he tabulated his expenditures in buying off certain customs agents in securing animal acquisitions transportation. There was apparently a question about animal quarantine. Did his egg hatch then? I decided I might need to check in on his mind from time to time and see if I can get further enlightenment. I bucked my seatbelt and relaxed back with Bella in my arms. I loved flying with her. I was reminded of our flight home from Florence after our confrontation with the Volturi. I shuddered just to think of those foul vampires again; especially after what I learned from Chandra today about them. She had shown me just how close my Bella, Alice and I all came to dying at their hands that day; had it not been for divine intervention-- literally. I looked out my window at the evening lights of Lima and thought again about what had really transpired that day in Volterra. I'd remembered holding Bella as she'd slammed into me and thinking I had died, only to find out she was alive It made my stone skin crawl to remember the image of Felix and Demetri swarmed in 'dark beings'. But there was so much more Chandra had to show me about the means that were employed to get us safely out of their den.**

*******

**I remembered the visual after Bella's 'run-in' with me at Volterra. The memory of which transported me back in time to that same visit in Volterra where I walked with Bella and Alice as we were escorted along a downward sloping narrow alleyway, following the forever twelve-year old Jane with her ruby eyes and angelic features; as she made her way to the nearest manhole and the darkness it provided. Behind her walked the three of us; Bella in the middle, enfolded in the iron cage of my arms, and Alice at her other side, but slightly to the front. Following us were the ever alert Felix and Demetri. New to the scene—at least to us, were the additions of Mother who was somehow wedged between Alice and Bella, Dagda and Llasa, who walked to our back, providing a cushion between us and the two guards and Chandra in front, between us and Jane. As we approached the end of the alleyway, I saw Samon waiting for our party to arrive. With him were eight beings, whose countenance could only be described as beautiful and they shined in a manner completely different than the shining of a vampire in sunlight. Theirs seemed to radiate from beneath their skin as though lit from within. They each were dressed in black clothing that resembled military attire. There were five men and three women. By their appearances, I would guess their ages to vary between twenty to thirty five years of age. I compared these beings to the observers whom Chandra had shown us earlier. She'd explained to us, they were being higher in their progression than themselves. The beings I saw standing with Samon there in Volterra were even more brilliantly swathed in light than the 'observers' we had seen in earlier today in video briefly.**

"**Ahh, Who are they?" Emmett had asked Chandra as soon as they were seen in the visual.**

"**They are 'Agents of Light'," Chandra said softly. "They are of the highest order among our kind. We were hoping for help, but even we were not prepared for the power of the response that came to our as well as your aid that day as we approached the Volturi contingent of the 'Forces of Darkness' stronghold. The visual started as we walked towards Samon who stood close to the grate Jane would use to exit the city proper . The first voices heard were those of our Volturi guards as they complaining mentally.**

*******

'_**Uh, this pace is agonizing. How can they stand to keep up this pretense?'**_** Felix wondered in exasperation.**

'_**Walk slow if you must. It won't help you much. Stalling only prolongs the inevitable.'**_** Demetri thought dryly.**

'_**I don't know what my Masters want with a Cullen. They're vampire freaks—every one of them.' **_**Jane thought derisively. **_**'Of course, Master Aro is quite cunning and knows what is best. Hopefully he'll let me play a bit with his 'guests'.'**_

'_**Felix and Demetri don't seem to relish the fact that we have to walk at a human pace due to Bella. I could carry her, but I need the extra time to think about what I'm going to do here. And I do want to prolong this time with my Bella as it may be all I get.'**_** I thought as I pulled her into a momentarily tighter embrace in reaction to my thoughts. '**_**So I'll tune them out for now. What I really need to understand I'll get from Alice not them anyway…'**_

**But Alice's thoughts cut into the movie as swiftly as I had been able to locate them that day. **_**'Will I ever see my Jasper again? I miss him so much. I have to hope that this is not the end—for his sake. He would suffer so much more than a normal vampire with his emotional gift. I hope I can find myself in his embrace again soon. The last thing I had told him had been a lie. I had promised him I'd get out. I did it to protect him. I hope he will understand that and it will give him some kind of comfort. Comfort I hope he won't need. Comfort I hope to be able to provide myself. Jasper, I miss you already, my other half, my soul mate.' **_**Alice tried several times to 'see' if she would be with Jasper again. She also tried to 'see' if we would be alive at the end of the day. Nothing was clear at all. This was due to unmade decisions.**

**From the Volterra scene, Bella looked up questioningly to search my face. Hers was frantic and full of fear. She thought, **_**'Where are we following this little Jane girl to? She is very petty but why is Edward and Alice so afraid of her? Even more so than those big guys behind us? And, how exactly are we going to die anyway? Right, as if knowing would make it any easier. Did I reach Edward in time, just to have him die, only a different way? Well, I guess he can't tell me now—not with 'the brothers Grim' behind us. At least I can be with him again before I die. That's better than a long life.'**_

**As I listened to Alice's angst I thought, **_**'I need to notify Alice in some way so she will think about specific recent events. Maybe then I can piece some of this together. Things like how she got here with Bella.' **_**Well, Alice. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you here."**

'_**He sounds composed, but then again, Edward is very good at hiding things.'**_** Bella thought meekly.**

'_**Oh, Edward needs information. Well, that is easily provided.'**_** Alice thought. In an instant flash the visual shifted to scenes of her and Bella's raced journey from Forks to save me, including her telling my other family members not to follow in case of a situation similar to the one we were in now. **

"**It was my mistake. It was my job to set it right." She replied. **_**'I'm sorry Edward. I had no idea Rosalie would be so malevolent by telling you right away. I would have told you myself, but I thought I was doing the right thing by checking on Charlie first. And then I was waiting to speak with Carlisle.' **_**She continued in her head. **

"**Holy smokes!" Llasa said with a low whistle. "Send Samon out to get us a 'SWAT' team and he brings back the 'Navy Seals'. I'm impressed."**

"**What do you mean?" Dagda asked pointedly. He had not caught a glimpse of the new arrivals yet. "…as in Special forces?"**

"**What happened?" I asked casually in the visual, hoping Alice would give me a brief description for the sake of the Volturi vampires being within earshot, and then elaborating in her mind for me to observe. **

'_**Yes,'**_** Bella thought, **_**'He's definitely hiding something. He sounds polite and as if he is barely interested in what Alice has to say. And I bet I know why too.'**_** She added as she looked back fleetingly behind her for a brief second. **

'_**My master will be so pleased that I have kept Edward from departing.' **_**Jane thought arrogantly. **_**'It's a good thing Aro sent me to go fetch them. Felix and Demetri were about to cause an incident on St. Marcus Day. Ah, it pleases me so to always be the one to deliver the goods.'**_

"**Who exactly did Samon get to help us?" Chandra asked in disbelief.**

"**Well, little sister, those personages are 'Agents of Light' and if I'm not mistaken, that is Michael." Llasa added with excitement as he discreetly gestured. Then he added in a more subdued tone, "I hope we're not in trouble."**

"**It's a long story." Alice shot a glance at Bella. **_**'As it usually is with our Bella Swan.' **_**"In summary, she did jump off a cliff, but she wasn't trying to kill herself. Bella is all about extreme sports these days." The visual changed again; this time showing not just Alice's vision of Bella's cliff dive, but the aftermath of my phone call and Jacob shaking and trembling out of control while trying to keep Alice away from her.**

'_**Oh great!'**_** Bella thought as the blush I had loved so much made an instantaneous appearance. **_**'I can just imagine what kinds of stories Alice is filling Edward's head with now.**_

**My thoughts were suddenly in a snarl, **_**'What! Alice, I see no humor in this for sarcasm. Bella--cliff diving? Bella—accompanied by ferocious werewolves? I don't understand. She promised not to be stupid or reckless, and this goes far beyond irresponsible. No--it gets worse? Other vampires—Laurent—Victoria? Victoria went back to Forks – for my Bella.'**_** My rage took on a note of consternation. **_**'My departure caused all these new activities Bella has been involved in. I am responsible. Will I ever stop endangering my love? I detest myself more than I ever thought possible. But, I have to focus now. I need to just remind myself that I can feel Bella here now in my arms.' **_**I stroked the length of her arm, from the scene in Volterra. **_** 'Yes, it's working. She keeps me calm. Even so, she isn't safe here with me now, even though I vow in my head to never hurt her again.' **_

**Bella's internal rant continued, '**_**Thank goodness I didn't tell Alice about the motorcycles or the 'Emergency Room' trips, or talking to strange men in front of bars. Even so—this is so…humiliating, and embarrassing. I don't want Edward's last thoughts of me to be-- that stuff.'**_** She added morosely. **

"**Hmmm." I had managed to choke out.**

'_**Yep,'**_** Bella thought glumly, **_**'He's definitely not amused. I can see it in his face. Well, maybe if by some miracle, we live and make it out of this alive, and provided he bothers to stick around long enough to give me a piece of his mind,**_** (Bella winced at that thought—the thought of my not 'staying around'**_**)…then I'll just explain to him that he needn't bother getting all irate with me because he's already chewed me out for all of it in my head. Ha! That would just scare him off for sure if something else doesn't first!'**_

'_**Being up here around all this fresh blood is making my throat burn even more.'**_** Felix thought. **_**'Maybe drinking the blood of Edward's little girlfriend will quench it for a tie-over.' **_

"**Greetings, Llasa, Dagda, Chandra and of course we just met Samon," The leader of the 'special forces' said in a deeply melodic voice. His hair was short cropped and was dark brown. He was tall, slightly older than the others that surrounded him and looked like an Olympic athlete. He wore a small smile on his face for them and as he continued to speak, the brilliance that emanated out that face subsided until it was completely contained. As his internal light diminished so did the light of his fellows. The leader went around and shook hands with each of them. "I have had the honor of meeting your parents on occasion and I have been watching as you have been developing your plan for your assignment and put it into action—quite impressive really and I am very happy to make your acquaintance personally. I wish it were not under such dire circumstances, but be that as it may, we will prevail this day. I, as you have likely surmised, am Michael, and I am leading our team as we enter the Volturi 'Gates of Hell'.**

**There was a quiet confidence about this great being. He in no way came across as arrogant but rather was kind and generous. Then he turned back to his 'team' and added, "Are we ready?" to which they each put a fist over their heart. "Good, let's get the parents of 'The Hope of the World' in and out of here quickly and safely so they can go on to fulfill their destiny then. And let's keep Alice safe as well. There's just something about her that makes me smile!"**

'_**What have I done?'**_** I thought in disbelief**_**. 'I've introduced Bella into the dangerous mythical world around her and then left her to encounter it alone. It seems like the werewolves have been attempting to protect my Bella, and one in particular – Jacob Black, had formed quite an intense friendship with her in my absence…Why, is it then, that I can't control this feeling of jealously that creeps up my spine? He was there when it should have been me. Bella, becoming friends with a werewolf? The idea is as revolting as it is ludicrous. Yes, Bella truly is a magnet for peril.'**_

"**Okay," Michael instructed our four 'perfected beings'. "Remember the Rules of Engagement. We are going into a hostile environment so, that means the four of you will be observing only for the duration of our mission. You'll be walking a fine line as there are many 'counter parts' at your level inside and any interference from you will alert them. Now, as you know, the rest of us are permitted to interact around 'dark beings' and 'creatures of darkness' in limited ways without alerting them to our involvement because we are working on a higher plane."**

"**Excuse me," Carlisle asked Chandra—stopping the visual. Chandra looked at him with an encouraging smile. "How exactly are these 'Agents of Light' able to manipulate things and not alert the opposing forces to their involvement, when the four of you cannot?"**

"**That is an astute question Carlisle." Chandra said approvingly. "As perfected beings, we engage in working with matter. As we progress we become more competent manipulating it. My brothers and I can do many things in this arena already. But to use matter manipulation around 'creatures of Darkness' can be 'felt' and 'picked up' by those creatures as all matter has light and dark components and the dark creatures can sense the 'changing' of the dark matter. That is why we tried to make our work seem natural so far. For example: when I helped Bella run faster—it wasn't super human speed but rather a healthy sprint for an extremely fit athlete. It wouldn't necessarily be picked up by the 'Forces of Darkness' because it is possible for someone to go that fast."**

"**I get it," Emmett said. "You can use your powers as long as it isn't conspicuous."**

"**That's it precisely." Chandra approved. "Llasa slowed the clock down a minute and a half instead of an hour and a half. Most people wouldn't notice that difference, and even vampires would just think it was running 'slow' if they were paying attention. When he brought in the cloud, he did it little-by-little and built it slowly. He didn't need it after all, and the last move did catch the attention of Demetri, but since it wasn't conspicuous, he shrugged it off."**

"**So to finish answering your question Carlisle," Chandra continued. "When you reach the rank of 'Agent of Light', you are a master of manipulating matter—both light and dark matter—so what you do, within certain guidelines, will never go detected by the 'Forces of Darkness' because it will always appear normal. You can do outrageous things as well and expose your involvement, but in this case, stealth was required. The last thing we wanted was to alert the 'Forces of Darkness' there was anything 'special' about Bella and Edward.**

**Jasper half raised his hand and waited for Chandra to incline her head to him before asking his question. "So the Volturi are the 'Forces of Darkness' then?"**

"**Another good question," Chandra responded. "Yes and No. Yes, they are a stronghold of the 'Forces of Darkness' in that there are 'dark creatures', 'dark beings' and other evil entities there. The vampires that exist there are generally walking the path of darkness as well. So it is permeated in dark energy and matter. Evil entities are comfortable there and this is why it is dangerous for us there. No, the Volturi themselves are not the 'Forces of Darkness'. They are an envoy to them, and they may become such one day. The further down the 'path of darkness' any creature—even human—traverse, the greater the influence the 'Powers of Darkness' can exert over them. Volterra is not the only 'stronghold' for the opposition. There are other, human ones as well. But Volterra is a particularly forceful concentration. Therefore it has earned the distinction of the 'Gates of Hell'." Chandra looked around to see if there were any other questions before continuing her dissertation. "Alight then, let's start the visual up again. Because there will be so much going on at once, I would ask you hold your questions until afterwards."**

"**Renesmee, this will be disturbing for you to see, but it is necessary for you to understand exactly what is going on in with the Volturi. Your mind is quite advanced and I will help you to remain calm during the presentation. Okay?" She asked to my daughter who nodded at Chandra and smiled. Chandra opened her arms to her and Nessie hopped form my Mother's arms and right into them **

**In the visual, Michael, the leader of the 'Special Forces' team was still speaking and next addressed Mother. "Now Elizabeth," Mother came forward somewhat shocked this 'angel' knew her.**

"**Yes sir," She said somewhat taken aback.**

"**Elizabeth, we are impressed with how strong you have become in your dealings with the dark beings. We applaud your courage and commitment. Now, when we get into the enemy stronghold, the 'Forces of Darkness' will see you and think nothing of it. Unfortunately, there are many Guardian Angels that pass through their gates, pleading with their humans to stop and get out of there; the beings in the 'Forces of Darkness' love to watch them stripped of their charges. Regrettably, this will happen again today." He added twisting his expression a bit. We are not authorized to help them. To do so would be to alert the 'Forces of Darkness' to our involvement. And it is paramount we get Edward and Bella out of there safely. No mistakes! So, back to you, Elizabeth; these evil beings will see you and even expect you. You are going to be our diversion. When I give you the signal, you must start pleading and begging Bella to get out of there. Moan and groan about her not listening to you. Use whatever you can come up with. You will have to fight more dark creatures too. And as you have gotten so strong already, they will be surprised at your strength. In fact, even you will--because… Well, let's just say we have boosted it again. Does everyone understand?" **

**He looked around and received nods from all the supernaturals before adding, "Okay, 'Operation Volturixation' commences now." **

"**I think we will give Edward another blessing now. To make it even easier for him to be around Bella's scent. As Llasa and Dagda know, he was given a small one from some 'observers' on his plane trip over here to meet with the Volturi leaders and that blessing has already starting to work for him but he will need another boost. Edward hasn't hunted for far too long and he will be dealing with not just his own thirst to deal with but it will be amplified twenty times in his thoughts today from the hungry vampires surrounding him. He can use it for later as well. He's already proven he has mastered it, and since he has, we can now help turn his weakness into a strength."**

**In the visual, we were just coming to the manhole. All eight members of the 'Special Forces' team came towards me and put their hands on my head for a mere two seconds and then backed away.**

**Michael continued, "There will be a special task force member assigned to each of you." At his words, each of the eight members of the 'Special Forces Team' went straight to a member of our 'party'; there was one for each of the immortals and Mother. There was also one assigned to Alice and I, but Michael himself came to stand by Bella's side. **

'_**Well, what can I do about the reality playing out right here right now?'**_** I'd thought from the visual as I brought myself out of Alice's head and back into reality unwillingly. **_**'Alice is controlling her thoughts well; it feels almost as though she's trying to prevent me from seeing something else—but what and why? I didn't have time to question her earlier but I am glad that at least I now have a better understand of why Alice went to Forks.**_

**Bella's thoughts became cautious again, **_**'This is a dead end! And where did that little Jane girl go? Whoa! Alice just jumped down that hole as if she were a rabbit going home. She didn't even stop or slow her stride.' **_**Bella's thoughts reflected a hint of false bravado. **_**'Dang it! I'm going down there too—and I'll bet there's no stairs either. Then again, maybe it doesn't matter if I break a leg if I'm just going to be on the menu tonight anyway.'**_

**I watched as we reached the manhole at the end of the street. Alice and her 'special agent' disappeared together descending after Jane.**

**Bella hesitated cautiously. **_**'Well, I tried to act all brave and nonchalant about this, but honestly…that hole is kind of freaking me out. Why is that? Didn't I just go cliff diving two days ago? This could just be a second try at jumping to my death. Oh, maybe that's the problem. The first time I didn't know it was to my death and this time that tiny black hole looks like a grave somehow.' **_

'_**I could go ahead and catch her,' my thoughts cut into hers. '…but I don't want to leave her side for a second--especially with two blood-thirsty vampires behind us.'**_** I then said reassuringly to her, "It's all right, Bella. Alice will catch you."**

"**Alice?" she whispered into the dark hole to ensure she was indeed there, prepared. Bella started to bend down and thought, **_**'Edward would have gone first if the gruesome twosome weren't waiting back there all silent and smug. Is she down there waiting for me? It's too dark to find her.'**_

"**I'm right here, Bella." Alice replied. **_**'It's okay, Edward I will catch her. Drop her down.' **_

**Bella crouched down as she thought, **_**'Alice's voice is so far down there--too far down there to make me feel better. Well, ready or not, here goes nothing.'**_** From the visual, I removed my arm from around her waist and grabbed her wrists carefully then prepared to lower her into the dark underground. **

"**Ready?" I asked my sister, **_**'Please catch Bella as gently as possible.' **_

"**Drop her." Alice called to me sensing my reluctance. **_**'Edward, I won't miss her. Don't forget, I took very good care of her during her convalescence after James' attack. I know how to handle Bella correctly. You know that.'**_

**Elizabeth was half in and out of the manhole trying to make it easier for Bella's fall and to reassure her. **

**Bella thought sadly, **_**'Last time I felt Edward's icy hands wrapped around my wrists like this was when he'd told he was my prisoner for life. I guess that statement is now as 'null and void' as this black…'**_** Bella's thoughts faded from her mind as I held my breath, released my grip and let Bella fall into the blackness. Michael held her as she went down and kept her from breaking a rib from the angle she landed in Alice's waiting stone arms.**

***

**[A/N: For the rest of the Volturi scene, because there is so much interaction going on—and on many different levels, in addition to add thoughts being italicized and with a single quotation mark, I will also put all spoken dialogue as found in the 'New Moon' Book in bold lettering. Also, any thoughts or spoken words by any supernatural being (good or evil) will be denoted by brackets [as such]**

**Also the 'Agents of Light' will only be thinking to each other and their charges instead of speaking out loud to further insure the stealth of their mission. The 'Forces of Darkness' will speak—although not heard by their 'charges'…though, as we've seen, they can influence them…]**

*******

'_Where is it they are taking us? I can hear the thoughts and sounds of numerous vampires already coming from the approaching chamber, where they are gathering and waiting…'_ I thought wearily as Jane slid back a panel in the wall and we were brought into small stone antechamber.

Immediately from the visual, the thoughts of those vampires came from the other side of the double wooden doors. I remembered the thoughts as clearly as I had heard them the first time. _'I hope Heidi brings in some fresh blood this time…' 'I hope our meal arrives soon…' 'I am so thirsty I can hardly wait any longer. I wonder if they would mind if I sucked that receptionist dry as an appetizer first.' 'I hope they scream first and run around trying to escape because I SO like to hunt.' 'What is taking so long?' 'I hope none of them are anemic. It almost isn't worth the taking of the blood; it makes its hardly palatable.' 'If I'm quick, I might get to devour more than just three or four. Why am I only hearing one heart beat?'_

My own thoughts were rising in alarm as Jane opened the wooden doors and ushered us through. _'This is the vampire's dining room, and the vampires are gathered waiting for their meal to arrive. This is not the place I should be allowing my Bella to go. I can't have her presence lingering at this specific place; one fragile human in the midst of numerous thirsty vampires. We'll all three be dead in seconds--Bella for her sweet blood and me and Alice for protecting her. I can't bear to think about what will happen.'_

After the visual showed our entourage entering the Turret Room, Chandra paused the scene, allowing us to get a good grasp of what we were looking at. It was the same room I remembered from my nightmarish recollections of that day I'd met with Aro, Caius and Marcus. It was a large, round room of stone with three wooden chairs along the wall and a large drain in the middle--the drain to help with 'clean up' after mealtime. Aro was there with his body guards and thirteen other vampires already mingling and socializing. What was new to this scene however was the inclusion of several supernatural 'evil creatures'; the likes of which I had never seen before. Of course, I had no idea we had arrived with our own 'Special Forces' unit either.

Emmett was about to start questioning Chandra about what the creatures were exactly, but anticipating him, she held up a finger and nodded as she began. "Now, I know what Emmett is going to ask of course. And I was just going to go over with you what you are looking at here before we begin." There were nods around the room.

Emmett turned to Jasper and whispered, "Those guys are just plain scary. I thought the 'dark beings' were bad, but these guys…well, they're freaking me out." Jasper nodded once. It was clear that he didn't care for the idea his wife had been exposed to what he was seeing in that room.

"You recognize the 'dark beings' of course." She said as she pointed out a dozen as they slithered around on the floor. As with Felix, Demetri and Jane, many of the 'dark beings' were crawling all over the vampires in the room. Most disconcerting of all was Aro himself. He wore his black cloak and had his dark hair, but the dark creatures swarming over him reminded me of a hive of bees. It looked as though the blackest smoke came off his person. It was hard to say how many 'dark beings' were in the room because they couldn't be counted on the vampires. They simply blended in to completely with their black cloaks, sometimes only becoming distinct when they opened their mouths to show their red tongues, or you saw their yellow/ green eyes or they moved up and down the vampires in the room. However, if each vampire had ten on them and there were sixteen vampires, not including our party there already that would be one hundred and sixty 'dark beings' and then there were at least another fifteen crawling on the floor. Their chittering echoed off the stone chamber walls making the noise echoing back sound even more menacing. Honestly, just the mass of 'dark beings' alone had me shudder in revulsion.

Unfortunately, that wasn't all there was in the room.

There was also a young woman who almost looked like a vampire but was clearly something more. Chandra pointed to her and said. "This is an acolyte. They are a brand new recruit for the 'Forces of Darkness'. They are on the bottom of the rung, so to speak. Then there are the 'Soulless Ones'. This is where the majority of players in the 'Forces of Darkness' find themselves.' She pointed to four individuals, two female and two male that looked as though they had been born and lived in nuclear waste. "From there the level splits. Most become the 'dark beings' you see here, while a few advance even further to become demons." She showed us a rather large group of seven demons present there in the turret room. "Of course, as far as demons are concerned, they go up in levels the same as we do. These are mostly low level ones here." She added dismissively. I didn't necessarily agree with that assessment. They looked pretty wicked and very powerful to me. I was repressing shudders of my own as I realized I had walked into that environment with my Bella and my dear sister, Alice. It was a good thing I didn't know then what I did now. 'Special Task Force' or not, I would have been terrified into a frozen block of stone ice.

...

The video started back up again. It was clear to tell by my stiff movements, grim expression and frantic thoughts as we entered the room, I was extremely tense even then--thinking it was just the Volturi we faced.

My stance relaxed slightly as I looked into their minds.

In the visual, more thoughts were heard from the gathering vampires: _'I'm smelling a human now! Fantastic, Heidi must be here. But only one? Surely this is not to be our meal. And Aro would have my head if I attacked anyone after his warning.' 'What is Aro playing at? Telling us to leave his guests alone, and then bring them in with a human--at meal time.' 'How mad would Aro get at me for drinking this one dry?' 'Well, she isn't exactly provoking me, except by being here. Well, another reason to go get that receptionist.' _

The 'dark beings' chittered excitedly as our company approached Aro. Mother was alarmed to see all the eyes of every 'dark creature' in the room rest on her. They hissed at her and she stared defiantly back at them. They looked at each other questioningly.

[_'Is she for real?'_] One of the Demons said to the rest.

["Mock us if it makes you feel better. You won't be having much to 'guard' momentarily and we'll laugh you out of our presence."] Another Demon said to Mother in a derisive manner.

The other demons mocked her with assorted hissed and sinister laughs. Mother's expression never faltered. I was amazed at her calm façade and the grit and strength she exhibited as she glared back at them. She had an inner strength and nerves of steel unparalleled to any I had ever seen before. Certainly, I had never noticed it before. This was my…mother?

Bella, back in the visual, looked around in astonishment, taking in her surroundings before settling on Aro himself. _'Oh, that's his hair. It's so black I thought it was part of his robes at first.'_ Of course, Aro looked positively diabolical covered in 'dark beings' that moved around on him more than his flowing robe did. I wondered briefly what he would think about them if he knew they were there.

From the corner of my eye, I'd followed Bella's gaze as it settled on that one particular vampire. _'Aro. Of course, she must recognize him from the canvas I once showed her, in my father's office.'_

"**Jane, dear one, you've returned."** Aro spoke enthusiastically.

We watched as Aro approached Jane and took her face between his papery hands and kissed her on her full lips. As he did so, some of the 'dark beings' jumped between the two vampires as though they were fleas. Then Aro floated back a step. His thoughts revealed his true intent of the physical content. _'So she did stop a fight in the alley. It looks as though Edward has found his human after all…and Alice. Yes! Alice is here. Jane is so true and loyal to me. No deceit in her thoughts.'_

Alice thought, _'That is sooo inappropriate. Who exactly does this ancient think he is. This girl is clearly not his mate…'_

"**Yes, master. I brought him back alive just as you wished."** She replied adoringly.

Bella's thoughts began as she watched Aro, _'Is he actually a vampire? His movements glide with such an air of surreal grace; even Alice's lithesome movements can't even compare. I'm not sure why, but he looks as different from the other vampires as they do from me. His face, it doesn't have the unnaturally attractive characteristics of the other vampires here. I don't know if I would even consider his face beautiful. Sure—his features are perfect, but his skin is kind of like…onion skin. Why in the world do I feel like touching it? I just want to see if it's as soft as Edward's or Alice's or if it's powdery--like chalk. And then there are his eyes. Even though they are as red as those around him, the color is cloudy. Can vampires get cataracts? That's what the milky film around them reminds me of. I wonder if it affects his vision any.'_

Two more of the demons started to take a greater interest in our party. They eyed Bella and Mother with obvious interest.

One of them said, ["Can you hear anything from the mind of this human?"]

The other one responded in a lower guttural response. ["No, has she a mind at all?"] He asked of the first demon as he came closer to the three of us.

When he was six feet away Michael ordered his team mentally. His thought voice came through loud and clear. ['_Don't let them get any closer to Bella!'_], he commanded.

In response the two ops covering Alice and I moved forward. I immediately sensed as I watched them from the visual, their names were Matt and Catherine. They extended their hands and thought together, ['_this little girl is not worth the effort. There are no thoughts to hear simply because she is too scared to think clearly right now. She is mentally petrified. Don't concern yourself--just an insignificant human.'_]. In response, the advancing demons turned away from their original path as if they changed their mind and went to commune amongst the other demons. The Acolyte wandered aimlessly around our company, examining the three of us curiously. Our task force kept her a good six feet away as she meandered her way around us. I noticed only one of our elite members had to repel her mentally and she hardly expended any effort at all.

Mother thought in relief, _['Thank goodness her shield repels creatures of darkness as well.'_]

My thoughts rang through the visual then. _'It is interesting how Jane's overwhelming desire to gratify Aro reminds me of how I long to delight Bella.' _

"**Ah, Jane. You are such a comfort to me."** His enthusiasm became ecstatic as he eyed Bella and Alice.

'_The future seeker! The fortune teller!'_ Aro exclaimed in his mind. At his thoughts, a 'soulless ones' came to Aro's side to get a look at the object of Aro's glee.

"**And Alice and Bella, too!"** he rejoiced, whilst clapping, recognizing them from my memories. **"This is a surprise! Wonderful!!"** _I think it is time to get Caius and Marcus here._ He quickly turned to Felix, **"Felix, be a dear and tell my brothers about our company. I'm sure they wouldn't want to miss this." ** _'Maybe Marcus can help me shed some light on the fascination Edward has for this mere mortal. It is quite the quandary.'_

["Yes, get Marcus in here. We want to know what the big deal is with her too."] A fourth demon rasped. Apparently, it would seem that although the demons could read the thoughts of all the beings in the room they were aware of—with the exception of Bella's and apparently Mother (or they'd have known about Bella's shield and the task force)—they did not share in the use of all abilities like Chandra and her brothers. Another thought hit me as I viewed the scene playing out on the screen in front of me. Any thoughts of our task force members were blocked from the minds of the demons and other creatures of darkness in the room. And the thoughts of our four 'perfected beings' were completely cut off from even the visual. They must have been under a deep cloak of some sort.

["And another question,"] the first demon responded to the fourth in his deep and guttural tone. ["Why are there no dark creatures on the two vampires with her, Edward and Alice?"] Mother stiffened slightly at the observation but otherwise remained composed.

["A very good question,"] the third demon rasped. ["Something else for us to determine before they are destroyed today."] The others nodded in ascent.

'_What in the world is this Aro so happy about?'_ Bella thought warily. _'He talks like we've known each other our whole lives instead of just meeting. He seems friendly enough, but I still don't like it. Plus, Edward is too stiff. There's a hidden agenda here, I'm sure of it.'_

'_What does he want?'_ Alice thought suspiciously. _'Jasper talks of him like he's some kind of a god. But somehow I don't see it.'_

"**Yes, master."** Felix replied before swiftly disappearing back through the doors we had just entered. _'And maybe then he'll let me devour this girl in front of Mr. High and Mighty Cullen.'_

Aro then diverted his attention to me.

As I gazed back at him my thoughts played out for everyone, _'I don't understand his excitement, and it almost feels as though he is attempting to block me from his thoughts. Is he thrilled by our capture? By possibly annihilating us...'_

"**You see, Edward?" **Aro began, **"What did I tell you? Aren't you glad that I didn't give you what you wanted yesterday?" **_'Remember Edward, I am your friend. I'm the good guy here.'_

"Yes, Aro, I am." I agreed.

I tightened my embrace of Bella_. 'Good, she's still safely here. I'm absolutely petrified that at any moment she'll disappear. On the other hand, I did want for her to not be involved. I wanted her to be safe, as I always have. But thanks to Alice, I now realize regardless of whatever I want for Bella, it isn't sufficient to keep her safe.'_

Michael thought orders to his team. They automatically knew which member had each assignment as he gave out instructions. _['We need to give Alice some visions of what is going on or might happen here as 'plants' for Aro to see. We also need to give Aro some 'seed thought'. We might as well start them now to see if they well take at all—let's pray they do. Also if they swarm us, we may have to up our cloak a bit. For now, they are only mildly curious. That will probably change--and quickly too. Everyone stay at the ready.'_]

Two members from Michael's group approached Aro; one on either side. They did not touch him. But the younger blonde headed girl, whose name I suddenly understood to be Michelle, simply lightly rubbed her hands together and somehow produced a transparent tiny bead the size of a watermelon seed. I didn't know how I knew it, but as I sat in Chandra's home room, I knew the 'thought seed' in her hand was a suggestion that 'Aro be happy for me, that I had found Bella and that making and keeping me happy would bring him great happiness'. She put her hand six inches over Aro's head and dropped it. The bead appeared to dissolve on contact. Aro displayed no change in his demeanor to the manipulation. Michael checked the creatures of darkness around the room and saw they hadn't noticed anything either.

He nodded to the second member of his team, a young man with shoulder-length brown hair, who I once again understood to be named Ben, who copied the actions of Michelle. His 'thought seed' contained the suggestion 'it would mean a lot to his very close and dear friend Carlisle, if he procured the safety of his family members. Of which Bella was considered an integral part'. The demons and other creatures in the room remained unaware of what had transpired. The two elite forces members stayed by Aro's side motionless.

Michael then thought to the first girl still by Aro's side. _['Open his closed thoughts for a second so Edward can see where Aro's inner thoughts are taking him.'_] The girl waved her hand lightly in front of Aro's forehead as Aro's thoughts burst through the visual.

'_Bella is alive, after all.' _Aro spoke the words in his head. '_ Alice must have been mistaken. Or perhaps, Edward did not get his facts straight from his other sister; either way, such a tremendous talent to have.' _

'_Ahhh, here is is…my opening.' _My thoughts replied with a faint hint of relief_. 'Aro has let his concentration lapsed slightly, thus allowing me access to his thoughts for a moment. And a moment is all I need. His excitement is due to the presence of my sister, Alice. He wants her desperately. Well, it's her talent he actually craves. He wants me too – but from the very instant witnessed her talent through my thoughts he has wanted her in his coven. And, now he can't believe his affluence that she's standing before him.'_ I thought biting back a hiss.

"**I love a happy ending."** Aro signed. _'Especially when they are mine!!!! Alice at my one side and Edward at my other.' _

The girl waved her hand again in front of Aro's forehead and Aro's hidden thoughts were once again hidden from me—that day only—not so, today. Today, all his hidden agendas were laid out for us to hear.

"**They are so rare. But I want the whole story. How did this happen? Alice?"** Aro fixed his eyes on my sister as he spoke to her. "**Your brother seemed to think you infallible but apparently there was some mistake."** _'I'll see what she has to say for herself. Did she misrepresent the vision to make Edward think Bella was dead? Not likely, as from Edward's memories, Alice is quite close to Bella. Unless, she wanted to go back to see her and have Edward not get upset with her, or maybe…'_

"**Oh, I'm far from infallible." **Alice smiled. '_Edward! What have you told him about me? Why would you tell this Aro anything about me anyway when you were planning on doing yourself in? No good can come from this man knowing about my visions…and I don't need to have one to know that.'_ She wondered as her hands balled up into little fists, as if to hold in the anxiety she was feeling. **"As you can see, I cause problems as often as I cure them."**

"**You are too modest,"** Aro reproached**. "I've seen some of your more amazing exploits, and I must admit, I've never seen anything quite like your talent. Wonderful!"**_ 'It would be an astounding contribution to our guard. They both would. Now, how do I draw them away from Carlisle? He does inspire loyalty somehow without Chelsea's gift.'_ He continued in his thoughts, as me and Alice flashed in his mind.

Michael shook his head once in consternation. _['He twisted the 'thought seed.'_] Then he thought to the two team members at Aro's side. _['Give him two more. Maybe if we send him enough one will make it through unadulterated by his demented mind.'_]

The 'thought seed' Michelle sent to Aro this time was that 'he would need to keep us in his good graces if he hoped to somehow win over either Edward or Alice to his cause'. She was going subtle. Playing to his thought processes. She was a very clever individual. Then Ben sent his to Aro as well and his contained the idea 'Bella must be extremely trustworthy if Carlisle was involved in her vampire knowledge. He would never betray the secret. Bella had kept it—even when the Cullens were away and she would always keep it. He had nothing to fear from her knowledge'. Again, there was no reaction from the evil supernatural creatures in the chamber.

'_Edward?' _Alice's eyes flickered to me for a split second as words raced through her head. '_How does he know so much about me? Why is he acting like he knows me? And how am I supposed to react to this familiarity he is displaying?'_

Alice's wary glance at me did not go unnoticed by the observant Volturi leader.

The red-headed woman from Michael's team, whose name I suddenly knew was Gillian, stepped up behind Alice and put a hand on the back of her head. Immediately Alice received a micro-vision of herself confidently striding up to touch hands with Aro. The vision faded. It left her even more perplexed.

"**I'm sorry; we haven't been introduced properly at all, have we? It's just that I feel like I know you already, and I tend to get ahead of myself. Your brother introduced us yesterday, in a peculiar way. You see, I share some of your brother's talent, only I am limited in a way he is not."** Aro explained. His tone exhibited a hint of jealously to the fact that I could read mind from a distance. _'I wonder what else she's telling him about. It is so frustrating to have to touch to hear…'_

"**And also exponentially more powerful."** I interjected.

'_He can read minds too'?_ Alice asked silently in a confused tone. _'I remember hearing from Carlisle's recollection, of his time spent here in Volterra with the Volturi, but he never elaborated on the specific vampire talents anyone here had.'_

'_No,'_ I thought dryly. _'I was the one who'd been specifically interested in every detail and asked endless questions on several different occasions with Carlisle. So I would have to explain now, so Alice can understand.'_ I added aloud, **"Aro needs physical contact to hear your thoughts, but he hears much more then I do. You know I can only hear what's passing through your mind in the moment. Aro hears every thought you ever had."**

Alice raised her eyebrows in surprise. '_But he can't hear my thoughts now? He can't hear what I'm saying to you in my head right now?'_

I inclined my head as a response. _'She'll know I'm giving her an affirmative response. We often immerse ourselves in these silent exchanges. Our family is used to this by now, and sometimes they aren't aware of it at all. Bella, on the other hand, being her observant self, nearly always notices, but other humans are completely oblivious.'_

Aro noticed it now, but he ignored it slightly irritated he could not hear_. 'What was that all about?'_

"**But to hear from a distance…"** he paused and let out a sigh, '_…or even better to be able to pull someone's inner most thoughts from them without a touch and learn of treachery at a glance.'_ Then he continued by gesturing to me and Alice's silent exchange. "**That would be so convenient."**

From the visual I looked as though I would choke at his assessment. _'Right Aro, I'm quite sure you'd enjoy the constant thoughts of others buzzing around your head simultaneously: annoying thoughts, random thoughts, fantasies, daydreams, fits of jealousy, love, hate, sorrow. Not to mention all the insults some people aim at each other as if they were darts. It would be enough to drive you mad. Just the thought you desire such madness makes me want to roll my eyes.'_

["Let's send some of our dark beings over to see what they make of vampires without any 'friendly attachments' on them."] The fourth demon said. In response, at least ten dark beings scurried across the floor in our direction. A blonde headed male team member, whom I now know to be named Justin stepped out four feet to my left and sent out an invisible current from his right palm. What I mean is, it would have been invisible there, but it had been enhanced in our visual and therefore I could see that we'd had red and green tiny particles surrounding us. They almost looked like compound molecules, large enough to barely be seen while looking very intently with my vampire eyes. This current seemed to flow like a river, out from his hands and run through Bella, Alice and I before returning back into his left palm. As the 'dark beings' came towards us they suddenly stopped, stiffened and started chittering and hissing louder, writhing in distain before inching backwards away from us.

["Now, why would our 'dark beings' be uncomfortable around 'creatures of darkness' like vampires? They have no problem with all the other vampires here in this room."] The fifth demon said in outrage. The Acolyte who was aimlessly circling us was apparently also uncomfortable around the strange current Justin produced and wandered off to sit in a corner.

Just then all heads turned to the door as Felix reappeared with Caius and Marcus. Of course they were also immersed in dark beings. Actually, upon closer examination, Marcus only appears to have about six on him, instead of the ten or more that seems to cling to everyone else in the Volturi sanctum.

'_Wow, the trio from Carlisle's paining is now complete. Oh joy.'_ Bella thought in a voice that was meant to be dry but barely masked her anxiety. _'They look the same as they did in that painting. Huh, the one with the white hair is kind of scary looking. With his white skin to match it and his red eyes; he really does look like an albino. Either that or a huge lab rat.'_

'_What is Edward doing back here?'_ I heard Caius's thoughts as he entered the room. '_Who are the others? Is this the human girlfriend? I thought she was dead. What is Edward playing at here?'_ Caius scowled silently in his mind.

["Edward loves this weak human girl Bella?"] The fifth demon said in derision. ["How could this have possibly happened? Yesterday, he was prepared to die to join her. Why did he leave in the first place then?"]

["If you had been paying closer attention yesterday, you would have seen with Aro that Edward left Bella to keep her soul safe from him."] The first demon said rolling his eyes.

["A moral vampire? That is preposterous!"] Replied the fifth demon back to the first in his deep crumbly voice.

["Yes, it is ridiculous but it does help explain why the 'dark beings' are uncomfortable around them."] The third demon offered. He sounded as thoughtful as possible considering the grating sound of his throaty bark.

Marcus's gaze was instantly drawn to my arm wrapped around Bella. He was scrutinizing our relationship – which somehow astonished and also pained him_. 'That has to be one of the strongest relationships I have ever seen before. Of course it is. It would have to be for the extraordinary amount of control it would require for him to be so close to her in an intimate manner. If Aro thinks he can do any harm to this girl and then have Edward join with us, he is sadly deluded. But how in the world is it so strong. I've never seen the likes of it in all of these centuries. It reminds me so of the bond I shared with my __Didyme__ so long ago…before…' _He seemed to finally collect himself and get back to his evaluation._ '…but how can that be when her blood sings to his? How could he have maintained enough control to allow himself to develop this unique relationship in the first place? And it isn't just his relationship for her…but…hmmm'_

My thoughts played off of his, _'I'm confused. How can the potency of our relationship be strong enough to bewilder? Bella and I are no longer even together in that sense. Of course, my feelings for her haven't changed in our separation; If, anything my love for her has intensified. She is my savior, my angel. But it isn't possible Bella still feels the same for me – I've hurt her excessively.'_

Dagda sadly shook his head as he listened to the thoughts in my head but said or thought nothing I could hear.

Marcus's attention moved next to the relationship I shared with my sister, followed by the one between Alice and Bella. I could see his evaluation in his mind, and he was now profoundly dumbfounded, although he never showed any indication in his expression. _'This is beyond belief. I've by no means ever encountered true deep bonds of love and friendship between vampires like this, and defiantly not between vampires and a human. Now, this Bella girl, she has rather strong and intense feelings for a human, and one so young at that.'_

"**Marcus, Caius, look! Bella is alive after all, and Alice is here with her! Isn't it wonderful?"** Aro crooned.

Neither responded, nor exhibited an ounce of excitement similar to their brother and Bella's thoughts reflected this_. 'Right, it doesn't look to me as if 'wonderful' would be the first choice of words for either of these guys. The albino vampire looks like he has hemorrhoids or maybe just stuck a 'shock tart' in his mouth. The other dark haired one looks more like a zombie from his expression than a vampire. He just looks as though he's seen too many millennia of Aro's enthusiasm. Not that their mood seems to be in any way curbing Aro's enjoyment.'_

"**Let us have the story."** Aro

["Yes, we all want to hear this story."] The third demon said with alarming intensity. Michael narrowed his eyes at the intent in the demons surrounding us.

Marcus floated to Aro to inform him of his thoughts. At the small brief contact, Aro raised his eyebrows as he saw the results of Marcus's examination of our relationships. Marcus's Evaluation flowed through to Aro and we heard them in Chandra's home room as well. _'Edward's relationship to both Bella and Alice are equally strong and intense, though defined differently. Edward has a mated relationship with Bella and that of a sibling for Alice. The bonds he has for each of these women is an unbreakable bond. He would give his life for either of them. Likewise, Alice's relationship to Edward and her relationship to Bella hold the same level of commitment—intense and unbreakable, and while she is a friend to Bella, she views them both as siblings. She would put herself in harm's way to protect either of them.' _What was particularly surprising to Aro, as well as to me at the time was Marcus's last evaluation. _'Bella's relationship is also of the same magnitude towards both Alice and Edward as theirs is to her. Her relationship with Edward is mated and with Alice is that of a beloved friend—and could be considered that of a sibling. She would gladly trade her life for either one of theirs. Her bonds to each of these Cullens are also unbreakable.'_

My thoughts soared in the visual with the latest revelation from Marcus as he had not reached that conclusion until he actually sent it to Aro because he'd double and triple checked it first, thinking he must've been mistaken. _'Could it be possible? Could Bella still love me? As much as I love her? Humans can't love as much as vampires. That isn't humanly possible. Does it matter if she does still love me, when I lied to her and left her alone and unprotected…' _

Aro's surprised thoughts surfaced to replace mine,_ 'Out of the ordinary. Surely they cannot care for each other with that intensity. I suppose the verity Bella is alive could prove Edward's love for her. But Alice and Edward they are not strictly related. And Alice and Bella? It is not possible.'_

I snorted at Aro's silent analysis. _'Of course it was feasible. His own brother had just shown him. How could he doubt it? I honestly and truly loved all my family unconditionally. Alice and Bella had developed a true friendship, and now they were like sisters. I can't even begin to explain the love I feel for Bella. It's irreversibly awe-inspiring and I don't understand it. Bella keeps reeling me in, not matter what I do to try and protect her and stay away. I cannot resist her.'_

"**Thank you, Marcus. That's quite interesting."** Aro said shaking his head trying to comprehend. He looked as though his head was about to implode with curiosity. **"Amazing. Absolutely amazing."** And then some of the thoughts Aro had hidden from me sounded in my ears for the first time in Chandra's home room_. 'How can I use this to my advantage? Clearly I will need all three of them or none of them. Chelsea's gift will be of no use in this instance. It would have to be a package deal. This means first of all, I must play the hero by sparing the girl.'_

["Spare the girl?"] The sixth demon said incensed. ["What is he up to? He could just take Alice and Edward captive and force them to do his will—just as he subverted Marcus. Use Chelsea's gift to break the unbreakable. Since when does Aro bow to anyone?"] The other demons looked on through narrowed eyes as they considered the words of the third one.

Bella was still in observation mode when she thought, _'I wonder how their papery skin didn't crumble with the effort of raising and touching like that? Oh, Edward said Aro reads thoughts at a touch. Marcus must've just given Aro his thought. And it's funny too, because Marcus doesn't look interested. Look at how he is followed around by those other vampires; like they are his personal guards or something. As if any vampire would need a guard. That is absolutely ridiculous--unless these old ones are as frail as their skin indicates.'_

["That human girl looks to be thinking something. At first we thought she was too petrified to have any thoughts and while it's clear she is scared—there's something else there."] The seventh demon spoke for the first time. At his tone, the other lesser evil creatures in the room cowered.

[_'Do you see the reaction just the sound of the seventh demon's voice created?'_] Michael thought determinedly. _['He's a higher level demon. Keep an eye out for him. He may be trouble. We need to monitor his thoughts closer than the rest for any indication he may give that he begins to suspect we're here and what our purpose is.'_] In response the last dark haired male team member, Patrick began a deeper concentration. It would appear he was taking on the responsibility of monitoring the powerful demon's mind.

'_What is he talking about, Edward? What is so interesting from the boring vampire?' _Alice silently demanded, venting her frustration of the cryptic spoken comments and exchanges.

"**Marcus sees relationships. He is surprised by the intensity of ours.** "I explained to Bella and Alice swiftly and quietly, though every other vampire in the room could hear.

Alice smiled at the revelation, _'I guess they don't understand everything then--even seeing as many millenniums as they have. I'm so glad we could throw them a curve ball. Not that it will be doing us any good in getting out of here alive.'_

"**So convenient,"** Aro said. _'…to answer ones unspoken questions. _He finished in his thoughts. **"It takes quite a lot to surprise Marcus, I can assure you." **Aro focused on the arm I had wrapped around Bella's waist, _'How on earth can Edward stand so close to her when her blood is what I myself have yearned for desperately? It is mind boggling.'_

'_I can believe that! It would take a lot to surprise Marcus. His face looks dead. Maybe he IS missing his soul.' _Bella thought dryly. Her terror subsided a bit from the tone of her thoughts.

My thought pondered on Aro's own observation, _'I have to admit the situation is inexplicable, but it's somehow almost effortless being in Bella's presence now. Is it because of the deathly circumstances we now find ourselves in? It must be. I've always had an overpowering desire to protect her in comparison to killing her. However, before I'd departed Forks, I was under constant restraint to control myself. Now there is something different. Something I don't understand. I don't know what it is that has changed. Her scent is more intoxicating than ever. It still burns my throat. But the fire in my throat isn't dreadful. It's irritating, but not painful. It is no longer Bella's blood I crave. No, it's exclusively her being. This, Aro will never understand. He has never experienced the heartbreak I have suffered.'_

Alice's thoughts, directed towards me cut through next. _'Edward, I'm going to try to look ahead and see how we can get out of this alive. But I won't be able to see too far ahead because Aro hasn't made his final decisions yet. I'm going to try to do it by just closing my eyes for very short periods of time so cover for me. Okay?'_

I lifted my head to the ceiling to give her a nod. _'That will help…still; do I really want Aro focusing on Bella to much?'_

Just then the team member Justin, who had just moments ago released his 'flow of energy' leaned over to me and thought while touching my head, _['there are three very thirsty vampires over there. They have tenuous control. Two in the far corner but the thirstiest one right now is Felix. He will jump if Aro doesn't restrain him at once. Be ready for him just in case. Watch out for Jane as well, she can be quite manipulative and also very sadistic. Believe it or not, your most sympathetic audience right now is Marcus. Aro is 'iffy'…be careful.'_] In response to his suggestions, in the visual, I focused on the vampires in the various locals and made a mental note of their thirst levels –vs- their control. My gaze lingered on Felix. He met it without flinching.

Felix had some mental thoughts to go along with his stare. _'Edward, it will be a cold day in hell before I allow you to ruin my position here with my masters. Think about that while I drink your little girlfriend's blood.' _In the visual a shudder of fury ran through me. At that moment Gillian fed Alice another vision of me attacking Felix and the immediate demise of all three of us, Alice, My Bella and myself. I experienced the vision at the same time Alice did and fought to regain control of myself. It was a desperate struggle as I watched the conclusion of Alice's vision; Felix giving himself a blood bath—with Bella's blood being the blood of immersion. Finally it took every faculty I possessed, feeling Bella in my arms, my need to keep her safe and (as I know knew) Mother rubbing my back to reign in the fury that would be our undoing.

[_"Calm down son."] _Mother thought in a firm whisper. _["No time to be a hot head now. Don't give Felix that kind of control over you."_]

["Do you see how she talks to the vampire?"] The second demon said in distaste. ["Why would she do that?"]

["Guardian Angels don't work with vampires."] Demon number five said. ["She is clearly with the girl. But see how she calms him?"]

["How does she have that level of influence over his actions and emotional state?"] Demon number six asked. ["She called him son. You don't think she meant that literally do you?"] The demons continued to scrutinize Mother while she continued to stare defiantly back at them.

"**It's just so difficult to understand even now. How can you stand so close to her like that?"** Aro pondered. _'Honestly, it's all I can do to restrain myself from four feet away and she isn't even my singer.'_

"**It's not without effort."** I answered calmly.

"**But still- la tua cantante! What a waste!"** Aro said completing his earlier thought.

I chuckled at his pronouncement. _'It's true. Bella is my singer. Her blood sings to me.'_ Then I added for Aro's benefit, **"I look at it more as a price."**

"**A very high price."** Aro said hesitantly. _'…because he cares so deeply for her with his unbreakable bond. How can I use this information best?' _Another hidden thought of Aro's that burst out through the visual.

"**Opportunity cost."** I shot back. _'Maybe that is a term he can understand.'_

["Maybe,"] The more powerful seventh demon responded. ["There is a resemblance. But what are the odds his mother who has been dead for so long, would become the Guardian Angel of the one he loves now."] He asked in his authoritative gravelling voice.

Michael thought directions to his team. _['We may have trouble here. He's putting it together. I'm going to try to send a suggestion out in a micro burst. Be ready—it may easily expose us. I'll send it to the least powerful demon there.'_] He bowed his head and closed his eyes for a fifteenth of a second and when he opened them the second demon had a sudden thought.

["What if she was his biological mother in mortal life, and that is WHY Bella and Edward are attracted to each other. Maybe the mother is instigating it to spend time with her son."]

["That is very astute of you."] The seventh demon replied thoughtfully. ["That makes perfect sense to me. It's kind of sweet actually. It might be satisfying to see her face if we have them tear Edward to shreds before Bella's death just so she can witness both."] The laughter and scintillating noises rose in pitch and fervor throughout the chamber in response.

Michael and his team all wore relieved expressions. Clearly they weren't moved by the vile creatures assumptions of what would follow. _['They bought it—Good!'_] Then Michael concentrated for a moment and added, _['we need to send Alice another vision. The demons will work with Caius to push for the attack by having him provoke Edward. Let Alice see that outcome so they can work to avoid it.'_] Gillian sent it by touching the back of Alice's head briefly again.

The visual showed a short burst of visions from Alice. In one we were attacked by Jane because I insulted Caius and it ended with our deaths. In the next one, I was being summoned to take Aro's hand and when I did so, Felix suddenly jumped to Bella's side and drained her life's blood, as Alice and I went to stop him. We were soon dispatched as well.

'_Our outlook is grim. But this can still be salvaged. As long as I remain by Bella's side and don't provoke the ancient's we can still make it out--hopefully.'_ I'd thought morosely. '_But I can't let any of my fear show now. That could lead to our downfall as well.' _

"**If I hadn't smelled her through your memories, I wouldn't have believed the call of anyone's blood could be so strong."**_ 'Good heavens! It's as strong as your unbreakable bond!'_ **"I've never felt anything like it myself. Most of us would trade much for such a gift, and yet you…."**

'_Edward, you need to steer this conversation away from the 'taste' of Bella's blood. This room is full of thirsty vampires.'_ Alice interjected quickly.

"**Waste it."** I finished his remark sarcastically. _'This has gone on long enough. Alice is right and I'm getting tired of the preludes. I no longer wish to explain my love for Bella; forthrightly it is none of their business.' _

Michael directed the addition of another vision for Alice in that moment. _['Okay, Aro's going to want to touch Bella and this will be a good 'planned' vision for him to see of how good and accurate Alice's visions are.'_] Gillian nodded her head in acknowledgement of the order.

'_Uh oh, I recognize that tone of Edward's too. He's tired of all the pretenses. It is making me more afraid and I can't help it. I just keep imagining what he is expecting to come next. Great! Here goes my heart racing again. Yep, I see at least two other vampires eyeing me now. They hear it all right.' _Bella's tone was full of foreboding.

Another vision played out in Alice's mind and also for all of us in Chandra's home room. This one of Aro meeting hands with Bella as she stood by my side trembling. The 'micro vision' ended.

Aro laughed_. 'I remember Carlisle's determination and restraint. He's never killed a human, even during his time spent here in Volterra. The Cullens way of life, living off animal blood is impractical. They should truly embrace the creatures we all are. Instead, the Cullens fight against being vampires; the madness of such a vision!'_ **"Ah, how I miss my friend Carlisle! You remind me of him, only he was not so angry."**

[_'Great work team! Another 'thought seed took root. Perhaps we can try a few more if we're careful.'_] Michael said with felicity. At his word, Michelle dropped one on Aro that 'the repercussions of causing or allowing harm to befall Alice, Bella or I would be astronomical. There was a feeling of foreboding that went with it.' Ben's 'thought seed' was 'Caius was being unreasonable with his insistence of upholding the law in this instance. Carlisle's judgment was not clouded by prejudice against humans the way Caius' was'.

"**Carlisle outshines me in many other ways as well."** I replied dryly. '_True, I have a temper, but Carlisle is in so many other areas my better, he has more humanity, more kindness, more generosity, deeper understanding, he's more diplomatic, more compassionate, he has greater control, he has infinitely more wisdom…'_

"**I certainly never thought to see Carlisle bested for self-control of all things, but you put him to shame," **Aro said_. 'You have kissed your singer repeatedly and she still lives for you to kiss again and again. It is positively mind boggling.' _

"**Hardly,"** I said intolerantly. _'Please Aro; can we please get this farce over with? If you're planning on testing her mental silence, I wish you would just get on with it man--I hope to get Bella out of here as fast as possible; every moment we spend here is an added risk one of you minions will lose control and attack. You're all thirsty.'_ A mental image of Felix popped from my head onto the screen.

["Send in some more of our 'dark beings' and see if they can keep this 'mother hen' Guardian Angel busy so we can divert Edward and get him angry."] The seventh demon said coldly.

"**I am gratified by his success. Your memories of him are quite a gift for me, though they astonish me exceedingly. I am surprised by how it pleases me, his success in his unorthodox path he's chosen. I expected he would waste, weaken with time. I'd scoffed at his plan to find others who would share his peculiar vision. Yet, somehow, I am happy to be wrong."** Aro announced full of wonder.

I did not reply.

_['I'm sorry Elizabeth,'_] Michael said quickly. [_'We're going to have to let a few in for you to deal with or else there will be too much suspicion aroused by the head demon.'_] He added grimly.

"**But your restraint! I did not know such strength was possible. To inure yourself against such a siren call, not just once but again and again. If had not felt it myself, I wouldn't have believed**_**."**__ 'In fact, I am seeing it and I still don't believe it!'_

I did not dignify his discussion with a response. My impatience was building. _'How much longer do you plan to draw this out Aro? Why can't you just deal with the matter at hand – our freedom?'_

Bella noticed this as well and her thoughts were loaded with her keen observations. _'I know his face too well to believe this calm façade—even without seeing him for the last seven months. Something has him seething and it's barely contained. Oh, what is it. Is it someone's thoughts? Has he discovered how we're going to die now? Oh, I need to try and calm down. Another vampire is eyeing me now. That makes three. I need to control my breathing better. Can I?'_

Fifteen dark creatures began to make their way towards our company; their focus on Mother. After the first five passed, Justin threw his energy wave back out around us in a wider circle--effectively blocking the rest from entering. They meandered off as though ashamed to find it too revolting and uncomfortable to do their masters bidding.

"**Just remembering how much she appeals to you; it makes me thirsty,"** Aro chortled.

***

I froze up with tension. _'No. Bella will never be his meal--ever. Does he want to get at her mind or her blood?' _I remembered being wound so tightly from his implication that my teeth could have ground diamonds.

This time in the visual Mother was unable to assist me in getting myself under control as there were now five 'dark beings' stalking her as she slowly retreated from their advance. This time, I had to find the strength on my own.

'_No Edward!' _my then fragile human Bella thought at me, _'Don't try to fight Aro. There are too many vampires ready to attack--including Lug over there.' _Bella thought as her eyes darted to Felix and she shuddered.

Aro noticed my apprehension and another of his hidden thoughts surfaced. _'Yes Edward, I caught that too. More information for me to work with; and it backs up Marcus' assessment as well. Hmmm.' _"Don't be disturbed." He said reassuringly.

I searched in his mind thoroughly. _'What are his intentions here? Does he mean her harm? No—I hear no sign of attack. Then what is his motivation? What is his game?'_ Then the vision from Alice's head of Aro touching Bella's hand became clearer. He was more resolved. I couldn't determine the outcome of that touch. It faded to fast.

The first 'dark being' jumped on Mother and she grabbed at him in an effort to dislodge him from her person. A second one approached quietly and she kicked him clear through the energy stream where he wandered off ashamed and refused to cross through the invisible barrier again. A third one came at her from the other side and she kicked it as well. This one landed at my leg and started climbing on me. Of course, at the time I had no idea of their presence at all. Mother finally tore the one loose from herself and flung it at the remaining one still approaching. Both of them skidded across the floor, also going through the energy stream and leaving their task unfinished. It was interesting in an unpleasant sort of way, to see that as Mother fought with these 'dark beings', instead of becoming more tired, she was actually getting stronger. She deftly went up to the one that held clinging to my back and pried it loose and threw it over handed into two of the 'soulless ones. All three of them landed in a heap.

["Since when does a Guardian Angel have the power to defeat 'creatures of darkness'?"] The head demon roared. Mother fixed him with narrowed eyes. The demon added in a more quiet tone. ["…one that has been exposed to dark creatures before and grown in power. Yes, that is it. Of course, the reason there are no 'dark beings' on these two vampires has to be the presence of this Guardian Angel. She wishes to be with her son and cannot be where 'dark beings' belong. So she must have beet them up until they quit. Then she's been feeding them all kinds of crap about loving humans. Look at their eyes! They hunt animals. They will never fit in around here. Just like their 'father' Carlisle never did either. Well, we'll deal with the vampires later. After Bella is dead her angel here will be required to leave. Maybe then we can still salvage Edward and Alice for our purposes."]

***

I will have the last half of this chapter up in a few more days. Hopefully it wasn't too confusing to follow. I was trying to deferentiate between conversations on many different levels.

Feel free to stop by my profile page and see if any of the links I have to pictures of the 'Agents of Light' and 'Powers of Darkness' are working!

***

*****I would like to thank Sophie Beament (Vampire Girl *aKa* Soph) for allowing me to use her words for Edward during his 'New Moon' scenes from her wonderful Fan Fiction, Dark Moon. If you haven't had an opportunity to read that story…it is exceptionally well written and I highly commend it to you.**

**I have a link to her fan fiction there under chapter 30 as well!**


	33. Chapter 32 Part Two

**[A/N: For the rest of the Volturi scene, because there is so much interaction going on—and on many different levels, in addition to add thoughts being italicized and with a single quotation mark, I will also put all spoken dialogue as found in the 'New Moon' Book in bold lettering. Also, any thoughts or spoken words by any supernatural being (good or evil) will be denoted by brackets [as such]**

**Also the 'Agents of Light' will only be thinking to each other and their charges instead of speaking out loud to further insure the stealth of their mission. The 'Forces of Darkness' will speak—although not heard by their 'charges'…though, as we've seen, they can influence them…]**

**Chapter Thirty Two  
"The Gates of Hell-Part II"**

**Edward's POV**

**Previously:**

["Since when does a Guardian Angel have the power to defeat 'creatures of darkness'?"] The head demon roared. Mother fixed him with narrowed eyes. The demon added in a more quiet tone. ["…one that has been exposed to dark creatures before and grown in power. Yes, that is it. Of course, the reason there are no 'dark beings' on these two vampires has to be the presence of this Guardian Angel. She wishes to be with her son and cannot be where 'dark beings' belong. So she must have beet them up until they quit. Then she's been feeding them all kinds of crap about loving humans. Look at their eyes! They hunt animals. They will never fit in around here. Just like their 'father' Carlisle never did either. Well, we'll deal with the vampires later. After Bella is dead her angel here will be required to leave. Maybe then we can still salvage Edward and Alice for our purposes."]

***

"**I mean her no harm."** Aro said and then added a, then hidden thought_, 'But she may be useful to me as more than just a bargaining chip. If Edward can't hear her, what else does she repel? Maybe she would make a powerful vampire for me to manipulate.'_ Then he continued his request, "**But I am curious, about one thing in particular. May I?"** he asked gazing at Bella intently.

'_Ahhh, here it is and still, I can't believe that he's asking ME if I would allow him to attempt to access Bella's mind. She isn't my property. She has rights and feelings to be considered. I can't make Bella's decisions for her. I won't take that dignity away from her.' _**"Ask her."** I stated.

"**Of course, how rude of me!" **Aro said and added in his mind, _'Rude if you think of humans as thinking, caring, sentient beings who matter as Carlisle's protégées here seem to.' _ **"Bella, I am fascinated that you are the one exception to Edwards's impassive talent. So very interesting that such a thing should occur! And I was wondering, since our talents are similar in many ways, if you would be so kind as to allow me to try, to see if you are an exception for me, as well."**

Bella's eyes flashed to my face radiating with terror. As if her eyes didn't say it all, her thoughts came hurling themselves through the visual. _'Is he kidding me? Sure, he's acting all polite but I don't think I really have a choice here do I? I don't want to let him touch me'_

Mother thought, _['I should give Bella something else to focus on so that she isn't so terrified about this encounter with such a vile, repulsive man.'_] Then she said out loud for Bella's benefit. ["But it would be interesting to see how that skin feels. Don't you think?"]

I nodded in encouragement. _'I don't want him touching her I know he's not planning to hurt her right now. But the look in her eyes is tearing me to pieces. I hate seeing her so scared.' _

Bella's thoughts came in response to my nod. _'Well, Edward seems to be encouraging me, but is it because he's sure that Aro won't hurt me or because there isn't really any choice as I guessed? I don't know. I just can't tell. Well, I can't be a coward. I just need to put my arm up and try not to embarrass Edward and Alice.'_

Michael communicated silently to his team. _['Bella will be fine at least in regards to being able keep her mind shielded from the monsters in this room. However when it comes time for Alice to approach Aro, we'll need to carefully filter what he 'receives'._]

Bella slowly turned back towards Aro and with my arm still wrapped around her she rather shakily raised her arm into the air. Aro confidently strode up to Bella with his whole arm extended before him, palm out and there was a mental gasp of shock from Bella at the touch. I remembered that the moment their hands touched, from Aro's thoughts, I knew her mind would not grant him access.

From the visual, Justin and Catherine stepped close to her side in the event that Aro changed his mind suddenly and tried to attack Bella out of frustration at what he was about to discover. Justin also allowed a tiny stream of his energy to cascade across Bella's delicate fingers to prevent the 'dark beings' that crawled up Aro's arm from transferring to her. Mother went with her too and kicked one of the beasts who decided to jump from Aro onto Bella mid air.

'_His hand is cold; so much colder than I expected. And while his hand looks so insubstantial, it's still hard but also somewhat brittle. Not like Edward's or Alice's--more like shale instead of granite. And his filmy white and red eyes that bore into me smiling in an uncomfortable mesmerizing way. It's impossible to turn away from him. It's really giving me the creeps. I wonder if he's as flakey as shale. If I live through this, and if I ever see Carlisle again, I might need to remember to ask him exactly why he's friends with this guy.' _ Her voice while curious still had an edge of anxiety to it.

["That's the spirit Bella!"] Mother said with gentle enthusiasm as she patted Bella's shoulder.

'_Ohhh, thank goodness.' _I mentally sighed in relief. '_Al least I know that I am not the only one prohibited from reading her mind. And it doesn't look as though Aro likes it any better than I do.'_

From the visual, I watched as Aro's confidence slowly faded to doubt,

'_I can get this. Why aren't any thoughts coming?_' Aro thought in consternation_. 'Perhaps more concentration is needed here. But…no, that doesn't seem to be working either. Is there a back door; perhaps through her eyes?' _

I almost laughed. Next Aro's face went from doubt to incredulity_. 'This is unbelievable. It isn't possible. I have never been thwarted before. This cannot be. How does this work? She is a remarkable anomaly. Her thoughts are there locked behind a proverbial fortress of steel.'_

Then Aro's face became a mask of friendliness and his thoughts became guarded again. **"So very interesting," **He said as he released Bella's hand and glided back.

Bella's face flashed to mine. _'Well, Edward looks like everything is okay. No, he actually looks a little smug._

["Interesting is an understatement."] The fourth demon said gruffly.

["Is this something that we could exploit somehow?"] Demon number two asked.

["I don't know."] The seventh demon growled slowly. ["A girl with both a silent mind and an accomplished Guardian Angel? If we did change her or try to use her, it would come to the attention of the 'Powers of Light'.]

["Exactly, we could alert them to our newest weapon. Someone they can't hear either."] Demon number 3 replied. Chandra and Dagda smiled at each other at their assumption the 'Forces of Light' didn't know about Bell or her shield yet or that they couldn't hear Bella's thoughts.

Michael's expression became grim as he explained to his team mentally, _['there are two things that are not pleasant that Bella needs to see to understand. Both of these things will help develop her desire to further protect those she cares for and thus increase her shield. They are also necessary to keep from alerting the 'Powers of Darkness' that things aren't right. The first of those two things happens now.'_]

Aro continued to drift with a thoughtful expression on his face. He was quiet for a moment as he replayed my memories of Bella and her silent mind and how hard I had tried already to hear her thoughts. I had thought I had heard all of his plans, but today I was shown, that the ever-devious Aro had been simultaneously having some carefully hidden thoughts as well; thoughts that I heard for the first time today. _'Her silent mind is something that will definitely require further study. Study at my own leisure. But first, I'll see if I can get her to release them through pain. Maybe this will also convince Edward and Alice to stay.' _ His eyes flickered between the three of us. Then he abruptly shook his head. **"A first. I wonder if she is immune to our other talents. Jane, dear?"**

"**No!"** I snarled furiously. At the same time a vision started to form inside Alice's mind but I was too furious to pay attention to it. _'…absolutely no way.'_ I snarled mentally.

_['Give Alice the vision and in no way can we stop Jane's attack on Edward.]_' Michael warned mentally. Gillian sent the message to Alice as Mother cried out quietly.

In the visual Alice grabbed my arm, but I shook her off. Alice's vision took shape with Jane concentrating on Bella and her looking confused but nothing else. Of course, I wasn't concentrating on Alice just then and missed that vision.

"**Yes, master?" **Jane smiled at Aro. _'Oh please, let me play with the timid human. It would be my pleasure. After all, she did just openly defy you.'_

"**Jane, I was wondering, my dear one, if Bella is immune to you."** _'Actually, I'm more than wondering--I'm flabbergasted.'_

["Yes, we were rather wondering that ourselves."] The fifth demon said with a ferocious growl.

["I think I'm going to enjoy this regardless of which way it plays out."] The seventh demon said in a rasp of anticipation. ["Either she'll be in great pain, or we just found us a weapon to exploit."]

It was rather evident by my expression in the visual I was enraged. My ferocious growls echoed around the room. _'I need to protect Bella. Jane would gravely hurt her for enjoyment. It would be entertainment for her. Not if I obliterate her first. She cannot be allowed near Bella. Ever!'_

Jane turned to look at Bella with a devilishly expression. _'Finally some payback! I'm going to get some deep satisfaction out of this.'_

'_No!'_ I screamed in my head. I sprang forward toward Jane, to ambush her attack on my Bella.

"**Don't!"** Alice cried. _'What is he thinking? He's changing my vision.'_ And the vision I had previously ignored did shift seconds before the reality of it occurred. Midway through the air I was jolted, and fell instantly to the stone floor as the feel of thousands of electric shocks ran through my body making me shake vigorously.

'_This pain is excruciating.' The pain of my thoughts came through in my mental voice. 'How is she making my whole body jerk uncontrollably? My entire body is paralyzed with pain.__I want to scream – but I can't.__I can't let Bella see in how much pain I'm in, it would horrify her.' And then thoughts that seemed to detach themselves from the pain added, 'But this searing pain that dominates me now is not, however the worse pain I have ever experienced. I need to let every jolt that pinches at my heart reminded me that there is a more wounding pain. I've suffered pain much worse than this; Jane's torture is second to what I now know to be unbearable agony. It is relative. Jane's gift is nothing compared to losing my Bella, leaving her, trying to survive without her, believing she was dead. Now I know that any other pain I experience will never be as horrendous as that. I'll let the shocks take over my body. After all, I deserve this punishment. I accept that this is part of my chastisement for coveting Bella and thus making her life disturbingly dangerous. This pain is nothing. There is no punishment available bad enough to inflict upon me to cover what I truly deserve, for being the monster I despise to be. None at all--not Jane's pain-inflicting power--not the Volturi--not even death itself.'_

The 'creatures of darkness all reacted eagerly to my torture at Jane's hand with howls of delight; they fed off pain like I was now being subjected to. Their gleefulness was stifled somewhat when the tortured screams they anticipated never came. They were affronted at my silence to the agony I endured.

['What is it doing?'], Whispered the Acolyte. It was the first time she had spoken and her whisper echoing across the chamber brought chills to my spine from where I sat on my comfortable couch in Chandra's home room. Bella, sitting on my lap did shudder at the sound.

The 'dark beings' that had been approaching to swarm on me there on the floor was held back by my composure. No help came to me from any of the supernaturals in the room. But there was something I held within myself that had repelled those 'dark beings'. Was it because I was walking on the 'Path of Light' and they could take no delight in the reasons for my silence?

The soulless ones were congregating close to my side watching my struggles in confusion.

["He holds his composure for the sake of his human mate."] The second demon said flatly as though the thought were repulsive.

["Well, this is going to get old very fast. Let's move onto some other kind of action then."] The fifth demon responded in disappointment.

Bella's thoughts caught up to mine as she watched me writhe on the stone floor in front of her. _'Edward! No! That Jane girl is torturing Edward! I don't know how or what he ever did to her, but I feel like my head will explode from watching this. Please don't tell me this is what Alice meant by 'formidable gifts', and why Edward put himself in her path before she could…'_ Alice had a vision of Bella's jump seconds away from the reality of it. This time, she was in a better position to do something about it.

"**Stop!"** Bella yelled, and her scream was instantly echoed throughout the chamber as she jumped to put herself between Jane and I. Alice caught her instantly and kept her locked in her stone arms; away from harm's way. _'Let me go Alice. He is in trouble. I need to find a way to make it stop. I don't care if Jane does that to me. She can't keep hurting Edward like that.'_ She thought in horror as she struggled in vain to escape Alice's embrace. Mother was still trembling in response to my suffering. The 'dark beings' seemed to get some pleasure from her and Bella's reaction. Their chitterings rose again to a fevered pitch. About a dozen of them renewed their advance on me.

['Okay, we can allow Elizabeth and Justin a tiny intervention now.'] Michael thought. ['It will go unnoticed on Justin's part and Elizabeth, you're getting strong enough that you can handle them and help Edward in this way; if the 'dark beings' swarm Edward now, He'll lose his focus and start screaming. That could start a dominoes effect and end badly.']

Mother squared her shoulders and nodded. Then she turned to face the approaching 'dark beings'. She fixed them with an icy stare. The chittering, gravely laughter and whispers increased with their advance. Justin allowed four inside and then sent another 'energy wave' out to stop the rest from pursuing. Mother did a similar move to what she'd done before. It actually looked as though she was stronger this time than last. She bodily picked two up simultaneously. One in each hand and threw them at a third on the floor that sent them crashing back through the 'energy stream' and landing on a heap on the other side. The fourth one eyed her wearily. She stared back at him with grim intent. Finally the last of the four 'dark beings' ran back through the 'energy stream' screaming in his chittering voice and cowered in the far corner.

["If the human is immune to Jane's torture gift, then we may need to figure out what to do about the Guardian Angel."] The second demon said.

["She isn't like any Guardian Angel I've ever seen, that's for sure."] The third demon croaked in response.

["She might be a tough one, but she is of no consequence. We would make sure the human is either changed or dead. Either fate will remove the bothersome woman from her position as protector."] The seventh demon said and the raucous howling continued.

'_Bella…that's Bella's sweet voice ringing in my ears; I want her sight averted from seeing Jane's power in action. Please look the other way, Bella.'_ I thought in dismay.

'_Edward, Aro will stop Jane's attack in 7 seconds.''_ Alice thought worriedly. _'I'm sorry Edward, I thought you were watching my visions. Bella is trying to get to you but don't worry, I've got a hold of her.'_

"**Jane."** Aro ordered her to stop and suddenly I was motionless and numb. _'So Marcus was dead on—Edward will put himself at risk to protect his Bella. But it still doesn't answer my burning question.'_

"**He's fine."** I heard Alice tell Bella. _'Bella, you know better than this. There isn't anything you would be able to do to help Edward now anyway. Just be patient, one more second and he will be free of the pain.'_

The shocking pain vanished and I sat up.

'_That serves you right for trying to attack me, Edward.'_ Jane thought. '_Next?' _She continued for me in a mental conversation as she brought her 'gift' to bear on Bella with her full concentration.

["Finally, let's see what kind of magic our little Jane can accomplish here!"] The seventh demon intoned in what must have been a low throated coo as he rubbed his gnarly hands together.

I sprang to my feet and stared at Bella horror-struck as Jane forced her power onto her. '_Oh, my poor, poor angel. How can I bear to know that you are suffering so much? I will stop her Bella! I will make it stop. I will find a way to relieve…'_

I braced myself to pounce at Jane again.

Bella's thoughts that had been simultaneous with my own played afterwards. _'Oh Edward! What did she do to you? I am so sorry. How can you stand the pain? Your face says it all. Is she still torturing you?'_

["I don't understand."] The first demon said confused but angry. ["Is she in pain or not?"]

["No, she is not. She suffers because of the pain inflicted on her mate."] The seventh demon rasped. ["She might not work out for us after all. She has too much humanity in her. It would take quite a bit to break her spirit. It is too strong."]

I was distracted by Bella unchanging form. '_Bella isn't falling. She's not crumbling in pain…'_

In the visual I promptly switched my gaze to Jane, who was extremely confused. She had attacked. She'd attempted to inflict her pain repeatedly. I breathed a sigh of overwhelming relief. Bella's mind was shielded from Jane's formidable power. Then I finally 'listened' to Alice's thoughts as she ran through her vision of Jane's ineffectiveness against Bella again for me.

["Still fun to watch Jane get this 'hot and bothered' though. The frail human won't last long with Jane stalking her."] The fourth demon said in an almost amused chuckle.

'_How is that possible? How can it not work?'_ Jane growled in her mind as she internally shook with fury_. 'I will not be mocked by a mere human in front of my masters and my insubordinates either. How dare she!'_ Jane barred her teeth at us; still trying to get her gift to do something to Bella.

I listened to Jane's rant with relief. '_I'm extremely thankful in this very moment that Bella's abnormal mind has blocked her from intrusions from the likes of such as Aro and Jane. She has such a remote special mind…an inaccessible intriguing mind. But I'm afraid she has made herself a powerful enemy of Jane. I still need to find a way to get her out of here. I still need to find a way to protect her. I can't stand to not have her in my arms for another second.' _In one swift movement I was by Alice's side pulling Bella back safely in my iron embrace. "**Thank you Alice."** I said so softly that Bella could not hear.

'_No thanks are necessary.'_ Alice thought back. _'I'm still looking. Make sure you keep part of your mind open for my visions.' _I raised my eyes up and then down without moving my head at all.

Aro started to chuckle, obviously amused by the whole situation, whereas Jane was infuriated and hissed in frustration as she glared at Bella_. 'Well, well, well, what do we have here? Jane is a little incensed by Bella's apparent immunity. That means she would probably repel Alec's as well. I wonder what will become of this silence.' _His thoughts ceased as he smiled fondly at Jane. "**Don't be put out, dear one. She confounds us all." **Aro said, comforting her. **"Ha, ha, ha."** Aro chuckle gleefully. **"You're very brave, Edward, to endure in silence. I asked Jane to do that to me once - just out of curiosity"** He continued.

I shot him a look of disgust_. 'I am not brave. My courage shown was of circumstance--for protection. I have to appear strong for reassurance – for Bella. I don't want her to be as afraid, as I am.'_ Then my thoughts shifted to Aro's motives_. 'What of you Aro? You who has feigned friendship with me; you who has seen inside of my every thought and desire for Bella's safety. You just admitted to deliberately attempting to cause Bella—my reason for existing--excruciating pain. That is not the act of a friend. Aro has knowingly just put Bella in danger. Hasn't he heard anything about our relationship? Anything about how much I care for her? Or did he hear and understand everything and is now prepared to use it against me?'_

_ 'This is interesting_,' Demetri thought in fascination_. 'It is like there is a strange kind of shield that Bella employs. __Hmm, I wonder why Aro and Jane's gifts aren't working._ _Let me see if I can track her with my mental link. (pause) No, there's nothing for me to track. This is highly unusual. Of course, I'm not worried about this new development. I can still track Edward or any other Cullen for that matter. Still whenever I try to track her, I come up with nothing at all.' _

My thoughts were a little bit hopeful now. _'If Demetri can't track Bella, then, if we can somehow, make it out of here alive, he won't be able to find her.'  
_

["I'm getting a bad feeling about this whole thing.] The seventh demon roared louder than before. ["This can't be right! A human who blocks all mental attacks and has protected thoughts; a human who can't be tracked by Demetri and has a Guardian Angel that is stronger than 'dark beings--something is amiss."] He narrowed his withered eyes to mere reptilian slits.

** "So what do we do with you now?"** Aro asked aloud to himself. _'Bella is alive and human. She knows our secret. Edward and Alice have both had a hand in her education. Not good. Caius will demand blood. I want Alice and Edward by my side…' _A brief glimpse on the visual showed Alice and I standing to either side of Aro in the dark grey charcoal capes with ruby red eyes.

'_He sees us replacing Jane and Alec in his 'chain of command'._ I thought in outrage before the vision disappeared and I could tell that Aro was carefully schooling his thoughts again. _'What does he plan to do with us now? I can't hear his thoughts now.' _My body froze at the same time as Alice stilled beside me. I felt Bella begin to tremble; as if she knew exactly what Aro was thinking about.

Alice was furiously trying to see the outcome and nothing was clear. There were too many variables to get a clear view. '_I'm trying Edward--but it's no use! They haven't reached an agreement yet.'_

My thoughts picked up as I heard my sister's anxiety. _'The time has finally come for them to reach a verdict—to decide our fate. The tension surrounding me is so thick it is almost palatable.'_

["Get rid of her!"] The seventh demon said suddenly afraid. He looked around apprehensively.

Several things happened at once. At the seventh demon's words, all the 'Creatures of Darkness' started moving purposefully towards the Volturi leaders and members of the guards. Their intent was to incite them to action.

'_Kill them!' _ Caius and Felix thought simultaneously.

_['Code Red!'_] Michael thought loudly. At his pronouncement all eight of the team members and our four 'perfected beings' became transparent and except for small outlines, were not visible at all.

Dread settled over me. '_I have a very bad feeling that this situation will end badly.'_ From the visual, Bella, still in my arms began to quaver. '_Poor Bella, she's shaking with fear. If I weren't able to maintain my stance then I would be trembling as well. I can do nothing to sooth the anxiety the three of us are feeling.'_

'And now to see which way the wind is blowing…' Aro thought with excitement before speaking to me aloud. **"I don't suppose there's any chance that you have changed your mind? Your talent would be an excellent addition to our little company."** Aro asked optimistically before continuing a silent dialogue in his head for only me to hear. '_It goes without saying, Edward, if you accept, your life will be preserved.' _

Jane and Felix grimaced and their thoughts allowed me to observe their abhorrence to Aro's request.

Jane's thoughts were practically a hiss. _'What? I don't want him around as a reminder of my one failure. Besides which, he is insolent and doesn't scream with my torturing gift. He'd be too difficult to keep in line. And I definitely don't want another know-it-all mind reader around. One is plenty. How could I possibly hide my thoughts constantly?'_ It may have been my imagination, but it looked as though her agitation was being fed from the demon at her side.

Felix's thoughts were full of revulsion. _'I don't like him. He's not afraid of me for some reason. He's quick to challenge and he breaks the rules. Besides which, Aro seems to favor all of them for some reason. It could mean an upset of power. Power I've been patiently waiting to receive. He's a mind reader as well. I wouldn't want to have him reading my mind whenever he felt like it. It's one thing for my master to do so. Wait…he's probably doing it right now. That's it. This cannot happen--at all costs!'_

["Careful now, Edward!"] Mother said to me with burning intensity. ["Your life has just been handed back to you. Use it wisely."]

In reaction to her words the soulless ones cast their dead stares in her direction. ["How dares she?"] they whispered in poor English.

My thoughts were displayed next. _'What am I to do? Aro has issued me with an ultimatum. I would rather perish than join their forces; however I have a more imperative purpose to uphold – the guarantee of Bella's safety and survival. Maybe I can use this as a bargaining device to ensure Bella keeps her liberty. If I've learned anything from the previous six months, it is that I will never allow Bella to be subject to death due to my own actions. I've already experienced losing her—and I know that my leaving played a significant contribution to making her jump off that cliff. Now, finally we've been reunited,__I have somehow been undeservingly given a second chance to be there for her – to protect her. I must attempt with any desperate endeavors and cunning manipulations necessary to maintain her living status, and hopefully keep her in my presence.' My thoughts became full of distain. 'If I have no other choice than to join the Volturi in order to keep Bella alive, then I will join without hesitation. However, this is not the correct moment to introduce negotiations. I must keep a poker face. I must carefully state my words clearly to Aro._' "I'd…rather…not." I said enunciating my words distinctly, but not confirming a definite refusal.

Jane's thinking were incredulous, _'I'd rather you not as well Edward…still, the audacity to turn our master down like that. You fall for a human, come to get yourself killed, try to attack me, and now you insult Aro. You must be mad.'_

["Is the angel protector the only other supernatural in the room?"], the leader demon growled as if trying to sense something that eluded him. At his words the 'Agents of Light' and 'perfected beings' completely went clear and were no longer discernable.

Alice was still searching for any decisions and their outcome if we were to all refuse. It was clear from the scenarios she ran that the sticking point every time ended with the problem of Bella's human status.

'_Not the response I was looking for. I might as well see if their fear has opened up any weak points.'_ Aro turned towards my sister. "**Alice? Would you perhaps be interested in joining with us?**"

"**No, thank you."** She replied politely. '_I would rather not go shopping for a month than join these people'._ She informed me in her head. I respected my sister for trying to lighten my mood, but I was preoccupied with Aro's next proposed action.

'_Well, then what would they think if I were to take their little 'pet' under my tutelage?'_ Aro mused.

'_What?'_ I thought in a sudden fury. _'What the hell is he doing? He can't--absolutely not.'_

"**And you, Bella?"** Aro added and an image popped into his head and likewise on the screen as well. It was a vision unlike one I had seen before. It was an image of Bella as a vampire, with brilliant ruby red eyes and a face cold and stripped of its humanity, in a dark black cape and close by Aro's side. As I saw his plan I let out a low hiss.

["I don't sense any others presence here."] The third demon said as though reporting to a field commander. The others present from the 'Forces of Darkness' all became more alert as if to seek an unknown foe. However no attack came.

I remembered at that moment, becoming filled with anxiety. Of course, my mental tone bore that out. _'Bella had previously desired to become a vampire – did she still want that? Will she accept Aro's offer? After everything I have done to ensure her a human life?'_

'_Is he joking? Or is he really asking me if I want to stay for dinner?'_ Bella thought in shock as her face paled.

'_What madness is Aro playing at now? You don't offer rule breakers a second chance. And you certainly don't offer them immortality!' _It was Caius whose thoughts cut through Bella's. **"What?"** he demanded in a voice that was a flat whisper. The fourth demon was still by his side feeding him more arguments to help carry out his leaders command to 'get rid' of my Bella.

"**Caius, surely you see the potential. I haven't seen a prospective talent so promising since we found Jane and Alec. Can you imagine the possibilities when she is one of us?"** Aro explained.

Caius ignored him and turned away with an abrasive expression upon his face, whilst muttering profanities in his mind.

Jane's thoughts were full of indignation_. 'I can't have this human become my rival. She cannot be compared to my talents…my gifts. I won't give up Aro's attention that belongs to me. Not for anyone--and especially not for Bella.' _The demon to her left smiled smugly at how easily it was to manipulate Jane's ideas. She was putty in its grotesque hands.

Quiet as a whisper Michael commanded his team. _['We need to give Alice some more visions for Aro and to keep Edward focused. Elizabeth, it's time to start your diversion. But let it build gradual; nothing to dramatic yet."_]

Mother began to subtly change her demeanor to that of a fearful guardian angel and Mother. ["Be careful Edward. You don't want to get angry and get the three of you killed."] She said in a carefully controlled alarm. She looked around the cavernous room and for the first time there was fear in her eyes. The demons who had been on alert before, changed their focus and started to respond to her new 'awareness' of her situation. It was a flawless performance. In the hands of a less skilled actress it would have been hard to change from confident 'dark being' squelcher to fearful, powerless protector. But she had the demons buying into it hook, line and sinker.

I was filled with fury, trying not to allow the growl building in my chest to escape my lips. A vision of my temper getting us killed again flashed into Alice's mind. I had to assume that Gillian had given it to her as I could not see her at all.

'_Edward,'_ Alice mentally warned me. _'If you can't think clearly now, our chances of surviving this go way down. Keep your head in the game.'_

'_No Edward,'_ this time it was Bella's mental voice. _'I can hear your growl building. I can't let your temper get you into trouble again. I can't have you get hurt.'_ Bella's voice trembled as she whispered, **"No, thank you."**

'_Thank you Bella.'_ I was pleased in a way for her rejection of Aro's plan. _'I like how she stood up to him despite her fears. She wouldn't be bullied easily. She always shows grit and integrity even in dire circumstances.' _

'_Well, it was a shot. Marcus was correct. Their bonds are unbreakable. And Carlisle has them all so brain washed. It's really such a pity.__**' **_**"That's unfortunate. Such a waste" **Aro sighed in disappointment.

["No! Bella. They'll kill you."] Mother said with growing trepidation in her pitch. Her eyes grew wide as she scanned the room again.

['We need to stall Heidi and her 'company' for a few minutes longer; if they came in here to soon.'] Michael's thoughts added in a whispered hush. I had to assume someone was on that because they were still all transparent.

["Be careful Edward!"] Mother said in her growing apprehension. ["Anything you say can be twisted and you have to appear unconcerned or you're all dead."]

'_It isn't my intent to anger the Volturi, but I have to ask, with hopes of finding out Aro's intentional outcome from inside his head.'_ I thought in consternation. **"Join or die, is that it? I suspected as much when we were brought into this room--so much for your laws."** I demanded exasperatedly.

_['We need to give Alice a vision of the people coming so she'll know it is very soon approaching and they need to try and speed things along. If the vampires' dinner arrives, it will be almost impossible to get Bella out of there without making our presence known. And Elizabeth—you're doing great. Keep it up.'_] Michael thought again extra quietly.

"**Of course not. We were already convened here Edward, awaiting Heidi's return. Not for you."** He replied.

As if on cue, a vision from Alice's head popped into view of a large group of humans being herded into this very room for meal time. The vision was clear. It was coming quickly. The demons picked the vision out of her head as well and grinned in anticipation of the coming feast of terror and death, and the opportunity it presented for Bella's termination.

Aro kept his thoughts blocked from me. As a result my thoughts were frustrated. _'I can't see his plan of action, but surely the outcome can't be good. Especially if Bella is anywhere near when the bloodlust hits in this room full of blood-thirsty vampires.' _

"**Aro, the law claims them." **Caius jeered. _The girl is human. At the very least the law claims her. If she isn't one of us then she is as good as dead.'_

["As good as dead! Kill her now!"] Demon five said in a raucous fit of laughter. It was both bone chilling and eerie. At the sound of his bellow, several dark beings began to move to the gathered Volturi in the room and climb over each other in an effort to 'feed' off their negative energy.

["Be careful—don't upset them now."] Mother's voice rose and fell as though she were becoming incapacitated with fear.

"**How so?"** I interjected, _'I need to have Caius voice his opinions aloud. Then they can be addressed and I can bring home their hypocrisy. Perhaps that is the only way left to get my angel out of this predicament.'_

'_What is Edward doing?'_ Bella thought wearily. _'There's something very deliberate that he's doing here. He is choosing his words very carefully. But what is his plan?'_

_['Okay, two more thought seeds now and then bring it in tight to Bella.'_] Michael thought in whispered urgency again.

Caius pointed at Bella whilst his words were directed at me. **"She knows too much. You have exposed our secrets." **_'And I don't care what Marcus says about the strength of their bonds. Human loyalty only lasts for so long, and what then?'_

The seventh demon came forward for the first time and walked rather slowly yet purposefully towards Mother and Bella. Of course, that would also mean towards Alice and me, but his focus was only on the two of them. At his approach, I could just make out, two tiny 'thought seeds' being quickly dropped into Aro's head. The first one was that 'Aro could let Bella leave with me and Alice with a promise that she would be changed soon—he could believe a promise made by a Cullen. Their word was their bond.' The second 'thought seed' was that Bella should not be killed because he would love to see what Bella's gift would be and how it would develop as a vampire. It would be the most intriguing thing he'd seen in over an entire millennia.' Then there was the faintest movement of air as the two team members, Sarah and Ben presumably raced to meet with the others close to our sides.

"**There are few humans in your charade here, as well."** I argued.

'_That's true. Just outside in the lobby is that pretty receptionist.'_ Bella thought dully.

Caius smirked and retorted**, "Yes, but when they are no longer useful to us, they will serve to sustain us. That is not your plan for this one. If she betrays our secrets, are you prepared to destroy her? I think not."** His tone was one of ridicule. _'In fact I'm sure you won't. And you can't even see her mind so you have no way of ensuring her silence.' _

["That's right—only one way to ensure her silence—off with her head!"] Demon number six said with maniacal glee.

"**I wouldn't…"** Bella started to speak in a whisper, but was quickly silenced by Caius with a look, as he carried on with his speech.

["No, she most certainly won't tell anyone. She is completely trustworthy. Give her a chance to prove it. Please!"] Mother begged to the 'creatures of darkness' that mocked her attempts now.

["That is the problem though."] The seventh demon said from now only five feet away. It was the first time he—or any of the evil supernaturals in the room—had addressed Mother directly. ["She is too trustworthy-- too good and brave. She is too loyal. It makes her to hard to subvert to our cause. If she's not with us—then she's against us."] He added in a growl.

_['Start to give Alice another vision showing the growing division between Aro and Caius opinions.'_] Michael thought so quietly I could barely hear it from Chandra's home room with my vampire ears.

"**Nor do you intent to make her one of us; therefore, she is a vulnerability. Though it's true, for this, only her life is forfeit. You may leave if you wish."** Then Caius added mentally for my benefit, '_But I doubt you will give her up that easily.'_

Another vision started to take shape inside Alice's head. It wasn't clear yet and her voice of caution came to me, _'Careful Edward—think!'_

It was a good thing she had as I had, in reaction to Caius' words, bared my teeth and my mouth was drowning in my own venom. _'Caius isn't of a dense nature, he knows that I won't surrender Bella to them so they can destroy her, while I walked away liberated with my sister.'_ I fought to regain control of myself and swallowed back the pooling venom in my mouth.

The vision was firming up and it was of Aro countermanding his brother's judgment. It still wasn't clear how he planned to do so. It was as if he were still planning it out in his head and not fully decided yet.

"**That's what I thought."**Caius added in malevolent pleasure. '_Let's get this dealt with now, before Heidi arrives.'_

It seemed as if Felix had also heard Caius thoughts, as he leaned forward towards Bella fervently. Felix was really very thirsty. His thoughts were just a gleeful anticipation. I shuddered internally.

"**Unless…"** Aro interrupted. He looked clearly displeased with the direction the conversation was going.

'_I can see into his mind now, he's actually showing me himself – granting me access.'_ I thought as I listened to what he mentally said to me.

Aro then addressed me directly through his thoughts. _'I have no desire to destroy Bella as Caius, my brother does. I want to remain in good faith of your family. In the hopes that someday all of you might agree to come and join us here in Volterra. I think you would love it here. All the same, we must to obey the rules that we ourselves have created. We must not place ourselves above the laws of our kind. We must all live by their precepts.'_ Then Aro continued aloud from his previous statement**, "Unless you do intend to give her immortality?"**

["Where did that come from?"] The seventh demon growled in outrage. ["Aro wasn't thinking that at all. It has been growing in him. He would countermand his brother's wishes for a human girl! That is preposterous! Unthinkable. Something is amiss here. Check his mind now! Has someone tampered with his thinking? Maybe this human girl can throw her thoughts into other's minds."]

_['Good thing he's not checking Alice's mind.'_] Michael thought to his team. _['Send her another vision. Edward has to understand that this is the only way for their escape. If he can't make up his mind quick enough, send her another one with her being the one promising.']_ He added in silent thought.

I pursed my lips as I thought about it for a split second. _'Am I willing to take away Bella's life later, for the purpose of saving it at this present moment? Can I promise to do that? – Something I've spent all this time refusing to give Bella. Aro will surely want corroboration via my thoughts, so it isn't possible to be untruthful.' _

Alice's vision firmed up then giving both her and I insight. Showing that if we agreed to this condition that we would be free to leave**. "And if I do?"** I asked curiously.

'_I knew we could discuss this rationally like cultured reasonable beings.'_ Aro thought happily as his smile brightened. **"Why, then you would be free to go home and give my regards to my friend Carlisle."** His tone became more hesitant**. "But I am afraid you would have to mean it."** Just as I had suspected, Aro held out his hand towards me requesting my thoughts and my promise.

It was clear that the 'thought seeds' were growing correctly this time. It was also obvious that they left an undetectable trace when the second and third demon attempted to probe Aro's mind for tampering. They just shook their heads at the seventh demon whose expression became perturbed.

Caius smirked. _Now is the time we will discover his true intentions._

From the visual, I looked at Bella, she stared back at me_. 'I can still look so deeply into her eyes – all the way into her soul. It is so pure it takes my breath away. Can I really annihilate this? Can I destroy the very essence of Bella? I know in my frozen heart – I can't. I can't destroy my Bella.'_

["Of course you can Edward!"] Mother said in a cry aghast with horror. ["You must! You must make her your own or everything is lost. Do you hear me? Do you want to die then? DO you want Bella to die? What about your loyal sister? You can do this and not destroy Bella. Please! Oh, Please, Edward. Listen to me!"] Mother's pleas became a tortured monologue.

And the academy award for best actress goes to my Mother. I thought dryly as I watched from the sofa in Chandra's home room. Not a hint of a show. She was one hundred percent believable as a terrified guardian angel about to have her charge killed by thirsty vampires. I was startled to realize that…all things withstanding, that had still been true.

"**Mean it, please."** Bella whispered to me. _'Is the idea so loathsome to you, Edward? So much so that you'd rather die than change me? It feels as though you've just kicked me in the stomach. Of course you don't want me around. You don't want me at all. I already knew that right? Maybe I should let both you and Alice have your escape somehow.'_

Alice's vision started to shift again as I thought through my decision with a look of desperation on my face_. 'Bella, I can see the sacrifice you would make; allowing yourself to become as I am. I can see it in the strained tortured plea in your eyes. I know how you are always sacrificing yourself for those around you. I long to grant you any request you make--but not this. I can't lie in my thoughts. There must be another way. What is the other way?'_

_['Send in Alice now and go with her. Give Aro just enough to make him think he's seen everything she has. Keep him away from understanding how conditional Alice's visions are and how they are tied to people's choices. Be extra careful. Elizabeth, go ahead and step it up a notch to cover for us.'_]

Before I could think of an alternative, my sister stepped forward towards the Volturi leader with her hand outstretched. '_Don't be angry, Edward._' She commented and a vision of her thoughts and promise to comply with the Volturi demands flashed from her and into my mind, and with it, our ensured departure.

As she went the very transparent form of Gillian mirrored her movements. The lead demon followed them with interest that quickly turned to suspicion though he was still unaware of Gillian right under his nose-literally. Mother didn't waste a second.

["Now what will happen? What did Alice see? Is there any hope?"] She was wringing her hands together and then she hugged Bella fiercely and looking towards the head demon, said through tears, ["You can't have her. She's mine. Do you hear me?"]

That made the demon stop where he was about to scrutinize Alice's mental transfer. His attention had been diverted. He turned and growled a ferocious rasp that shook the entire room. In two strides he was in Mother's face. She played her part so well. She cowered while he ranted at her. I was a little surprised that he didn't sense the presence of the 'Agents of Light' as they were all around him now.

["Yours! You are about to be deprived of having your little human charge. Yours is such a fleeting ownership. I can have her if I want her and there isn't anything you can do about it. DO you hear me now? You have no power here. No say whatsoever. She will die here and you will go the way of all angels who lose their charge. Yours indeed!"] The demon snarled back at her in disgust. He started to walk away, but suddenly whirled and screamed at her again as she leaned back from his evil alienness. ["…And what makes you so sure that we'd want her anyway! She is too pure. She is nothing to us but a meal for our charges! And what's with your attachment to a vampire? You have no right. How dare you; trying to subvert one of our own creations? You are so out of line that it will be my pleasure to bring your human down and with her you!"]

While all the 'creatures of darkness were focused on Mother and the head demon; no one watched as Alice, never said a word but moved purposefully towards Aro, who eagerly waved off his anxious guards as they moved to intersect her. He met her with an acquisitive glint in his eyes and their palms met. None of them noticed what was barely visible to me even through the visual. Gillian came between Alice and Aro and almost seemed to melt into Alice. Her hand came between the two vampires and seemed to go through Alice's hand. It was then that I realized that Gillian's ethereal hand was acting as a filter. She was directing the transfer, only letting pass the thoughts that they wanted through.

I'd ignored the scowls around me, and watched as Alice showed Aro what he thought was every corner of her mind –He also seen her visions of her and Bella's friendship with their arms around each other one with Bella human and one with her not. . Alice showed him a vision she had received before I left with my family from Forks, of my marriage to Bella. Bella was human in that one. I remembered being suddenly surprised at how clear that vision still was. But the next one showed Bella as an immortal. Aro was also shown all of the little mini visions Alice had received since finding out about my suicidal escapade. She also allowed Aro to see a conversation Alice had with Bella on the plane trip to Italy along with her decision to change Bella herself and the specific vision she'd had as a result of Bella becoming an immortal in the near future.

As Aro searched, he saw Alice's first memory as a newly awakened vampire. He saw her confusion at being alone and her first vision of Jasper; Her vision of Carlisle and his family; her first animal hunt; the reality of Jasper finding her and their journey to find Carlisle. Gillian allowed enough to pass that Aro truly believed that he was getting every detail there was to get. And as Michael had directed, none of the knowledge of how Alice's gift worked were transferred to Aro. Alice noticed this as well.

'_Why would Alice promise Bella that she would change her, herself?'_ I wanted to growl in annoyance directly at my sister. _'How could Alice promise Bella that?_ (I paused as I processed the flow of thoughts that Alice provided Aro) _I don't even have the time to think about this or question Alice right now. But I most certainly will—later. That is, if we're ever able to leave and I get the chance. And how is it that he isn't able to see her every thought. He's getting bits and pieces of her life. Enough to make him think he's getting the full library. But he isn't. Is Alice doing that somehow?'_

I remembered holding my breath throughout the whole period of time Aro scrutinized Alice's thoughts. Alice was confident that Bella would become a vampire and that confidence was assuring Aro. My teeth snapped together. _'I can't bear to think of my beautiful Bella being one of us, a creature of evil. She is an angel, why should she be subjected to this life. __I hope Aro will be satisfied with Alice this time and not want to examine my mind again. I could never hide these thoughts from him._'

The head demon was still fuming and ranting at Mother and was shocked for a moment when Aro made a delighted sound behind him. He turned towards him but was clearly too annoyed to be at his earlier level of attention.

"**Ha, ha, ha."** Aro laughed while his head was still bent. Then he lifted his eyes to hers and they were suddenly bright and enthusiastic. **"That was fascinating!"** Aro chortled, amazed by being granted access into Alice's inquisitive mind." _'Oh, I definitely want this one now--as long as it takes--whatever it takes. She wants to leave with her brother and friend—no problem. Her assurance just bought Bella a ticket out of here._

"**I'm glad you enjoyed it."** Alice replied dryly_. 'Look Edward, I'm sorry but I had too. Heidi is bringing her group of humans. They are in the building already. We're out of time for negotiating. They will be here in four minutes.'_ In her head she reviewed a vision of a group of people entering the very chamber in which we were now standing.

"**To see the things you've seen – especially the ones that haven't happened yet!"**Aro was practically cooing. Jane repressed a growl.

"**But that will."** Alice reminded him. _'Do you see Edward? He doesn't really understand how my visions work?'_

"**Yes, yes, it's quite determined. Certainly there is no problem."** Aro said and then added to me mentally, _'Tell your Father, Carlisle that I send my greetings and that I would very much appreciate a visit from him soon.'_

Alice returned to Bella's side. Gillian took a roundabout way to reach her position without crossing as Alice did directly in front of the demon.

The demon scowled at her and muttered, ["Good for nothing traitor vampire."]

Internally I relaxed slightly. _'Alice is right of course. I can only sort this out later if we survive Volterra first. Boy am I thankful that she's been keeping a cool head.'_

Caius, Jane and Felix were displeased by this recent revelation, whereas Marcus and Alec remained quiet and impartial. The 'creatures of darkness' were fit to be tied as well. There was a new murmur of outrage to the already high pitch of the chitterings, growls and whispers of the different creatures.

"**Aro,"** Caius protested. '_You can't be serious. They have broken our laws!'_

A single melancholy thought escaped Marcus's passive façade. _'I am happy for Edward. To have his true love restored to him. A love he would give his own life for or die in the hope of a reunion beyond the veil. It certainly is an empty existence without joy or meaning; to be forced to live without the one you were made to love by your side.'_ The demon by Marcus side simply shrugged his shoulders showing how futile his efforts to sway Marcus had been once more.

"**Dear Caius, do not fret. Think of the hope for the future. Imagine the joy young Alice alone would bring to our little household. Besides, I'm so terribly curious to see how Bella turns out!"** _'And I will find out Edward. Don't drag your feet on this one. If your planning on marrying her human like Alice's vision showed, you'd better do that immediately. Caius is fit to be tied here. I don't think I'll be able to hold him back for long.'_

_['Good, more thought seeds are growing right. It's going to be close. Everyone stay focused.'_] Michael's thoughts were still a breath of air.

'_Right,'_ I thought with a sigh. _'Bella would never consider a proposal of marriage from me after I've put her through all of this mess. She'll leave me now. But have I not, just left her with more peril to deal with later? I can't even take the time to consider the idea. __I have to get Bella out of here __now.__ Felix and Jane are becoming thirstier with Bella in the room; they may not wait for their approaching 'meal' before one of them pounce._' Then from the visual I could hear a distant parade of people shuffling approaching our direction. _'No, the feast for these human-blood thirsty vampires is rapidly approaching, and that's our cue to escape while we're able to.'_ I spoke more urgently to Aro now. **"Then we are free to go now?" **

["No! They are most certainly NOT free to go Aro!"] The third demon raged.

["What changed his mind?"] Demon number six asked perplexed. ["Was it simply his curiosity then?"]

["Maybe…"] The seventh demon responded looking sullen.

Then Bella's thoughts cut through the visual. They also cut through my heart as well. They were so sad._ 'Well, Aro seems to be convinced. I guess he doesn't understand how subjective Alice's visions really are. She can make up her mind to transform me today and then change it tomorrow. _(a tiny sigh)_ a million tiny decisions. Hers and so many others' too—Edward's—can alter her path, and with it, the future. And does it really matter whether Alice is willing to change me or not—since apparently the idea is so repulsive to Edward. Maybe it won't matter at all to him if I'm strong and pretty. Maybe he doesn't want me chasing after him like some kind of an immortal annoyance. I can't forget the sick look that shown on his face when Aro practically begged him to change me. It was there in his eyes. He would rather have us all dead than having to put up with the likes of me. Somehow, as scared as I am, I feel like I'm sinking back into my depression now. No, drowning in it actually. But I knew this would happen--so I should be able to pull it together for now at least. Right? I can fake being okay…somehow…'_

["Now you stop that Bella. You know Edward loves you. Deep down inside you somewhere you know this is true."] Mother said in a kind and tender yet firm voice to Bella. She had dropped her façade at Bella's distress and there was the faintest throat clearing heard from Michael that brought her back into her role. With her voice once again full of her own fear and trepidation she added, ["You don't want to go and make things worse than they already are. We're in for it anyway now. Don't give in to hopelessness. It will only make them happier. Don't go quietly into that good night. (Her voice became a quiet whisper of pain) Go with your head held high. Go out fighting and brave, my Bella."]

"**Yes, yes, but please visit again. It's been absolutely enthralling!"** Aro replied.

'_He says that like he's a kid leaving Disneyland after the first of a three day stay.' _Alice commented in her head to me.

"**And we will visit you as well. To be sure that you follow through on your side. Were I you, I would not delay too long. We do not offer second chances."** Caius spoke with authority in his tone. _Consider that a threat, Edward._ He warned me in his head. I gritted my teeth to prevent myself from speaking words I would likely regret, and instead nodded at the threat of their imposed presence in our lives.

["Focus on something else to help you not despair dear."] Mother said sobbing openly now. ['Maybe that cranky old Volturi leader with the bad hair."]

'_Maybe if I focus on something else,'_ Bella thought sadly as if she were grasping at straws_. 'That Caius…maybe he looks more like a lizard with a half-closed, heavy-lidded gaze than an albino.'_

["How is it that she lives still?"] The acolyte whispered in a hiss.

["I'll work on Felix some more."] The third demon said and he immediately set to work playing with Felix and his already very shaky thirst restraint.

Felix groaned aloud, getting progressively more appetent. Bella's scent was tempting him, increasing his thirst. '_That human is driving me mad from thirst. I can hardly bear it anymore.'_

"**Ah Felix. Heidi will be here any moment. Patience."** Aro said amused.

'_I wonder what's so special about Heidi.'_ Bella thought dejectedly.

My thoughts reflected my growing urgency and concern. _'Aro is right – Heidi will soon arrive herding a vast amount of humans into this very room, as though they were animals. Therefore I must get Bella out of here quickly. If she realizes what's about to occur, she will be so distraught.'_ I added aloud, **"Hmm. In that case, perhaps****we'd better leave sooner rather than later." **

"**Yes. That's a good idea. Accidents do happen. Please wait below until after dark, though, if you don't mind."** '_Just to remain inconspicuous_…' Aro added in his head.

I'd mentally winced at the thought of just such an accident occurring that Aro was referring to.

["Perhaps we can destroy her future by making Aro's accident suggestion a reality."] Demon three suggested.

Bella also mentally winced but for a different reason. Her words were full of sarcasm but the tone of her thoughts belied her true distress. _'They're going to make us wait out the day before we can leave this place? What if they change their mind? That Jane girl doesn't like me at all. She's sort of like Lauren but with a nasty bite. And that Felix kind of reminds me of Emmett but in a terminally bad mood. He definitely had too much testosterone in his system when he was changed.'_

["It could work. They're coming down the stairs from their tour of the upper rooms now."] The fifth demon added.

"**Of course."** I agreed to Aro_. 'I'll keep it to myself that I'm not revealing in the fact that we have to remain in Volterra any longer. I want nothing more than to leave this god-awful place immediately, Get Bella as far away from here as possible. However I don't dare dispute Aro's request it would only prolong our presence in this room.'_

"**And here,"** Aro spoke whilst gesturing to Felix to come forward. He de-clothed Felix and handed the cloak to me, as I was still shirtless. **"Take this. You're a little conspicuous."**

Felix was growling internally. _'This is just what I was afraid of; losing my position—it's like a bad omen. Even though giving Edward my cloak is just a token gesture this time. 'I know you're listening Edward. If you think you can come over here and steal my place in the guard; then you have another thing coming. I'll hunt down your little girlfriend--vampire or human and if you're lucky I'll let you kiss her good bye before I tear her to pieces and light the match. So help me Edward--I will. Don't mess with me!'_

["That sounds rather interesting to me."] The second demon remarked in his crackly yet gleeful voice as he rubbed his hands together.

["Maybe that will be better. We can enjoy the hunt more with our charges. Let them think they've won their freedom and then hunt them down and destroy them away from Aro's strange tolerance."] The seventh demon said thinking it though with a vile smile spreading across his demonic face.

I put on the cloak, whilst Aro watched me intently. I shot a dark look at Felix that was so fleeting; only he saw it. _'Gloat if you must Felix; He who fights but slips away lives to fight another day.' _I thought darkly his way though he of course would never know what I had been thinking. Unfortunately, the demons in the room did hear my thoughts.

["He's got some fight in him as well. The idea of a hunt just sounds better and better."] The first demon rasped in agreement.

["Maybe,"] The seventh demon said slowly. ["But I would still rather have her dead now."]

"**It suits you."** Aro sighed. The visual abruptly showed once again the image from Aro's mind of me in this robe but with ruby red eyes instead of my golden ones and Alice there with hers as well.

I chuckled at his comment_. 'I can't believe how fortunate we are. I am so glad the outcome of today's events didn't conclude with disastrous consequences—that would have required that I actually become part of his coven. Unfortunately, I can hear the thoughts and words of many unsuspecting humans not from the other side of the door.__**' **_**"Thank you, Aro. We'll wait below."**

'_Edward! Our four minutes are up! It's too late--the humans are outside the door now with Heidi.'_ Alice thought frantically at me.

_['Big distraction now Elizabeth. This is unfortunately the other thing that Bella needs to see so that she will understand completely what she will be embracing with her transformation if she does not make a determined effort and a conscious choice to be true to herself and maintain her humanity after her own change. Also she must have a normal human reaction or it will completely alert the 'creatures of darkness' that anyone besides you is manipulating events here. We need your reaction to draw their attention away from the fact that we are going to surround our charges completely in an energy of light so strong that none of the Volturi vampires can penetrate it. If anything we do will alert them, this will be it. So, time for your big show Guardian Angel. You're on Elizabeth…in ten…nine…eight'_] Michael thought whispered to those he worked with.

"**Goodbye, young friends."** Aro said with slight disappointment, before his attention was otherwise distracted by the audience behind us. _'So sad to see then leave temporarily; but, more humans are coming now--ones that will be so much more accommodating for us!'_

_['…seven…six..'_] Michael's thoughts continued softly.

"**Let's go."** I said urgently. Everyone looked towards the door and the loud voices behind it.

_['…five…four…']_

The demons were circling now and Demetri wasn't the only vampire getting closer in anticipation. Already three members of the guard were coiled to strike. From the other side of the fast approaching double wooden door, Heidi's voice was now clearly heard throughout the visual.

"And now for the best treat here at Castle Volterra. Our final stop on our tour today--the dining chambers where Saint Marcus ate all of his finest meals!' Heidi said in a strangely seductive voice.

_['…three…two…'_]

"**Not fast enough."** Alice muttered as we made our approach to the only door that held our dwindling hope of escape. From the visual, it was clear my sister and I tried to shield Bella as much as we could by tightly surrounding her. The voices, both spoken and silent were deafening and distinct now, as the parade approached us from behind the wooden door in the antechamber. Babbled voices in the flow, made it almost impossible to distinguish between them. I could insinuate that some were curious whilst others were fearful.  
Demetri was leading us within three feet the sounds of the voices--when the doors finally opened.

[_'…one…NOW'_] Michael said. Again, several things happened at once. First: the 'Agents of Light and the 'perfected beings all formed a tight circle around us and Mother; Second: The mass of humans and their guardian angels entered. None of the humans were aware of the frantic cries of their angels. Had they listened to them before they'd come to Volterra, they would've lived to see another day. Now even as they started to have a growing sense of foreboding; it was too late coming. Third: The 'Creatures of Darkness' started their maniacal musings to a frenzied pace. Fourth: Justin threw out a stream of energy that completely surrounded us, and wrapped its way through us as well. Fifth: Two vampires actually attempted to jump at Bella from the other side--anticipating the coming attack. They were instantly repelled by the 'energy stream' and wandered off momentarily dazed. Sixth: The demons, startled by the vampires change of focus, were suspicious. And lastly, seventh was Mother-Mother who had been slowly building to this moment. Let go with a performance to completely refocus the attention of the real monsters in the room—the real invisible ones, that was.

["We're doomed. How could I have let this happen? I should have told Bella to stay in Forks. Stay safe! Now what will become of her--and of me! AAAHHHHHH!"] She wailed and actually rent her insubstantial skirt. She put her hands to the sides of her head and cried out. ["Oh, I've failed so miserably. And now dear Bella will pay for my foolishness."]

In reaction to her performance, the other guardian angels began their own begging and pleading anew. Their cries were almost drowned out by the demons croaking shouts of glee. They swarmed on the incoming group. As the other guardian angels saw them they screamed even more. Mother saw them redoubled her anguish. The evil supernaturals were completely caught up in the moment and didn't suspect anything amiss.

Bella had been so panicked all day her thoughts were rising in alarm once again as she tried to ponder what Alice's comment meant. Some of her trepidation could have also come from the vibes Mother was sending off._ 'What did she mean, 'not fast enough'? Did something happen? Are we not going to get out? She doesn't look frightened--only ashamed somehow. What happened to Alice? Are those voices? Coming from the other side of the door? They don't sound like vampires.'_

Demetri had us pressed up against the wall to make room for the large group of people that had entered. I glanced down at Bella; her face was horrorstruck as she watched a little woman, with a rosary around her neck, speaking Urdu, asking anyone if they knew what was going on. The lady was clearly shown in the visual as well. She had her hand clenched around her cross. She became more and more panicked as she realized that no one could understand her.

['They are completely diverted. Now let's cloak our charges.'] Michael thought again.

Somehow with the influx of humans and the thoughts and feelings that came from them, their angels, the vampires and the evil 'creatures of darkness themselves, we got lost in the shuffle. And then suddenly, we were at the door having the crowd pass in front of us.

Bella's thoughts while panicked before were now full of horror and foreboding. _'Oh, now I understand, 'not fast enough' but I wish I didn't understand. This poor woman. All of these poor people will now suffer the fate that I was just spared. And I can't warn them. I can't protect them. I can't even tell them to run. Does this lady have a family that loves her? Will they wonder where she is? What became of her? She is so—so afraid.'_ From the visual, I watched once again and saw the tears building in Bella's eyes; I put my hand on her face and drew it into my chest. Soon a small break in the people appeared and I dragged Bella through the door with Alice at Bella's other side, both of us trying desperately to get her out of here. Of course, Bella was directly affected by Mother's too believable performance as well. Bella was always too perceptive.

Aro welcomed the crowd into the main part of the room we had departed only moments ago. Demetri was closing it with us safely on the other side in the antechamber.

"**Welcome guests! Welcome to Volterra!'** Aro sang loudly from the big turret room just as the door clicked shut. The demons stayed there anticipating the moment of their 'feeding' as well.

'_It truly disgusts me to witness this. And not just because it proves the Volturi's inhumanity but because I know I'm also a monster. I've killed many people in the past, and even those people were ghastly humans who had committed terrible acts, it still it didn't make it right - but this charade that the Volturi host is pure barbarism.' _ I'd thought as I drew Bella's face a second time into my chest and we moved out of the antechamber and into the long hallway. Demetri, who was leading us back to the reception area, greeted Heidi on his way past. "**Welcome home, Heidi**." In the visual Heidi had a good ten to twelve dark beings crawling all over her. Even more than Demetri did at that moment. But he may have lost some to the 'feeding' in the room we'd escaped from.

Bella had thought wearily. _'Who is that vampire? Oh, this must be Heidi. Yep, it's what Demetri just called her. She's the one who just brought all those people._ (Bella shuddered) _She reminds me of Rosalie—not that they look anything alike—it's just that her beauty is exceptional too--unforgettable. I can't seem to look away from her. And somehow she's dressed to emphasize that beauty; very provocatively. And where did she get such violet eyes? Who has purple eyes? Probably red eyes with blue tinted contacts over them; and she brought all of those people here to die.'_

**"Demetri." **She said smoothly while eyeing me and Edward's borrowed cloak. _'Did our Masters give Edward Cullen a position? I don't know what I think about that. And what is with the human girl? __Where is she going here? She isn't supposed to be part of my crowd, is she?_ _No, she's definitely with Edward and the other vampire. A pet? Or a special snack maybe. Maybe I'll see what it is he desires. Huh? It would seem as though everything he desires is wrapped in his arms already.'  
_

"**Nice fishing."** He complimented her, whiles he also praised her flamboyant appearance in his head.

'_Fishing?'_ Bella thought sadly and a view of the crown in the other room appeared from her head into the visual again. The tiny woman with the rosary came into the main focus of her thoughts. _'Well, I guess that explains the attention-grabbing outfit she's wearing. She's not just the fisherman, but the bait as well.'  
_

Heidi apparently had a little experiment of her own in mind. She had a special ability herself and it was to be able to create the illusion of someone's desires. She was focusing on Bella to see what this little human desired in the company of vampires. _'I can't find her mind to even see her desires to create. Why is that? Does she not have any desires? She has to.' _ **"Thanks. Aren't you coming?**" she said shifting her glance to Demetri with a stunning smile as she used her gift on him.

"**In a minute. Save me a few."** Demetri said excitedly.

Heidi nodded, and then glanced curiously at Bella. _'What is it about her that keeps me from 'finding' her desires? Well, I'd guess by the way she's clinging to Edward I can guess what those desires are. She appears to only desire him as well. Huh?'_ She wondered silently as she ducked through the door with one more curious look at Bella.

_['Nicely done Elizabeth.']_ Michael thought approvingly. At his words all of the supernaturals that had been previously cloaked became visible. At least to us watching the visual they did. ['_We are going to have to let Bella have a normal human reaction to what she has witnessed for a while. There are still many eyes and ears watching and listening. They will need to see a natural human reaction from her for a little bit to keep them from becoming too suspicious as well.']_ Mother nodded in understanding. This time the concern in her gentle eyes was genuine. She hated to see Bella suffer.

In the visual, I pulled Bella forward in a more rapid pace, _'I've got to get her away from that door faster. It's starting now. I'm not fast enough.' _Human screaming erupted throughout the visual coming from behind the double wooden door still in earshot.

Demetri warned us again not to leave before night had fallen, before leaving us in the posh reception area to claim his meal.

Gianna looked at the cloak on Edward and thought, _'So Aro did persuade him to join. Maybe they are all leaving on an away mission then. Is the human girl going to get in ahead of me? That doesn't matter, there's still plenty of room for me. He still seems as upset as he did yesterday. I wonder if he is alright. Still, if he joined and his cloak is medium grey, he must have a pretty high designation. I'll need to remember his name as well. What was it…Edward?'_

Three 'dark beings' scurried across the floor. They approached us as Bella stood trembling violently in my arms. They started to climb on our legs but were repulsed by us. They wandered off instead. I was surprised that the supernaturals did not use any of their gifts to repel them. Somehow, as I sat watching the conclusion of the scene play out from Chandra's room, I understood that the 'dark beings' left because none of us walked the 'path of darkness' and they were uncomfortable in our presence. They slithered along the floor to the quickly fading sounds of the dying humans down the long hallway._  
_

Bella was trembling vigorously. **"Are you all right?"** I whispered to her_. 'That was a very stupid question. Would anyone be alright after witnessing the preamble to a blood bath, while narrowly escaping it themselves?'_

Alice had a vision of Bella's emotional state. It was interesting to see that this time it was by using her own gift and not enhanced by the supernaturals around us. Instead of 'giving' Alice the vision, Gillian stood defensively watching alertly as did all of the members of the 'Special Task Force'.

Bella didn't respond to my question. Her thoughts were speaking though, just not too coherently. _'I love the sound of his voice. It's so soft and velvety, but still rough right now. He must still be stressed out by our situation.'_ Bella wore a horrified expression whilst appearing in an awed and trance-like state.

"**You better make her sit before she falls. She's going to pieces."** Alice said. In her mind she showed me her latest vision of Bella collapsing in a minute.

Bella's thoughts were staccato, matching the racking sobs that tore through her entire frame. _'Oh, I'm shaking--hard and I can't seem to stop—no matter what I do to control it. This shaking feels like it's knocking me apart. My teeth are even chattering and the room looks like it's wobbling into a blur. I wonder if this is what it feels like for Jacob just before he explodes into a werewolf. And what is with that strange ripping counterpart to the otherwise nice music in here. I can't tell where it's coming from.'_

Heart-wrenching sobs escaped Bella's lips as I gently pulled her to the sofa farthest away from the reception desk, where in the visual, the receptionist Gianna was shown standing, curious and startled by Bella's frantic condition. _'Perhaps if I am of assistance than Edward will ensure I am changed soon.' _Gianna thought. I was surprised to see three 'dark beings' had found their way to the receptionist and were contentedly wrapped around her as if they were part of her clothing.

"**Shh, Bella, shh." **I tried to comfort her with words. '_It's been too much for her. My poor, poor Bella.'_

"**I think she is having hysterics. Maybe you should slap her?"** Alice suggested innocently.

I threw Alice a disgusted look. _'Slapping Bella would certainly dislocate her head from her body with my vampire strength. What would make Alice think to do such a thing? I'll ignore her preposterous comment and focus instead on trying to calm Bella down.'_

'_Sorry_.' Alice thought her apology.

'_Well, Alice is forgiven already of course,'_ I'd thought, _'After all; I'd no longer exist if she hadn't come to my rescue today.'_

Bella's chocking thoughts started next, _'Oh, it's me then. The noise is me. The ripping sounds are from my chest. That's what's shaking me—my out-of-control sobbing. Okay…well, now that I understand about what it is; can I stop it? Can I breathe slower? No! That poor lady! And all of those people. Great, now I'm crying even more. I can't stop now.'  
_

Bella's sobs became louder and in the visual she collapsed into my arms, as her sobs became choking gasps.

"**It's all right, you're safe, it's all right."** I repeated several times, hoping she would listen and calm down slightly. In the visual, I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped her in the folds of the thick wool cloak. _'I realize, of course, that Bella is extremely upset. Still I can't help but feel joy that she's here in my arms, where I can feel the warmth of her smooth skin, and inhale her sweet scent. My memories—vampire memories, at that--haven't done my Bella justice._ Then my thought voice became more shamed, '_I understand her cries of pain. She can't possibly think of my kind; of me as being anything but the monsters we are, after what she has just witnessed.'_ My thoughts that started out in wonder were sad by the end.

"**All those people."** Bella cried. The visual showed the tiny lady with the rosary again from Bella's mind.

** "I know."** I whispered back to her. _'I do know. What Heidi tricked their 'human sacrifices' into. It was such a terrifying way to die. And I feel so many things all at the same time. I feel guilt that I've put Bella in their clutches in the first place; that I was so wrong about what was needed to protect her. I feel joy that she is alive; alive despite the Volturi's agenda and not drowned in the oceans depths. I feel love surging throughout my entire being that she still allows me to hold her in this moment—to touch her, regardless of the reason—to be able to look into her eyes and read through the horror--a trust there. I feel relief that I can return her safely home and put this miserable separation from Bella, my true home, behind me. I feel worry for Bella because despite, her emotional state right now and the dire circumstances we find ourselves in…there is still a weariness about her. She looks as though she has lived in Hell itself. She is so hesitant and careful with her touches. What does that mean? The question burns in my core. I know I have no right to ask. What are my feelings, when she is so distraught? Oh, how I wish to tell her how much I love her and kiss away her fears. That cannot be though. I cannot cause her pain by this admission because I also feel shame—shame of what I am; shame that she has seen exactly what it means to be a vampire today. I feel shame because I'm quite sure she now understands what I've known all along. That I'm not worthy of her love or entitled to it. Well, I know that I deserve it. Somehow, this knowledge burns deeper than Jane's fiery torture. Still, it is not as painful as believing she was dead. No, that was unbearable. For that gift, I will gladly resign myself to whatever part of Bella's life she will grant me…if any. I will keep her close until she pushes me away.' _I thought in a whisper of pain.

["Stop that right now, Edward,"] Mother said softly. As a parent I could understand so much better the desire to shield your child from pain of any kind. I looked over at Renesmee where she sat quietly watching the conclusion of the Volturi drama play out in living color. There were silent tears running down her cheeks. Chandra handed her another tissue. She quickly wiped her face and then tossed it into a growing pile of tissues already spent.

In the visual, Mother continued speaking to me in a comforting tone, ["You know that Bella loves you. Believe it son. She's proved it a hundred times over today. Believe in her love. Believe it because it is true."] Of course, now, in hind sight, I saw that quite clearly. Of course she did. If they had the 'approval meter' going to see how much Bella did and was willing to sacrifice for me that day, it would have been bouncing off the charts again.

**"It's so horrible." **Bella then chocked out. Her voice muffled into my chest**. **_'They slaughtered all those people Edward! What kind of monsters are they? Carlisle is 'friends' with these guys? At least, I know that when you hunted humans—it was only bad people. Those were all good people--especially that lady.'_

"**Yes, it is. I wish you hadn't had to see that."** I said truthfully. _'Because now it doesn't matter if Marcus saw our bond as unbreakable. Their barbarism will be the cause of our separation. I know it will be.'  
_ Tears escaped her tired eyes and ran smoothly down her soft cheeks. I used the cloak I wore to wipe the wetness from her face. Bella took several deep breathes. I straightened up slightly when I heard footsteps, and concerned thoughts heading our direction. Gianna—well they were mostly concerned thoughts. The 'dark ones' eyed us with disdain from where they were wrapped around her.

'_Demetri left all of them here until dark, so that girl is obviously with them and okay. She needs to calm down or else she'll hyperventilate and pass out.'_ Gianna thought as she approached our couch, the furthest from her reception desk.

**"Is there anything I can get for you?"** She asked politely. _'Then you can tell Aro or Jane or even Felix how useful I am and they'll change me soon. Or I don't mind if you change me either. I just want to belong to the Volturi 'in crowd'. Then I will be powerful and even more beautiful and be able to give people their inner most desires like Heidi.'_

**"No."** I replied curtly, wanting her to retreat back to her desk. '_Why it is that somehow everyone is requesting that I turn people into monsters today?' _I thought in anger.

Bella watched Gianna as she dropped her face close to Edward's and my own during our exchange. Her thoughts then picked up. '_She looks concerned, professional and detached all at the same time. And it didn't seem to bother her at all that her face is just inches away from a hostile vampire. Huh, she's either totally oblivious or very good at her job…or maybe she's both.'_

'_Poor girl,_' Gianna thought_. 'Something must have really upset her; although I can't imagine what. She seems to be accepted by the vampires already. What could she possibly be upset about? Perhaps they are making her wait to be changed.'_ She thought as she walked away from us.

Michael then turned and rested his hand lightly on the top of Bella's head. When he did so, she regained her composure enough to breathe normally. Her tears stopped and she looked at Gianna's retreating form.

My thoughts concerning the receptionist started then. _'Is Gianna really that oblivious? Well, I'm not about to waste my time wondering about her denial. I have Bella here with me now and she is my only priority. _(Small pause_) Good, Bella seems to be calming down a little, taking in deep breaths.'_

["Much better now, Bella; you're doing fine dear."] Mother said as she patted Bella's head, leaned in and kissed her forehead. Then Mother turned to Michael and added a heart-felt, ["Thank you."] Michael nodded his head with a kind smile for her.

**"Does she know what is going on here?"** Bella asked me. _'Please tell me she doesn't have a clue.'_

**"Yes, she knows everything."** I told her carefully. _'What will you think about the situation, Bella, if I were to tell you everything? Would you see the similarity—of how you have wished for the same fate yourself?'_

**"Does she know that they're going to kill her someday?"** Bella demanded eyes red from crying. '_She must at least suspect this. Surely she heard all those people screaming. She has to know those monsters are killers in there.'_

_  
_ **"She knows it's a possibility." **Shock registered on Bella's face at my words**. **

"**She's hoping they'll decide to keep her." **Bella's face went pale as the lovely color vanished from her cheeks. **"She wants to be one of them?"** She whispered back to me in confusion. _'What kind of a person would want to be a murderer? What kind of a person would want to participate in that kind of monstrous act? She must be like them already in her heart then--and she seemed so nice and polite; just like Aro.'_

I nodded and watched her face intently 'Any minute I will see the revulsion cross her expression.'  
It never came. Instead her body shuddered aggressively.

**"How can she want that? How can she watch those people file through to that hideous room and want to be a part of that?" Bella continued the thought in her mind, **_'It's as if she's a monster already herself in her heart of hearts. Now, what? What is wrong with Edward? What is he thinking that is making him so sad?'_

And in the visual, my face had twisted in agony as I felt that Bella had just confirmed my worst fears. I remembered from that day how those words had cut me. I had barely heard her second question as my mind was overpowered by the sudden sentiment of rejection and my heart plummeted in my chest. _'My Bella thinks of me as a vile creature – like the ones contained in the Volturi. She no longer wants me in her life. She despises vampires. She is right – how could anybody want this life? I should be pleased. I should be happy that Bella doesn't want this life. But it would also mean she doesn't want me? She doesn't want to know me or have anything to do with me. No, she hadn't actually said that--yet.'_

Michael turned to the four siblings and said with a small sad grin, ["They really don't get it yet do they?"]

Llasa answered in mock dismay, ["It isn't like we haven't given them hints. They just are too self-sacrificing for their own good!"]

["Well, we can't do everything for them. They'll sort it all out themselves. And things are back on track now for your goal as well!"] He turned to Chandra and added, ["You truly are quite the risk taker. Of course a big risk is what was needed here. I'm quite impressed with you. Remember though, you'll need to establish the shift of power in the relationship immediately or all of this angst will literally be for nothing."] Chandra nodded smiling warmly.

The 'Special Task Force' stayed with us and our supernatural companions for the remainder of the afternoon as we waited out our exile in the Volturi's lobby. I was quite touched when at one point; Michael gave special blessings to both Bella and me for our coming roles. He blessed Bella that she would continue to strengthen her shield by gaining an even greater desire and compassion for protecting those around her from harm. He also blessed her with a strong body for the coming demands that would be placed on it as she prepared for her special calling as Mother of the 'Hope of the World'. He blessed her that when the time came, that she would know who to turn for to help her accomplish her role as such. Rosalie smiled warmly at that. It was nice to end the Volturi nightmare for her on a positive note. Lastly, he blessed Bella with great self-control during the transformation process and that by using it; she would develop a characteristic that would allow her to be not just around her baby but other important humans in her life. I wondered what he meant by that?

Michael also blessed me that I would be able to keep Bella safe and eliminate the threats that sought to destroy her life. He also blessed me that as I stayed the course and abided by the moral and ethical rules of humanity, that nothing I desired would be denied me. He said that I would receive strength to have infinite control as I fulfilled my role to become the Father of the 'Hope of the World' and also that I would have greater emotional strength to endure the turmoil that both Bella and I would endure during the dangerous gestation period of becoming parents. He blessed me with happiness that could only come from denying your natural tendencies and choosing to walk 'The Pathway of Light'.

The entire 'Special Task Force' , the four 'perfected being siblings and Elizabeth were all still there with us when Alec, with his bright ruby red eyes, entered the lobby, swarmed in 'dark beings' and announced, **"You're free to leave now. We ask that you don't linger in the city."**

They stayed by our sides as we walked through the streets of Volterra and only left as we crossed under the great portcullis with its rusty bar gate protruding like the toy fangs of the people in the streets as they played at being vampires while the true menace lay around them behind stone walls.

***

*****I would like to thank Sophie Beament (Vampire Girl *aKa* Soph) for allowing me to use her words for Edward during his 'New Moon' scenes from her wonderful Fan Fiction, Dark Moon. If you haven't had an opportunity to read that story…it is exceptionally well written and I highly recommend it to you.**

I have links to her web page on my profile page. Also there is the address to a website I made that shows my pictures for all the pictures I made to go with this chapter. (It is very rudimentary so far)


	34. Chapter 33 Part One

Part IV: The Edward and Bella Story-End of New Moon and Eclipse

*****A big THANK YOU to Erica for letting me sift through all of her Eclipse pieces for little cameos of this chapter…If you haven't had a chance to read her Eclipse chapters---well get ready for the 'Midnight Sun' of Eclipse! That's what you're looking at! It is truly fantastic! To see what she's got so far, I have links to her stuff on my profile page under this chapter. **

Chapter Thirty Three  
Power Shift—Part I

Bella's POV

**Our flight had departed from Lima Peru an hour ago and there was still another twelve and a half more hours before we landed in Salt Lake City, Utah and caught our connection there to Washington. That was fine with me. I didn't get restless like I used to when I was human. I'd enjoyed the last hour simply puzzling over the changes that had occurred during this trip. I guessed the most remarkable change would have to be Leah. When we came down here, she was stuck back in coach in the only seat left. She'd been bitter and sad. Now she and Nahuel were cuddled up together in the back of first class. Her entire countenance changed. I knew love made an amazing difference in your life. It's return had certainly brought me back to life. It would appear it had done the same for the 'wolf-girl' too; or maybe 'Wolf Queen' would be more accurate. I had to say. I NEVER saw that one coming! I guessed while Edward and I were 'otherwise engaged' for our five hour delay in Lima, Jasper and Alice had taken time out from shopping to hook Leah and Nahuel up with a jewelry broker who purchased all of the bags of diamonds and gems from them. Then they opened a Peruvian bank account and put the money there for now. I'd never thought about what customs would have been like had they declared those gems!**

**Speaking of declaring things at customs…Emmett had a few customs problems himself. I assumed it was about his large 3,000 carat diamond and his rare 200 carat Painite for Rosalie. Edward laughed as I whispered my assumption to him. He'd told me Emmett had managed to hide those so well he might even have forgotten where he'd stashed them. No, Emmett's problems stemmed from hefting out a small fortune to bribe custom agents involving animal quarantine. Not that the money was a problem, just that 1.) He didn't like being swindled—he liked to do the swindling; and 2.) He had to pay out enough mullah to have bought his own private plane and he thought, had he opted for the plane, he could have stashed the wildlife in it and snuck them across. I had rolled my eyes.**

**When we'd first taken off, Emmett and Rosalie were sitting together and Jacob and Nessie were sitting in front of them and across from us. I was surprised when they did a sudden switch. Jacob got up and switched with Emmett. That I didn't understand at all. Not the part of Nessie sitting with Emmett. No, what I didn't get was why Jacob would be sitting with Rosalie. I was even more confused when both groups got out sketch pads and started some major planning sessions. What in the world had happened for the few days Edward and I were away at Esme's Island? I started to ask Edward about it when I realized he was listening in on their thoughts. Finally a broad smile spread across his face. I was really glad to see it. He was improving quickly from his 'panic attack' episode.**

"**Apparently," He told me whispering directly in my ear—his breath tickling my skin a bit. "Rosalie and Jacob are building a car from scratch. From the picture in their heads, I'd say a rather nice car at that! I guess Rosalie decided to finance it and build it with Jacob, so her niece won't be stuck driving around in the Volkswagen Rabbit anymore." He chucked some more and then added, "Apparently, Jacob is going to be asking you for your red truck too. He's just trying to think of the best angle to take when asking you for it."**

**I rolled my eyes again. "Why?" I asked. That crazy truck had been rusting away in the Cullen's garage. It hadn't worked since just before Edward and I got married. **

"**They want to turn it into a funky hot-rod called a 'rat rod'." He chuckled softly again. I looked back at the two of them as they appeared to be arguing over which type of engine would be the best fit for their 'project'. I'd assumed they mean the first car.**

"**What do Nessie and Emmett have up their sleeves?" I'd whispered back to Edward. **

**He thought some more and then answered with an even bigger grin. "Well, I guess this has to do with the quarantine issue. I'd thought maybe his egg had hatched, but I was wrong. I wasn't really paying close enough attention before." He explained. "Apparently, Emmett has been taking Nessie around 'animal hunting'. Letting her 'practice' calling animals with her hybrid gift and bringing several babies from the Amazon back home with us." He shook his head indulgently.**

"**Is that legal?" I whispered back to him. I loved that Nessie was doing a project with her uncle but didn't really want her involved in anything underhanded.**

"**Is anything Emmett does legal?" Edward asked grinning. Then we both grimaced at that remark.**

**I was thinking about the upcoming Cullen's Zoo and how much fun it would be for the two of them and before I knew it my thoughts strayed back once more to what I had learned from Chandra about my relationship with my wonderful husband Edward. Being here on a plane with him had reminded me of when she'd brought up the plane trip home from Italy. It was really surprising to me to learn on that trip, when I didn't speak because I was afraid he would leave or I would drive him away with my questions, and I didn't want to sleep because I didn't want to miss one moment I had with him—while he was still there with me; he had been dealing with his own fears about my feeling for him. I was astounded so realize many of them had reflected my own. No wonder the four beings were having such a hard time with the two of us. We both thought ourselves unworthy of the other. **

**The big revelation for me had been the addition of a 'power shift' that had started on our first night back to Forks; a power shift that would put me in charge of important decisions in our relationship; decisions leading to the birth of our daughter Renesmee and to my transformation into a vampire. I'd just never thought of it that way before.**

**During the visual of that first night back when Edward had promised he loved me and then informed me I would remain human, I remembered the anger I'd felt. He hadn't understood me at all. What I was surprised to learn today, was Elizabeth and Chandra were getting me even more riled up to the point I was ready to go over Edward's head. **

'**You're not going to stand for that?' Chandra had said.**

"**He'll get his whole family killed by those Volturi monsters!" Edward's Mother had said in overreaction.**

"**You need to put your foot down right now. You don't want to be a little old lady with a seventeen year old husband. You'd be that old before he'd consider changing you to not lose you. You do realize that." Chandra piped up. "He'll drag it out to the very last minute. You mark my word. You've got to take control of things right now."**

**Next thing I knew, I was at the Cullen's house for my vote. Before the vote, Edward had rather confidently informed me it didn't matter in the least what they said because he was just humoring me. After the vote, well, let's just say he wasn't quite so cocky. **

**What I learned today about that fateful night was that before I had gone to Volterra to save Edward, the family followed Edward's lead regarding me. If he was so determined to leave me human he would suck venom out of me, and leave to keep me that way, then they would respect his wishes. They understood his reasoning. Edward was worried about me losing my soul to be with him. After I saved Edward in Volterra, there was a change in their perception. They understood I loved Edward as much as he did me. They now also respected my wishes as I had gone at endangered my life to save him as well. Plus they then understood exactly what Edward would do if I were to die; and humans had temporary lives. What I loved particularly was that Chandra allowed me to see what everyone was thinking and their reasoning for voting for or against me becoming a vampire.**

**Alice didn't see the big deal. In her visions I seemed happy being a vampire and it was what I'd wanted. She had missed me very much and was eager for our friendship to be forever. Plus, she was sure with no 'time limits' she would eventually win me over to the world of the 'trendy and fashionable' and she was eager to be in complete control of my wardrobe selections. Not only that, but Edward was her favorite brother and she had missed him as terribly as she had me and was worried about future mishaps that could cause future separations.**

**Jasper had been my biggest surprise but he really shouldn't have been. He had the most to gain if I were no longer human. First of all, he had been ashamed he'd been the cause of Edward's decision to leave and uproot the entire family. He knew the pain Edward was in because of his sudden blood lust. He'd hated his weakness. If I were to become a vampire in the family, he would be more comfortable around me. He wanted to support Edward and his choice of mate and become as comfortable around me as Emmett was. Perhaps he'd even get to know me as well as his Alice did. Of course, Alice had a lot to do with Jasper's vote. He loved her more than anything and whatever she wanted he desired to give her. The separation of Edward and I had caused her actual pain as well, and he wanted my continued companionship for her. Lastly was the Volturi. He knew it was Alice who had made the promise I would be changed and he didn't want them anywhere near her with a score to settle. Alice's safety was always his first priority.**

**Of course I understand Rosalie's negative vote. She'd been worried about voicing it so soon after creating such a disaster with her phone call that had alerted Edward to my supposed death. She'd hoped her vote would help persuade him not be so mad at her. But more than that, it was the honest truth for her. She wanted to be human. And it led to a conversation a month later that would help me know who to turn to when I needed help keeping Renesmee. A conversation in which she'd explained to me how badly she'd wanted a baby and the pain it caused her being denied that right and blessing in her life.**

**Emmett hadn't seen what the big deal was. If I wanted to be a vampire--then that was great. He loved being a vampire. One of the reasons he'd voted 'yes', was because he'd felt he could really turn up the teasing if I were more 'durable'. He was already thinking of ways to tease his new 'vampire' sister—especially one who couldn't 'see' ahead and ruin his fun. Plus, he really loved Edward and knew he was being his stubborn self and shooting himself in the foot. He knew Edward would be happiest with me in his life and not having to worry about car accidents, diseases, heart attacks, regular vampires, disgusting werewolves, grizzly bears, earthquakes, tornados, rattlesnakes, etc. Edward seemed to spend too much time fretting over with me human. He also knew Edward would really like vampire sex. He just didn't know what he was missing out on. That had definitely been embarrassing to me to hear in Chandra's home room. I tried to mask it behind a dark glare at him and he looked around somewhat sheepishly. I was beyond mortified when Edward agreed with him.**

**Esme had been so overjoyed Edward and I were both back--not just together, but with the entire family. She was for whatever it took to keep me and Edward at home where we belonged. She had always known it would somehow work out for us and was very excited to have me join them in an 'immortal' way. She had loved me as a daughter from the moment she had met me and the seven month separation from me alone had been very difficult for her to bear; for it to have been doubled by Edward made it excruciating. She had felt as though her family had been torn apart and saw this as the necessary step to repairing the tear in a permanent way. **

**Carlisle had been the vote Edward was the most upset by because Edward knew he would follow through with his choice. Like Jasper, Carlisle knew the Volturi did not make idle threats and Edward's plan to 'hide' me was very fool-hearty. He knew I desired to become as they were because of the love I had for Edward and for the entire family. He did in fact, already love me as a daughter the same as Esme did. He knew now exactly what Edward would do in the event of my eventual death. More to the point, he knew for the relationship between Edward and me to work, we needed to be equals. It wouldn't work if I aged and he did not and it wouldn't work to have an intimate relationship if he was strong and I was not. Then there was the possibility of my blood becoming an issue again. No matter how he looked at it, the best choice remained the same. Carlisle knew if Edward were thinking of himself, he would want me to be changed and it was a sacrifice Edward was making to keep me human. But now he saw it was a sacrifice Edward was making without taking my feelings into consideration. Changing me into a vampire was the only way things could work out for Edward and me and for the family to remain intact. He knew Edward was so focused on his mission and making it work, that he had lost sight of the bigger picture. But Carlisle, as older and wiser, and the head of the family had not. **

**Of course, Edward wasn't prepared for Carlisle's promise. A promise Chandra had 'suggested' to Carlisle that being, his promise to change me after Alice had panicked. **

**The vote had been a catalyst for the power shift. But there had been two other things that happened that first night that had majorly contributions as well. One was right before the vote and the other right afterwards. **

**The first contribution had been my epiphany. We'd both been feeling confused about how the other felt about us as we tried to sort out the things we had learned from each other. On the way to the Cullen's house, Chandra gave me the knowledge Edward did love me. It was such a sure knowledge, it washed away all of the painful wounds I had received over the last seven months. I was healed, 'whole' and then confident in that knowledge. Chandra did not give Edward a similar assurance. No, what Edward received was knowledge that I had put my life deliberately in harm's way to hear his voice inside my head--yelling at me. He learned he was my worst problem because he could leave me—he had left me and death by any means would be nothing compared to the pain living without him had caused me. So walking into the vote the power seat of our relationship that Edward held was already jarred loose.**

**After the vote, while running back to my house, Edward had a lot on his mind. **_**'I've got to think of something. I am desperate to keep Bella human—I know if she were changed, she'd eventually realize what she'd given up and hate me for it. It chills me just to think of her eventual hatred. Does she feel her life is hanging by a thread as it is? Can't she know I will always be here for her? I'll always protect her? She doesn't HAVE to do this monstrous thing. What about her comment about Gianna in Volterra, 'How could she want to be 'one of them'?' Doesn't she realize all of us Cullens are 'one of them'; that she would be 'one of them' herself? What does she mean? Why is she doing this? Is she thinking she has to do this to save me from the Volturi? That's got to be it. She doesn't want to get me killed; same as when she was so worried about me when James was around; same as she didn't want me tracking Victoria. She's selfless enough for that. Of course she's selfless enough for that. She just risked her life to grab me from the jaws of hell. Oh, but I am such a selfish monster--because somehow, there is still a part of me soaring right now. A part of me feels free. Free from the responsibility of the choice of her change. Free to have her with me forever--by my side. To have Bella without worrying about hurting her or someone else hurting her or any of the accidents that could remove her again from my life. I don't think I could bear to be without her again. No, I'm not strong enough for that. I can admit that. She would truly be mine then and I would never have to worry again about trying to live thinking she were dead. But how can I know she won't change her mind? Or she'll have regrets? What can I do to make her really think about what she's committing to here? Something that will let me see how committed she is to me; something that might slow her down if she's not sure about her choice; something that needs to happen first anyway if we were to…have an intimate relationship--something that I've only fantasized about. Something I've barely dared to dream of. Something that Alice saw in vision. Something that Aro commented on. Something…do I have the nerve to ask her? I don't know. It's a good thing I don't have a heartbeat. I'm so nervous now, it would be flat lining. Would Bella consider being MY wife?' **_

**I'll admit when I'd heard those thoughts running through Edward's head, I'd felt more than a little chagrin, knowing what my answer to him had been. That discomfort was somewhat abated when in the visual, it was Edward's own Mother reminding me, Renee would have a fit if I were to marry so young and Edward was being unreasonable. She had been joined by Chandra who quickly remarked on what all the kids at school would think, and what a smart person do. I could tell Edward felt a bit betrayed as he watched as his own Mother worked to convince me to turn down her son's proposal.**

**Of course, the reason for their reaction was understandable. Had I agreed to marry Edward that night, it would have been a quick trip to Vegas followed quickly by my transformation. I did not yet understand what it truly meant to be a newborn, and I was so happy to have Edward back, I hadn't really had time to consider what was important to me; what I really wanted. Until I truly understood those two things, I wouldn't realize the part of my humanity I would likely give up at my transformation. I did not understand which human experience I wanted before I changed. Likewise, if I HAD known at that point and made my request, Edward would have never agreed to it. He had just gotten me back and would not have considered agreeing to something that would put me at such a great risk. He still hadn't quite mastered completely his 'self restraint' around me and he knew it. Also, he still had to understand there was more than one way he could lose me before he would agree to our compromise about two and a half months later. Edward had to learn about Jacob Black.**

**Chandra packaged up the entanglement I had with Jacob Black in a nice neat little package. For which I was eternally grateful. It was in the past and I was eager to keep it there! My daughter didn't need to be confused by every detail of the baffling and complicated relationship that until today, I'd never really quite understood. As it was, Jacob was going to have some explaining to do. I knew my daughter and she was biding her time. But she'd demand a full accounting of what she'd heard today before too long. **

**First of all, Chandra explained that Jacob was involved with me because though he didn't know it yet, he was protecting his future interest in Renesmee when he did. Also, as a Quileute shape shifter he was bound to 'protect human life' and mine had been in the worst of danger, courtesy of Laurent and Victoria. Of course, the wolves had already taken care of Laurent by the time Edward returned, but what no one in the area realized yet, was the newborns in Seattle had been created by Victoria--to kill me. So that was one of the reasons Jacob was kept close to me. The wolf pack needed to be involved for Victoria's threat to be illuminated without casualties to the Cullens. The Quileutes and the Cullens also needed to start their alliance.**

**The second reason Jacob had been kept close was because we were kindred spirits. I'd always felt connected to Jacob Black and I'd never really knew why. When Chandra explained it, I was surprised I hadn't see it sooner.**

"**Well it wasn't an imprint but it was a 'pull' Jacob felt for you, Bella. It was part of his imprinting." Chandra had explained as if it wasn't rocket science. "You are responsible for fifty percent of the genetics of his imprinting to Renesmee." **

**I had remembered thinking that if that was all it was, then why did he want to kill Edward who had the other fifty percent of the genetics of his imprint? Chandra had looked at me like I was missing something obvious. She'd finally said for everyone's benefit, "Yes, Edward did hold the other fifty percent of the imprint but he didn't already hold the specific genetic half, or sperm, inside of him, all ready developed to contribute to the creation of your daughter. Bella, you did. At birth, females carry the entire ovum they will have for their entire lives already inside their bodies. Bella, by the time you met Jacob, the actual ova that would become your daughter was already mature and ready to be created. That ova was what 'pulled' Jacob towards his imprint and consequently to you too; likewise, it was that same ova that responded back to Jacob." Then she turned to Jacob and added, "That is why you noticed when Bella became pregnant the 'pull' she had on you was so much stronger. Because by that point, she had all of the genetic material of your imprint inside of her; besides which you needed to step up to the plate to save them both from the misplaced fear of your then pack brothers." She shook her head at the memory and then casually added, "Of course, we did manipulate the attraction between Bella and Jacob a little bit to create the other conditions we needed to address." **

**I didn't know how I felt about that information. It really did explain a lot, and it did go along with what Jacob himself explained to me after my transformation, when I'd noticed the 'pull' was gone. He'd said it was my daughter all along. It would seem as though he was right.**

"**Now," Chandra had continued, "one of the other two conditions that were served by allowing Jacob to develop his feelings for Bella, was it provided her with a choice. As you remember, our first 'Rule of Engagement' is we must provide our charges with choices. There must always be choices offered. So we also manipulated your Father, Bella." I had grimaced at that remark. "Yes, it wasn't very difficult to do since your Father was already partial to Billy and his buddies from the reservation. He had seen how good Jacob was for you and he was mortified of Edward coming back into your life and what it would do to you were he to leave again. So we just…sort of…reminded him. That really turned the heat up on you to see Jacob. Of course, Jacob knew of your nature and took advantage of that as well." As Chandra spoke , I was reminded of Edward commenting to me on that occasionally, though I still didn't understand. Chandra, sensing my confusion clarified, "He knew how to play on your sympathies."**

"**The last condition Jacob Black served during this phase of Edward and Bella's relationship was that he kept Edward slightly 'off-balance' in his perception of how he fit into Bella's life and heart. You had just risked your life to save Edward and then refused to marry him. You'd said you loved him but you wanted to keep Jacob in your life. He didn't understand where your loyalties really lied. He knew he couldn't live without you. He knew he had given you up and it had hurt you deeply but he was unsure of how he would fit into your future. This gave you, Bella the power you needed in the relationship to 'negotiate' for your human experience."**

"**At first of course, there was a great power struggle as Edward tried to grapple with his need to keep you safe from physical threats and away from Jacob, whom he considered a threat too. Bella, you missed Jacob. He had become your personal sun and even though Edward was back and your world was back in living color, you missed your friend. Charlie applied pressure to you to go see Jacob. You asked Edward and tried to explain you were not in danger from him but Edward refused to let you go. He said if you tried to go, he'd have to stop you; and he did too when you tried to go see Jacob quickly late one night. This intensified his unease about the hold Mr. Black had on you. Then you took off to La Push when your shift of work got called off. Edward came racing back practically burning through a tank of gas from revving his engine while warring with himself over whether or not he should just go in after you and 'save' you from whatever risks Jacob was exposing you to this time." **

**Jacob started to protest at Chandra's choice of words and so she said in Edward's defense, "Oh, it wasn't a completely unfounded concern, Jacob Black! He'd seen how thick Bella's medical chart had become during his absence. Carlisle made a point of showing him. It was more than just the danger of 'phasing' that had his nerves set on edge. Anyway, then Bella drove right past him in her truck and Edward pulled out, tailgating her so closely that had Bella braked, the Volvo would have been no more. But his means of intimidation were ignored as Bella drove straight to Angela's house where Edward contemplated getting out of his vehicle and creating a scene, telling you exactly how he felt about your stunt. He chose instead to drive on and parked up the street to 'listen in' on your afternoon with Angela. He was surprised to hear Angela's suggestion he was jealous. At first he blew it off. Then he considered the source and reconsidered. He was still warring with that possibility when he drove on to your house, hiding his car around the corner and waiting for you upstairs. He was still struggling with his motives, his feelings and his anger when you informed him you were 'Switzerland' and would do whatever you felt like."**

"**Edward still was grappling with how to define his role with you as the power struggle continued the next week. He needed to hunt and knew you would take advantage of his absence to visit with Jacob. He even heard you making those plans as he listened outside of your kitchen and he knew he had to prevent you from getting further entangled with the werewolf at all cost. His panic and dread were becoming more and more pronounced. So he arranged to leave early from school and have Alice 'kidnap' you and had Esme clear it with Charlie with a quick phone call to the station after you'd left the house for school. He'd been so happy to have you at the Cullens house when Edward wasn't going to be around. Of course, that didn't go over so well with you--did it Bella!" **

**That had been an understatement. I almost got irritated again just remembering how angry I'd gotten. Especially when faced with the canary yellow 'bribe' sitting in the Cullen garage for Alice. I also had to laugh as I realized three months earlier I would have thought I'd died and gone to heaven to have been 'forced' to 'endure' a slumber party with Alice, Esme and even Rosalie. Someone had really been playing with my emotions. And that someone had been Chandra. Not that I could ever be mad at her. She had my best interest at heart.**

"**Of course, that imprisonment resulted in two telephone calls. The first to Jacob Black informing him of your incarceration, and the second was to Edward's cell phone to inform him 'Angry grizzly bears were going to look tame next to what was waiting for him at home.' Then Edward's efforts were thwarted again when Jacob did the unthinkable by 'busting you out' from school." Chandra sighed and shook her head. She looked at Jacob and said, "Very mature—Jacob! Of course, Llasa and Ephraim really got a hoot out of it." She rolled her eyes and finally continued.**

"**Well, we knew things were getting a little out of hand when Jacob overstepped his bounds by letting his temper and his prejudice for 'all things vampire' get the best of him and he said some rather unfortunate things to Bella. We also had to reign in Edward a little bit as he was literally driving Bella into Jacob's arms with his domineering need to regain control of their relationship. This was done simply with some 'fatherly council' from Carlisle, who had just called and gotten an update from Esme, during the hunting trip." **

**With that intro, Chandra ended her monologue and the visual once again sprang to life. This time it was out in a wilderness area of Washington State. Edward had just listened to my voice message about the grizzly bears and Carlisle was already there waiting to discuss his behavior with him. Dagda and Llasa were both by his side.**

"**He's going to need some good fatherly advice here." Dagda said to Carlisle.**

"**And if that doesn't work, perhaps a swift kick in the butt will do." Llasa added.**

**Edward clicked off the phone and thought, 'I knew she'd be angry, but I was counting on her quick forgiveness.' Then he looked over at Carlisle registering his thoughts and expression. Edward sighed and thought, 'Hmmm…Clearly he's overheard my message.'**

"Son" Carlisle said as he walked over to where Edward sat on a large rock.

"Yes Father"

"I think we need to talk about Bella." _**'You are being too over-protective.'**_

**Llasa continued Carlisle's thought, "and overbearing, and self-righteous, and jealous and conniving…" Dagda grinned at his brother and shook his head good-naturedly.**

"How can you say that?" Edward responded emphatically to both spoken and mental remarks. "You know as well as I do the danger she is in. How many times has Victoria escaped our grasp? What if she escapes through our hands and ends up with Bella? And the werewolves are too volatile to trust. At anytime one of them could lose control and then Bella…"

"**Don't let him fool you with his flawed reasoning Carlisle." Dagda said.**

"But that isn't really what this is about, is it?" Carlisle asked him. Dagda nodded approvingly.

**Edward raised his eyebrow to question the statement, **_**'What does he mean, that isn't what this is about? Oh, I see, his thoughts are directed toward my reactions to Jacob--toward his friendship with Bella. Oh, he thinks I'm jealous--just like Angela did.'**_

"**He thinks you're jealous because you ARE jealous Edward!" Llasa said rolling his eyes.**

"I think you are trying to protect yourself from losing her." Carlisle explained carefully. "You know that forcing them apart isn't the way to do that."

"**Excellent point Carlisle and well said too." Dagda said approvingly.**

Edward sighed. _**'The problem here is that Carlisle is too astute. Or he knew me too well after 80 years. He sees right through my excuses – more than the others have. Maybe Alice saw it too, but she was too excited about spending time with Bella, so she ignored the signs, or kept them to herself. Carlisle is right though. I am jealous – and afraid…afraid the connection that's developed between Bella and Jacob over the months I was gone could grow into something more. Given Alice's account of how things were between them when she returned to Forks, it looks like it almost had. **_**(He paused in his thoughts before continuing) **_**Mostly I'm afraid because I could see how that might be better for her. He is the sun to my moon, the day to my endless night…'  
**_**  
"What should I do?" Edward asked his father, distressed as he ran both hands through his hair, and held his head in his hands, resting his elbows on his knees, staring at the ground, **_**'Carlisle will know. He always know. That's why I have respected him as my father for most of the last century.'**_

"**Anything would be better than what you've been doing." Llasa added condescendingly.**_**  
**_**  
"You know what you need to do," Carlisle said. **_**'You give her freedom and you fight for her like you never have before.'**_**  
**

"**I like the way he thinks!" Llasa said. "This could get very interesting now!" There was a glint of excitement in his eyes.**

**  
Edward looked up at Carlisle and searched his face. **_**'Yes, I will fight for her – fight for her hand as I would fight for my own life…and I truly am since I can't live without her. No, I can't live without her. I don't want to be here. I need to go back home – to have Bella back in my arms. It's already painful to be away from her, but I must resolve to be more careful with my future actions. I need to go back and fix this situation I've caused. I must find the strength to draw Bella closer to me instead of driving her away with my jealous nature. I need to return to my Bella.'  
**_

"**Well, our job here is done, thanks to the good doctor. Now we can get this show on the road!" Llasa said rubbing his hands together.**

"**I think we can head back early." Carlisle said smiling while reading Edward's face.**

'_**Yes, he knows me well.'**_** Edward thought dryly as he stood up from the rock.**

"**We all know you well, Edward." Llasa amended Edward's thought with a sigh of exasperation. Emmett laughed at the antics of Llasa from the visual when it hit me… Emmett was a little bit like Llasa. Hmm…**

**The visual faded to black before returning to Jacob and me in LaPush.**

"**Of course Bella was having a perfect end to her perfect day with her best 'werewolf' friend Jacob." Chandra continued as the screen flashed to small cameos from my 'day' with Jacob; shots of us walking on the beach--holding hands and talking, while Ephraim, Samon, Chandra and Mother followed along disapprovingly. Next of us racing the motorcycles—me on my red one I had promised my Dad to never ride again. Then eating sandwiches and finally ending up in the garage where the visual finally picked up an audio to it.**

**Jacob's countenance darkened before he spoke and I knew why already. He had asked me if I was serious about wanting to be changed into a vampire and I had told him 'yes'.**

"**You know what this will mean, don't you?" He glowered. "If they break the treaty—we'll attack--to start the war."**

"**Calm down now Jacob. If you don't watch yourself, you'll say something you'll regret." Ephraim said sternly, but threw his hands up in the air and stomped off temporarily when he realized Jacob was too angry to listen.**

"**I'm more worried about what his temper will do to him than what his mouth will." Samon added in a resigned way. Chandra and Elizabeth both got pensive looks at his words.**

'_**Geez, he makes it sound so…inevitable. What is the matter with him? Jake used to be so easy going and I never thought of him as being this unreasonable.'**_** I'd thought as I shuddered before adding, "Jake, It doesn't have to be that way." **

"**Bella, dear, If he won't listen to Ephraim, then it won't do any good for you to try to reason with him either. You're just going to make it worse." Mother said to me in mild distress.**

'_**I can't believe her.'**_** Jake thought incredulously and then he ground his teeth**_**. 'She's willing to change her whole existence; let her system be poisoned—her heart stop—to die just to be with HIM…the stinking leech; after what he's already done to her. Doesn't she understand anything?'**_** Jake's anger was building. "It is that way."**

"**This is not going to be pretty." Chandra said slowly.**

"**Get back here Ephraim!" Samon yelled to Ephraim who was looking out the door of the garage.**

"**Walk away Bella, right now!" Mother said. Something about her voice in that moment reminded me of her son, my husband Edward.**

'_**Why is he forcing the end of our friendship?'**_** I'd thought. "Will you never forgive me, Jacob?" I whispered in the video. I noticed my daughter sitting in Chandra's lap had silent tears running down her little face. From the video I thought**_**, 'Why, oh why, did I ask him that? I'm pretty sure I don't want to hear his answer.'**_

"**Jacob. Don't you dare say anything. Remember; if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all." Ephraim said sternly. Jacob paid him no mind in his growing temper.**

'_**She really thinks everything will be the same as always. Does she really not get it?'**_** He'd thought incredulously through his rage. "You won't be Bella anymore." Jacob said angrily. "My friend won't exist. There'll be no one to forgive."**

**Now Mother was chiding Ephraim as though he were in control of everything Jacob said, did and thought. "That was very bad form. He can't talk to a lady like that! Has he no respect for her at all?"**

"**That sounds like a 'no'" I had whispered. We stared at each other. My face was sad as I thought, **_**'He really is saying good bye. Not because someone told him he couldn't hang around me anymore but because he doesn't want to hang around with me anymore.'**_

**Jacob's thoughts were angry and defiant. '**_**She's out of her mind! Maybe he's brain washed her. She even smells like him now. Like a precursor of things to come. Doesn't our friendship mean anything to her? Has she forgotten me? We were getting closer and closer. Now everything is ruined. I should kill that parasite before he sucks all the life out of her.'**_

"**This is only going in a bad direction. Neither one of them will let go of their positions. Jacob is almost out of control as it is. So we will need to keep him together here. He can't hurt her. That cannot be allowed." Samon said to Ephraim and Chandra. **

"**Is this goodbye then, Jake?" I said sadly.**

"**Uh oh," Chandra said with another sigh.**

**At my question, Jacob's anger faded with a wink into surprise. **_**'Goodbye? What is she talking about now? What's the rush here? I still have plenty of time to change her mind; time to make her see reason. There's plenty of time to win her back.'**_** He'd thought quickly and then said, "Why? We still have a few years. Can't we be friends until we're out of time?"**

"**Years? No, Jake, not years," I said as I shook my head and laughed once without humor. "Weeks is more accurate."**

**His reaction was immediate from inside the visual. He was instantly on his feet. There was a loud POP as the soda can exploded in his hand and soda went flying everywhere. **_**'No, she's mistaken. She can't be serious. She has plenty of time. It isn't like Bella to not think responsibly about her future. Somehow, this freaking vamp has hypnotized her. He's already sucked her brains out. It's the only explanation for this madness. It feels like my blood is actually starting to boil just thinking about this.'**_

"**Jake!" I started to complain but then I really looked at him and fell silent**_**. 'No, he can't phase now. There's no threat. He wouldn't actually hurt me? He said he would never do that. But, well, he's kind of freaking me out.'**_

"**Walk away right now Isabella!" Mother commanded me but I was too frightened to move.**

**We're going to have to actually hold him to keep him locked down." Samon declared apprehensively.**

**In the visual, Jacob's entire body was quivering with anger. He glared at me with wild eyes a growling sound building from deep in his chest. Then Samon, Ephraim and Chandra each surrounded Jacob and actually held him tightly in a triple person embrace.**

**In response to Jacob, I froze in the visual—to shocked to remember how to move.**

"**Tighter!" Samon commanded. Their grasp of him locked down even more.**

**His shaking rolled through him, getting faster until he was vibrating and his shape blurred.**

"**Jacob, listen to me. You're losing it. You have really got to get a hold of yourself. You're overreacting and it's going to get Bella hurt. You mustn't ever do that. DO you hear me? Calm down. Now!" Ephraim ordered his charge.**

**And then from the visual, Jacob closed his eyes and gritted his teeth together until the growling stopped. He was deep in concentration.**

"**There," Ephraim said in a soothing way. Luckily Jacob did listen to him this time, "Regain control. Breathe deeply and slowly. That's the way."**

**Jacob's quivering slowed until only his hands were shaking. **_**'I can do this. I need to find out her plans—his plans to tell Sam now. I must stay in control for more than me, for the whole pack. This we need to know. This is worse than my worst nightmare.' **_**He took a deep breath and then said, "Weeks?" He said in a flat monotone. He opened his eyes. They were beyond fury. "He's going to change you into a filthy bloodsucker in just a few weeks!" Jacob hissed through his teeth.**

**From the visual I was shocked. Too stunned to take offense at his words, I nodded mutely.**

"**Leave now Bella. He isn't being rational. He's going to hurt you one way or another. Leave now while you still can." Mother insisted to me.**

**Then Jacob's skin turned green under its normal russet color.**

"**Well, I was worried about his temper. Now I'm worried about his mouth." Samon said reluctantly.**

"**Don't explain it to him, whatever you do Bella. He won't listen or understand." Mother counseled me.**

'_**Can I try to explain it to him?'**_** I thought. "Of course, Jake," I whispered after a minute's pause of silence. "He's seventeen, Jacob. And I get closer to nineteen every day. Besides what's the point in waiting? He's all I want? What else can I do?"**

"**Close your mouth right now Jacob!" Ephraim shouted. "Oh, why won't that boy listen when I need him too?"**

**Jacob's voice cracked like the snap of a whip. "Anything. Anything else. You'd be better off dead. I'd rather you were."**

"**You no good, stupid mutt!" Mother said indignantly. Her tone and vocabulary usage had all three of the other supernaturals looking at her in brief surprise. By way of explanation, she responded in irritation. "Her question was clearly rhetorical! Bella already suspected him a half-witted, cad—still he doesn't need to go and open his mouth and remove all doubt!"**

**From Chandra's home room Emmett snorted. "Dang Edward, Your Mother could teach even you a thing or two about verbal sparring!" He threw back his head and laughed. "I mean--ouch!" **

"**Maybe you'll get lucky," I retorted bleakly back in the visual towards Jacob as I lurched to my feet. "Maybe I'll get hit by a truck on my way back.**

"**Don't you dare move Son!" Ephraim bellowed at Jacob.**

**I watched as I grabbed my motorcycle and passed him. When I got on the small muddy path I kicked it to life, letting a fountain of mud spew off the back tire towards the garage. **_**'I hope the mud hits him!'**_

**The visual showed me crying as I drove my motorcycle with chattering teeth through the pouring cold rain. **

**Nessie got up from Chandra's lap and went over to Jacob. He held his arms out to her but she kicked him in the shin instead before she ran straight into my arms with her tears streaming freely now. "How come my Jacob was so mean to you, Mommy?" she asked between sobs.**

"**Jacob was very confused, Sweetie. He didn't understand about what it meant to be a Cullen vampire yet. We still had to teach him. You see, he thought they were like the ones you saw from the visual before in Volterra. He didn't understand Do you see?"**

**Nessie looked up at me through eyes still wet with unshed tears. "He thought you were going to be a real monster?" she asked somewhat mollified.**

"**Yes sweetie that is exactly what he thought. And he did apologize later too. So, don't judge him too harshly." I told her softly. Nessie looked over to Jacob with an anxious expression. I remembered thinking it wasn't until that moment it actually occurred to him he may have a lot of explaining to do to her. **

"**Maybe you should give him a break. He's learned a lot since then. And that was before he knew you and how much he'd love you." I could help him out here. He was a good man. He was my best man and so was the best choice I could have for her, my sweet little girl. If he hadn't broken away from Sam's Alpha command—I'd have been dead along with her and who knew how many of the Cullens. "Forgive him Sweetie; it's the best way to keep your heart right." Renesmee nodded her head and wiped her eyes. She looked over to Jacob who still looked worriedly at her and she went to him as he opened his arms and drew her into his embrace. **

**Chandra led us into the next visual of the report Alice gave Edward when he'd returned later that night. She'd met him as he walked in the house as the scene started to play out.**

'**I'm so sorry,' Alice thought. She immediately relived my escape from school that day – ensuring Edward fully understood her frustration, fear and stress during the period I'd been gone and the relief at my return – in hopes it might temper Edward's anger. I'd never had really considered how my actions had made Alice feel that day and I felt suddenly guilty for the stress I'd placed on her shoulders by my impulsive actions. It was hard for Alice, as she saw my future disappear when I was with the werewolves. I thought sadly as I watched myself from the visual of Alice's memory as I'd hoped on Jake's bike and made my escape from school while Alice couldn't stop me around witnesses.**

'_**I can't believe his nerve!'**_** Edward thought with anger, as he watched me--through Alice's perfect memory; jump on Jacob's bike, wrap my arms around his waist, and ride away. **_**'No – It's not anger I'm feeling –Its jealousy, as my father so astutely recognized.**_**'**

Alice cringed as she saw the emotions flash across Edward's eyes. "I really am sorry." She whispered as she looked down to the floor, waiting for Edward's rebuff for her inaction.

Edward sighed. "Alice, it's okay. I shouldn't have asked you to do this. It was wrong of me to put you in this position." He cringed as he saw the bribe he'd given her to baby-sit me whenever he was away, flash through her memory. It, of course, flashed for all of us to see too. '_**She felt guilty too--for letting me down. How could I have been so thoughtless to put her in this position?'**_** "I won't ask you to do this again."**

_**'What changed?'**_** Alice thought.**

"I guess I just realized I'm not handling this as well as I should." Edward said in answer to her thought

Alice smiled. _**'She was pretty angry.'**_** Then my anger from the car to the phone call played out through the visual from Alice's mind from her perfect memory. Emmett laughed to see me so mad at my confinement.**

"I know. I heard the voice mail." Edward said wearily in the video.

_**'Okay,' Alice thought back. 'One more thing you may want to know…'**_** Then Alice's memory of my return to the Cullen's garage earlier that night came up on the visual as she shared my sodden appearance as the red motorcycle came through the opened garage door. My wet clothes plastered to my skin and my teeth chattering violently.  
**

**Alice, sitting perched on top of her new sports car, sighed as she said still looking at it, "I haven't even had a chance to drive it yet."**

"**Sorry," I'd spit out through my rattling teeth.**

**Alice appraised me. "You look like you could use a hot shower." She said nonchalantly as she leapt off the hood of her car and approached me as I rested the bike and met her by the door.**

"**Yep" I said in a great economy of words to keep from stuttering uncontrollably**_**. 'And some hot chocolate and a warm fire and…oh yeah, a new best friend. You're hired Alice.'**_

**Alice eyed me again more carefully this time. "Do you want to talk about it?"**

"**Nope." I replied almost sadly**_**. 'Not that I'm good company tonight.'**_

**Alice nodded but her eyes were raging with her curiosity. "Do you want to go to Olympia tonight?"**

"**Not really. Can't I go home?" I said while I tried to get it all out without breaking up. Alice grimaced in the visual. "Never mind Alice, I'll stay if it makes things easier for you." **_**'No sense alienating everyone with my selfishness.'**_

"**Thanks" Alice said as she and I left the garage back through the rain to the back of the house. **

**Her mental memory faded back into the regular visual of later that evening as she'd finished the recollection for Edward. Edward sighed and his expression was deeply concerned and full of worry.**

"**She's up in your room. She won't sleep on the bed." She added again showing through her mind for Edward that night and for everyone else today, my outrage of finding the huge bed in the room from the first night of my kidnapping, and the next morning when she'd come in to wake me up and I was sleeping on the black sofa.**

"I'll handle it." Edward said quietly. "And Alice…"she looked up, eyebrow raised, "Thank you. You are a good sister." She jumped up and gave him a hug, 

**The four 'perfected beings' siblings and my fantastic guardian angel, mother-in-law, stood in the Cullens living room having their own conversation during Edward's debriefing from Alice.**

"**I think Edward's got this one." Dagda said with satisfaction.**

"**You don't think we should check on them?" Samon said in surprise. "Bella was pretty upset earlier."**

**Chandra looked at her husband and then smiled warmly at the rest of them. "No Samon, Dagda is right. Bella needs Edward to comfort her now. She isn't going to be screaming. Edward's gotten some good advice from Carlisle and he actually listened. Plus he saw Jacob springing Bella in Alice's head. He knows he has to fight for her and I think tonight will be very interesting for the two of them without anymore interference from us for now."  
**

"**Do you think Bella will be safe?" Mother asked apprehensively?**

"**Absolutely" Dagda said. "Oh, Edward will definitely be feeling a fire tonight. But the burn in his throat will be such a minor irritant compared to the new flames that will be lighting he won't even notice his throat.**

**Chandra nodded her head in satisfaction. "It's about time too. He needs to start getting used to being closer to her now so they'll be prepared when it's time for our compromise."**

**The visual followed Edward as he bound up the stairs to his room, leaving the supernaturals behind him as he thought, '**_**and I've got to find a way to repair the damage of my jealousy somehow. Bella was hurt by HIM somehow tonight. She needs me—even if she's angry with me. Well, I need her anyway…'**_

**The visual showed him enter his darkened room to find me curled up and sleeping on the sofa **_**'There's my Bella with the face of an angel.' **_** Edward carefully picked me up, placed me on the large bed and crawled up beside me. **_**'I still can hardly believe she had said "yes" to me – for now anyway. I wonder if she'll ever choose me forever. She didn't react too well to my impromptu proposal. Could it be she still isn't as sure of her feelings for me as I thought she was? Yes, I'll have to fight for her,'**_** The memory he'd picked from Alice's mind of me running toward Jacob flashed across the screen as he thought, **_**'She is human, after all. She could change her mind.'  
**_**  
I watched as Edward gently stroked my hair while I slept. He thought**_** 'My beautiful Bella. You are so beautiful. I will make this better for you.' **_**I stirred, turned over and awoke somewhat. I seemed confused – the pucker reappearing between my eyes. I searched around – looking for something.**

'_**Where am I?'**_** I thought sleepily**_**. 'When did my bed get so big anyway? Huh, wait, this isn't my bed. Oh, I'm at Edward's and that last move should have dumped me right on the floor. I don't remember his couch being this comfortable…'**_****

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." Edward said softly. _**'My apology is meant to cover much more then waking you but that is all I can bring myself to confess. I need to gauge how angry you still are.'**_** I tensed and Edward's thoughts showed his worry as he prepared for the onslaught of my fury, **_**'Here it comes now…'**_

**My thoughts also betrayed my apprehension about what I thought would follow. **_**'Oh, Edward is here and I am so screwed now. I'm sure he saw the motorcycle in the garage and Alice filled him in on all of my escapades. I'm too sleepy to deal with his anger right now. And after Jacob's wrath I don't think I'm prepared to face Edward's. Jacob's fury is like a wolf next to the king of the jungle—the mighty lion.**_

"**That is true." Emmett said in agreement to my mental trembling. "Edward does have anger management issues."**

"**Shut up Emmett" Edward shot back at him rolling his eyes.**

**In response Emmett simply spread his hands out as if displaying something. "See…"**

**Edward tapped his foot and sighed refusing to say anything else for Emmett to twist. I was more worried about how far this little visual was going to play out. I looked around at my family with my eyes resting on my best friend and my little daughter resting in his lap. Then I noticed with surprise, Jacob was sleeping. Edward and I were both looking around to see blank faces on everyone in the room.**

"**Some things are none of their business." Chandra said smugly. "After all, we don't want to offend Emmett's innocence."**

**I breathed in a sigh of relief when Edward's thoughts came through the visual again. '**_**…but wait, her anger isn't coming It's almost as if her anger has dissipated along with mine – almost as if Jasper has entered the room and put all his effort into creating a calm serenity for both of us. But he hasn't and the calm isn't false. There's only the longing – my wishing to be with her as much as it seems she wished to be with me.'  
**_**  
I watched as I reached for him and he cradled me to his chest. **_**'Oh this is so much better than what I was expecting. No anger, no tension--just that same sweet taste of reunion in the air. No friction at all—only a peaceful stillness, like a clear night untouched by even the dream of a storm. I don't care I'm supposed to be mad at him, or I'm supposed to be mad at everyone…'**_** My thoughts had faded away as his embrace distracted me.**

**Edward thought, **_**'She's as hungry for this embrace as I am.'**_** Then I began to kiss his chest and his neck hunting for his lips in the darkness until I found my mark. **_**'It's curious how the calm serenity of a mere four seconds ago has quickly been replaced with a roaring fire deep in my core – desire. I've missed her desperately and my body aches for her. I need to remember to keep firm control over my body,'**_** Edward thought as he kissed me lightly and then chuckled. "I was all braced for the wrath that was going to put grizzlies to shame, and this is what I get? I should infuriate you more often." He teased**_**, 'I need to keep it light, but also test the waters. Could it be that, in the midst of awakening, she's forgotten her anger and I still may need to be prepared for the onslaught when it comes.'  
**_**  
"Give me a minute to work up to it." I teased him back. **_**'I love playing with him like this. Definitely much more fun than getting screamed at.'**_

'_**This is a very good sign, she isn't still angry but I am still worried about what had made her so sad.'**_

**Then I'd kissed him again, **

'_**That kiss is keeping my internal burn smoldering.**_**' Edward thought.**_** 'Can I keep this up? Can I make her forget about HIM and about whatever he did to make her so sad before?'**_** Edward thought and then said, "I'll wait as long as you want." He smiled. Then his fingers grasped my hair **_**'It's crazy how just her touch like this makes just a few flames rekindle the smolder to flares up inside me again.' **_**His breathing was becoming uneven. **

"**Maybe in the morning." I murmured against his skin.**

"Whatever you prefer." He'd replied softly.

"Welcome home." I'd whispered. 

**From the visual I watched as Edward kissed my neck under my jaw**_**. 'Those words are a tantalizing melody—drawing me into a vision of us where she truly is mine and I've come home to her – in our house, in our bed…**_**' **

"**I'm glad you came back." I said a little breathless myself.**

"That's a very good thing." He agreed, _**'……my wife."**_

**  
"Mmmm" I said as I pulled him closer.**

'_**The flares are bursting into a roaring fire. I'm not prepared to deal with this sudden desire. It leaves me needing to have her closer. I don't know if it's the relief at her forgiveness, her being happy to be here with me instead of that dog, or the result of the vision I can't quite seem to shake from my mind, I'm not sure. All I know in this moment is it felt so right to have her here in my arms.'**_

**Chandra stopped the visual, woke everyone up and informed Edward and I that by the end of that night, the power shift had been successfully accomplished; I felt more understood by Edward and was no longer defensive towards him. Edward was prepared to deal with Jacob in a more mature manner, to the best of his ability, in an effort to keep from driving me away from him. Edward was feeling more and more of the same physical desire I had been feeling and he had successfully maintained control. Things were well in hand for the compromise. **

***A big THANK YOU to Erica for letting me sift through all of her Eclipse pieces for little cameos of this chapter…If you haven't had a chance to read her Eclipse chapters---well get ready for the 'Midnight Sun' of Eclipse! That's what you're looking at! It is truly fantastic! To see what she's got so far go to this link:

Also there will be two more parts to this chapter and then 4 for the next. That will conclude Part IV of Indian Summer and Part V: Return to Forks will follow. Thank you so much for reading my story and for your wonderful comments. I really appreciate them!


	35. Chapter 33 Part Two

***A big THANK YOU to Erica for letting me sift through all of her Eclipse pieces for little cameos of this chapter…If you haven't had a chance to read her Eclipse chapters---well get ready for the 'Midnight Sun' of Eclipse! That's what you're looking at! It is truly fantastic!

Links to Erica's work is found on my profile page under Chapter 33 Notes.

***Also thank you so much for your comments. I really appreciate all of your support!

Chapter Thirty Three  
Power Shift-Part II

Bella's POV

(A/N: The recreated scenes from this chapter have been condensed. To get a fuller scope of the events, please refer back to 'Eclipse' by Stephenie Meyer and 'Eclipse-Edward's POV' a Fan Fiction by Erica Bailey. Thank you, Tami)

**I was brought out of my thoughts momentarily back to our flight home from our Amazonian adventure. I looked around at the faces of my family. Nessie and Emmett seemed to be deeply into their planning session. Jacob and Rosalie had apparently moved from Engine designs into a discussion of chassis. **

**Alice and Jasper were gazing into Alice's new stone Samon had given her for viewing things currently happening anywhere else she would care to look. Apparently, Jasper couldn't operate it, but when Alice held it, he could see what was playing out as an observer. Carlisle and Esme were sitting ahead of us and I could make out pieces of their quiet conversation. They were discussing the pros and cons of Carlisle drinking the potion Samon had given him. Apparently, there would be a big family council regarding it when we arrived back home. When I craned my neck around, I caught a glimpse of Leah and Nahuel making out in the back of first class. I hoped they were remembering to breathe. Huilen had opted to stay in South America with the Amazons. They would travel up for the wedding in October and then head back with Leah and Nahuel, where they would begin the job of completing the task of the remaining nine ceremonies before we would all be needed to return for the final ceremonies that reopened the temples and tunnels at Akakor itself. The biggest puzzle for me about that meeting, was what my Father; Charlie was going to be doing there. I worried about what his role would be. He was doing remarkably well with what he 'perceived' of me and my new family. But was he ready to learn about ancient gods and perfected beings? **

**Lastly, I looked at my husband. I had been cradled in his arms since the pilot turned off the 'fasten seatbelt' sign and he had been absently tracing patterns on my arm while both of us had been lost in our own thoughts. It was still mind boggling to consider how things were contrived to bring Edward into my life and keep him there. I found I was even more grateful than ever that he was mine and I was his. He was my perfect match in every way and apparently, somehow I was his too. I remembered the night I'd finally accepted his marriage proposal. Of course, I remember it even better now as I am recalling it with new information. It was an important night for my future and for Edward's as well. What neither of us understood at the time, was that it was also an important night for four siblings and one Guardian Angel on a mission. At first it was a little unnerving having them there for parts of what was an intimate moment for Edward and I, but it didn't seem to bother them at all. They were very focused on their task at hand, which at that moment happened to be me and Edward's compromise. And making sure both conditions were agreed upon. Thankfully, Chandra had the family 'unaware' for a good part of this presentation as well; making my comfort level go way up.**

**Chandra started her introduction to Edward and me by reminding us of a few previous events. "Now Bella, you need to understand how difficult it was for Edward when you spent time away from him with Jacob Black." Chandra said after everyone else's eyes went blank. "You came home smelling so strongly of werewolf he knew you'd been in Jacob's arms. It was all over your hands, your clothes, and your hair. Edward was a mess. He believed you loved him but the evidence was somewhat contradicting from your words. Plus he knew Jacob could offer you a 'human' life that he did not believe he could. Then there were the mental thoughts Jacob consistently hurled at Edward you never heard. You knew Jacob shared with Edward some images of you from when Edward had first left—but it was a constant thing Bella. Jacob always hurled accusations, derogatory comments, threats, insults and worst of all; he was constantly telling Edward he'd ruined everything by coming back. Jacob often mentally told Edward you were falling in love with him or were in love with him already. He showed him how you would hold his hand every time you went to LaPush even since Edward's return and ask him what that meant. Then Jacob would tell Edward his glowing opinion of exactly what that meant"**

**. "As a result, Edward was really beginning to question the strength of your love for him. You had already turned down once his proposal of marriage, while accepting a gift from Jacob and 'resting' against your friendly werewolf while Edward and his family observed and 'trained' to protect you. He was very much shaken and more resolved than ever to 'fight' for you with everything he had. Of course, we did manipulate the feelings Jacob had for Bella a bit, to keep Edward a little off balance for a reason. And that reason was for the compromise. He had to know what was at stake if he didn't agree to Bella's condition. Edward already knew he couldn't live without you Bella. Now we had to let him know that to keep you he had to be willing to bend his belief of what was and wasn't safe in his relationship with you. He also had to know it was important to you and why." **

**It was a long dissertation Chandra was giving, but she wasn't done yet. "It was really a revolving issue of what each of you wanted the other to do to 'prove' their love to you. You both wanted the same thing but you defined it differently. Bella, you wanted Edward to be the one to change you into an immortal and by 'acting' to keep you, prove that he did love you and it would make you, through his own venom belong to him, in a quantifiable way. It took us a little bit to maneuver your perspective a bit to get you to understand from Jasper's description, exactly what being a newborn vampire was like. You had to understand that, before you would start to realize things would be different when you were 'different' and maybe there was a human experience with Edward you did want to have before you had him change you."**

**Then Chandra spoke directly to Edward. "Edward, you wanted Bella to prove she loved you more than anyone else by acting to keep you as well. You defined this action as the sacrament of marriage. To you, this was what you felt you needed to counteract the garbage being spewed at you from Jacob all the time; because there was a part of you that feared Bella did or would someday chose Jacob over you. If Bella chose to marry you, then you could know beyond a shadow of a doubt everything Jacob threw at you was only Jacob's imagination and fantasies. You would know you'd won if Bella were to take this defining step to cement your relationship with you."**

**Then Chandra turned to me as she continued. "But there was a deeper more meaningful reason Edward needed you to marry him before consummating your relationship. He had his soul to worry about as well as keeping your soul clean and intact. Edward had a different upbringing than you, Bella. He'd been taught by example what constituted a strong marriage. And the need for chastity before marriage was a profound expression of respect he held for himself and for you as his bride. It was also a deeply seated principle that was part of the moral fiber at the core of his soul. To change his behavior in regards to this element of his character would pierce his integrity and change this vital aspect of who he was. Edward was a little embarrassed to explain himself to you but he was able to with a little 'help'. These were some of the issues both you and Edward were dealing with as the two of you traveled to the Cullen home for the evening."**

**In the visual, I was shown driving my old red truck with Edward in the passenger seat fighting a grin at my slow pace—slower than usual as I was deep in thoughts of my own. He held my free hand in his on the seat between us. Of course, Elizabeth was sitting between us and our hands appeared to be both resting in her lap. In the pick-up's bed were the four siblings. Their eager faces shone with excitement. That night was apparently an exciting evening for them and their assigned task. And I knew why too. It was because that was the night I agreed to marry Edward. It was also the night Edward agreed to 'try'.**

**While I drove to the Cullen's, my mental chatter began the scene. **_**'Well, I guess I've done everything I can to get ready for this. The concert tickets are given away so Angela, Ben, Mike and Jessica are out of town during the battle. Billy's got Charlie covered for the day between open sea fishing followed by the big game and then he'll be on the reservation where Collin and Brady are protecting the tribe from any stray newborns. One way or another, this will all be over with in forty-eight hours. That thought is comforting—almost. I know now I am ready to join his world. Sure I'll wait until after the sword is removed from my head so Edward will be satisfied, but even that isn't really necessary. I've had a chance to consider this while gazing at the moon while resting on a werewolf. Next time something came at us, I'd be ready. I'd be an asset—not a liability. Edward will never have to make the choice between me and his family again. No, I will not panic again. Next time, Edward and I would be partners, like Alice and Jasper. Next time, I would do my part. There is still just one missing piece….'**_

**  
Edward was quite with thoughts of his own**_**. 'I can't seem to get over the euphoria I feel over the idea of Bella… all to myself for the entire night. I'm filled with joyful anticipation and heart-wrenching anxiety.'**_** Edward thought through his conflicted emotions. **_**' The past few weeks have been filled with such dread – of Victoria, the Volturi, the slayings in Seattle – on top of graduation and all the human trivialities. It seems as though we live in a constant upheaval. How could I have ever thought of Forks as a dreary, boring little town? I almost wish for the days when my existence seemed like an endless, uneventful eternity. Almost--except the reason for the upheaval is Bella; my beautiful, pure, insightful Bella.' **_

**In the visual Edward looked over at me as I continued to drive away from town. The wind picked up and blew my hair and my accompanying scent towards him through the open window. **_**'She's driving – carefully, responsibly…slowly. Ahhh, her scent though it still burns my throat is nothing compared to the deeper fires she illicit from me. I don't care. I'm ready for this; an entire night of peace – just she and I. It is heaven. Except I know Bella will want to talk through the upcoming battle, stress over the safety of my family – utterly ridiculous – and those dogs, err, werewolves, and worry about the outcome of it all. But I have another agenda. It makes me smile and I can't help it, just thinking about my 'gift' I've got for her. A diamond charm she's already agreed to accept. And the other piece of jewelry I still have to convince her of and so desperately wanted to give her. Yes, tonight is definitely not the night for battle planning and stress. It is a night for us. To ensure everything goes in the correct direction, I'm glad I thought early to make sure all paths lead in a satisfactory direction. In a pre-emptive strike to set the tone for the evening, I already pleaded with her, **_**"For this one night, could we try to forget everything besides just you and me? It seems like I never get enough time like that. I need to be with you. Just you."**_** Surprisingly, there was no argument, no hesitation. Could it be she is just as anxious to spend some alone time with me as I am with her?'**_

**Elizabeth smiled warmly between the two of us. Chandra spoke up in the cab bed to her brothers and husband. "Things are off to a good start."**

**Dagda looked at her with an intensity that spoke of more than the subject at hand. "Finally, now we're getting somewhere. I think things are going in a very good direction here."**

**Llasa sighed and said. "I'm just glad we put you two in charge of all the 'lovey-dovey' stuff. I would mess it up for sure."**

**Samon glanced at his brother. "Which is precisely WHY they were put in charge of the 'romance' aspect of our task; we play to each of our individual strengths, Brother dear," he said rolling his eyes but he too was smiling hugely. Yes, they were all in very high spirits. **

**Chandra's eyes sparkled. "Now, for some real sparks. Sparks that lead directly to fireworks."**

"**What do you have up your sleeve now Chandra?" Samon asked indulgently.**

"**Nothing we haven't been working on for over a year now…" She said rather innocently. Just then my thought voice picked up.**_**  
**_**  
**_**'Edward wants me to relax and I can do that.'**_** I thought carefully. However, my next thoughts left me with more anxiety. **_**'Especially if I concentrate on his request that for this one night I forget about everything besides just me and him; not a hard request; except that doesn't really help me relax. No—definitely not relaxing here. In fact, when I think about what I want from him now and wonder exactly how I'm supposed to get it from him, I feel so nervous I might just chicken out or worse—throw up--except I won't. Somehow, I will find a way to make him see how important this is to me. I don't just want this. I need it; my missing piece.'**_

**Samon and Llasa shrugged and nodded their head approvingly. Llasa continued to stare at Chandra with a deep intensity. I almost got the feeling they were working as a team of their own at that moment although for what purpose, I had no idea.**

**Edward's thought voice continued as we drove into the forest**_**. 'To be completely honest with myself, it isn't just alone time I want. No, I want 'her' – in more ways than one. I can already feel the now familiar hunger settling in my body from just watching her. Tonight I am fighting for her – for a way to make her mine forever. I now understood her hesitancy to my marriage proposal, but I still want her hand. The vision that has tortured my existence – her walking down the aisle, on her father's arm, dressed in white, toward another man, a human man. Agggh, the mere thought of it had driven me to break my silence only a year and a half ago. Now I want that fantasy for myself. It is her choice and I understand now I'd want it no other way.'**_

"**That must have been some vision you gave him in Biology class, Chandra." Llasa said in admiration. "It still gets him."**

"**And he still doesn't realize it was a vision of him." Samon added with a small chuckle.**

"**He's about to realize the truth of that vision though." Dagda said, finally breaking his stare-down with Chandra and turning to his brother's with a wide grin spreading across his face.**

"**Is cupid about to let another arrow fly?" Llasa asked in anticipation.**

"**No," Dagda said. "But I might hit you over the head with my quiver." He retorted sardonically and then added, "You are such a nut, Llasa."**

"**More like a nut case!" Chandra replied.**

"**Hey, I know you guys love me!" Llasa said back before my thoughts came in again. "Can I help it if sometimes I just feel like a nut?"**

**My thoughts cut through their easy banter.**_** 'One piece, because some things haven't changed at all--like the desperate way I love him, my Edward. Oh, I've had plenty of time to sit and think about the ramifications of Jasper and Emmett's bet and I've figured out what things I'm willing to lose with y humanity and which part I am not. I hope I don't make you mad tonight, Edward. Because I know exactly which human experience I am going to insist on before I become inhuman.**_** (I sighed) **_**we're going to have plenty of things to work out tonight. Edward is going to have to come up with better excuses. Because after everything I've seen in the past two years, I simply don't believe in the word 'impossible' anymore. It's going to take more than that to stop me now. Hmm, okay, well, honestly…it's going to be a lot more complicated than that. But I still have to try. The scary thing is, I don't have any idea how to do what I need to do. I don't have any experience in the subtle art of seduction. I am too innocent--which is central to the whole problem.'**_

**Chandra sighed as they listened to my thoughts. Samon and Llasa shook their heads with looks of mild reproof on their faces. Dagda spoke up for all of them when he said to the others, "She still doesn't understand it's her innocence that is attractive to Edward. They share it in common."**

"**They'll figure it out Darling," Chandra told to him holding his face in her hand. He smiled back at her and turned her hand so he could kiss it. Just then Edward's mental chatter came from the visual.**

**  
**_** 'Last night, seeing Bella sit with her head rested against--him. It all became so clear to me. I need to fight for her heart tonight as hard as I would have fought for her life tomorrow. After all, she is still human and her feelings for – that dog – are not as benign as she believes. Besides which, I promised Jacob Black I would fight—and not fight fair. Well, the balls in the home court now, and I will press my advantage. To lose Bella to another would be painful, but to lose my Bella to him would be **__**inconceivable**__**. I must find a way to make her understand, to know the depths of my love for her. I must somehow find a way to be the right choice for her. She holds everything I desire within her being; her goodness, her acceptance, her innocence. With her by my side I could conquer any monster I may encounter internal or external. Am I worthy of her? That still remains to be seen.'**_

**In the visual, I watched as I turned my truck down the long driveway to Edward's home. I really was driving ridiculously slowly. I was glad Emmett sat staring into space for this. He would definitely have something to say. Then again, Edward just sat with me in his lap as we watched our courtship play out on the silver screen. He had moved my hair out of the way and over my left shoulder and every now and then he nuzzled my neck with his nose and lips from behind, seemingly content to watch me once again drive at turtle speed towards his home.**_**  
**_**  
**_**'She has always been a painfully slow driver, especially in this ancient truck.'**_** Edward thoughts announced. At his thoughts from the past apparently echoed the ones he had watching the visual, he laughed silently once behind my ear. It made me shiver at his breath. '**_**But instead of driving me insane, tonight I simply appreciate this glorious chance to sit here beside her, watching her expressions change as she thinks through whatever is on her mind. Now that part still drives me insane, but I'm not going to push her. Well, not too obviously anyway.'**_** Edward smiled from the visual.**

**My anxiety was clear in my thought voice. **_**'You'd think as decided as I am about this, I would be calmer. But I'm not. I still have no idea how to do what I'm going to try to do here. That alone is guaranteeing me some serious jitters.' **_**I looked over at him briefly as I continued down the drive almost to the Cullen home now. **_**'I'm surprised Edward didn't insist on taking the wheel tonight so he could coax my car to reach it's optimal high speed, but he seems content enough to just go at my speed, huh.'**_** I drove up to the house and cut the engine.**

'_**Finally!"**_** Edward mentally thought.**

"**I can agree to that one!" Llasa bellowed. I've heard of driving slow, but that was actually painful. She must have been driving so slowly so she could find every bump, pothole and rock on the road and deliberately hit them." He complained as he stood up and stretched. The other immortals all stood up as well. "Let's get this show on the road!" He seemed to re-think his words and added. "Only let's not have Bella drive." Oh great, even angels make fun of my human slowness. Edward stifled a small laugh. In the visual, Llasa rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he continued, "I've got quite a blizzard in the works. That ought to keep all unnecessary humans out of the deep woods for the battle.'**

_**'Here we are just me and my love at my home. No, our home; our haven for the night, a beacon in the dark meadow. Okay, so maybe I'm not as patient as I thought. I've been anxious to get her here, away from prying ears and eyes, because she'd finally agreed to accept a gift from me. It thrills to no end me to finally be able to give her something, even if it isn't my mother's ring – though, if things go well, maybe I'll try for that too.' **_**From the visual, Edward smiled again. I watched as I cut off the engine and Edward was at my door in an instant. His thoughts continued as he opened my door and lifted me out of the truck with one arm and slung my bag from the truck bed over his shoulder. Then he kicked the truck door closed behind him. It looked like a choreographed dance move as he moved in for a kiss. My husband was one smooth operator. **

**His voice continued throughout his performance. **_**'No need to move a human pace any longer. Yes, I guess I am a little impatient! The long ride over was like the prelude for our evening to come, an appetizer before the main course.'**_** Edward then winced at his poor analogy. **_**'She is mine and we are home. Somehow, we're already though the door and into the entrance way. I can't say I'm at all conscious of how we got here. Whenever I kiss Bella, the world melts away and mundane things, like walking, become trivialities not worth considering. All I want, in this moment, is to keep her lips locked on mine, claiming her as my own.'**_

"**He's getting better at this." Llasa said in delight. "I guess we don't need to monitor his thirst levels tonight." He added to Samon in satisfaction.**

'_**Was the front door already opened?'**_** I'd thought as the kiss continued, deepening into something more; a hunger I have since become very familiar with**_**. 'I don't remember, but we're inside now. Whew! I need to remember to breathe. This kissing isn't like before the graduation party when I could feel his fear and panic leaking through his control. No, his lips are not so anxious and stressed-filled. This kiss seems more enthusiastic now. He seems—thrilled we have tonight to concentrate on being together. Hmmm…'  
**_

"**Well, if our Edward isn't a little Casanova." Samon said a little surprised. **

"**Edward is not a Casanova Cad!" Elizabeth said indignantly. Samon apologized with a look and Mother backed down. **

"**And now for the first fireworks of the evening," Chandra announced.**

"**Good!" Llasa said smugly. "I love fireworks. I'll add in a little lightning show anytime you'd like."**

**  
As the kiss from the visual continued to deepen, Edward's thoughts cut in. '**_**This…desire is welling up within me, as the heat of her lips sends electric shocks through mine. The burn of her scent has long been over-powered by another, stronger, more urgent burn centered low in my core. It is so intense; it might consume me in this moment. I need to pull away before it burns out of control.'**_** An image of the last night we'd had spent in Edward's room together flickered in Edward's mind and on the visual as well.**

**My thoughts were just as interesting**_**, 'Edward seems less guarded here; his lips cold and urgent on mine. Maybe I can allow myself a little cautious optimism here. Perhaps it won't be as hard to get what I wanted as I originally thought it would be. Ha! Who am I kidding? Of course it was going to be exactly that difficult!'**_

**I'd watched as Edward finally pulled away from me. He chuckled low and nervously. **_**'Well,'**_** he'd thought, **_**'I know exactly where my mind and, well, my body seem to be heading.'**_** Then he spoke up looking deeply into my eyes. "Welcome home." **_**'How I wished that were really true – that this was her home.'  
**_**  
"That sounds nice." I answered him somewhat breathlessly. **_**'Is he ever going to stop dazzling me? Now it isn't just his eyes, his face, his lips, his touch, but his words as well!'  
**_**  
**_** 'Oh, here I am getting lost again in her warm brown eyes.'**_** Edward then set me down. **_**'There, that ought to give us both some space for a few minutes.'**_** He thought as though catching his breath. **

**From the visual I watched as I immediately wrapped both of my arms around him**_**. 'I don't want to let there be any space between us tonight. This house isn't so much my home as he is.'**_

**Edward's mental thoughts continued as though without a pause while mine played out**_**. 'Her heat sears right through me. I need to find something to take my mind off the proposals my body is sending me. Ah… proposals… ring… diamonds…'**_

"**I have something for you." Edward then said in a conversational tone. **_**'Oh, I hope she likes the diamond charm I have longed to give her.'  
**_**  
"Just don't tell her what it is dear." Edward's mother admonished sagely.**

"**Oh?" I asked confused from the visual. **_**'What is Edward up too? I already have no way to make any of this up to him.'**_****

"Your hand-me-down, remember? You said that was allowable." Edward replied_**. 'Why am I feeling suddenly so unsure? How will she take my gift? Will she like it? What if she balks at its extravagance?'**_****

"Oh, that's right; I guess I did say that." I said slowly with consternation. 

**Edward laughed.**

_**'She is reluctant, as I expected. I don't know how to break down this perceived inequity she imagines exists between us.'**_** Edward mused in mild frustration.**

"It's up in my room. Shall I go get it?" Edward asked from the visual while his thoughts continued. _**'I'll be back in a few seconds, and I'll use that time to allow the fire in my veins to cool and regain a little more control. I'm becoming increasingly aware of just how alone we are here. There's no voices in my head, no reminders of the sensitive ears of my family nor the less sensitive ears of Charlie who sleeps much too soundly for his daughter's good. We are completely alone. We could say--and do, whatever we want. But, of course, we won't – I won't allow it. Yet, the possibility of it filled the air with an electrical current that is nearly irresistible--nearly. I need to take a breather. Maybe I'll pick up the ring while I'm up there… just in case.'  
**_

'_**His bedroom? This sounds better by the minute.'**_** I'd thought and then said, "Sure" and I wove my fingers through his before adding, "Let's go."**

**It took Edward a mere ten seconds to respond to my request by scooping me off my feet and heading for his room three stories above. His thoughts kept pace with him. **_**'Her enthusiasm is overriding my carefully designed plan to have a brief retreat from the intensity of her presence. Instead I'm pulling her even closer, scooping her up into my arms and running to the bedroom, suddenly anxious to have her there. In order to give her the gift, of course.'**_

**Wow!' My thoughts continued as though Edward and I were of one mind. **_**'He must be very eager to give me my non-present because normal human velocity doesn't seem to be fast enough for him now. He's flying up the stairs. Who needs to turn into a bat, when you can do this?'  
**_

"**That was interesting." Llasa said almost stunned. "They were going pretty much on auto-pilot there. No guidance or direction necessary."**

"**Are you sure he's going to be okay alone with her up there?" Samon asked Chandra and Dagda.**

"**Who, Edward?" Dagda asked in an off-handed manner.**

"**Of course he will be." Chandra added.**

"**Really?" Samon said somewhat nervously. "How many extra hormones did you give her this time Chandra?" He added.**

**Chandra cleared her throat. "Well, perhaps we'd better get up there all the same." She added somewhat abashed.**

…

**The next visual showed Edward and me, sitting in the center of his black cast iron bed with the golden comforter. Edward was studying me very carefully. Well, as carefully as he could as I was too embarrassed to meet his gaze. He had already given me my 'crystal' that turned out to be a diamond charm—a rather expensive diamond charm I have since come to treasure for its similarities to my sweetheart. At this point of the visual, Edward and I had already begun negotiations for our compromise. One of the hardest parts for me was in simply explaining what my 'condition' was. Of course there were five supernatural beings in the room although they appeared to not be that interested in what we were doing as they had when we were in the meadow. I was sure it was just an act, but really! Llasa looked out the window; Samon was inspecting Edward's impressive CD collection. Chandra and Dagda appeared to be simply lost in each other's eyes. Elizabeth, my mother-in-law, guardian angel was another matter. She was sitting on the edge of Edward's black leather sofa across the narrow room from the bed, very anxiously and intently leaning forward as if willing the negotiations to begin.**

"**I didn't realize there was anything else you wanted besides being transformed into a monster yourself." Edward had responded totally baffled to my request to iron out a few 'details'. "I'm extremely curious." '**_**Why won't she look up at me? What could it be? What in the world could be so much that she wouldn't simply ask? Why go through this charade of a negotiation? Didn't she know she could ask anything of me and I would gladly give it?'**_

**I was clearly floundering in the visual. I kept my head down and before I could continue my cheeks blushed from embarrassment of my yet unmade request. **_**'He's getting frustrated because he can't hear my thoughts. I can tell by the slight edge to his voice. But how do I explain this to him? Can I even say the word 'sex' aloud? No—definitely not. There is no way I'll get that one out. I can hardly think the word. So if I can't think it, how in the world do I say it? Maybe I can find a way to dance around it until he figures it out himself. I can't even bring myself to look at him. I feel so—so self-conscious all of a sudden.'**_

**Edward's mental voice continued, **_**'Okay, my patience slipping now--faltering at her sudden pooling of blood in her cheeks. Ask me already!'**_** "You're blushing? Please Bella, the suspense is painful." **

**In the visual I'd bit my then soft, human lip**_**. **_

'_**Why can't I just read her mind?**_**'Edward had thought getting more bothered by his inability to grasp my meaning. "Bella" Edward said sternly.**

"**I can certainly agree to the painful suspense part." Llasa piped up without moving his gaze from the window.**

"**Tell him why you're worried dear," Elizabeth suggested helpfully from her perch on the sofa.**

My thoughts were almost panicked. 'I _**know, I know, it's hard for you to understand. Perhaps I can explain it best by going through the process I took myself.' **_**Then I said hesitantly while finally looking up at him. "Well, I'm a little worried, about after." **

'_**I know that, and yet I still haven't the foggiest notion where this was going.'**_** Edward thought in frustration. **_**'Has she changed her mind entirely? Has the last two nights preparing for battle finally scared her? I would be a little glad if they had. Or have I asked too much in my mock negotiation and this is her way of backing out of everything – of us? No, she clearly said she still wanted to change and not wait. I need to work through my frustration and work to soften my voice to try to comfort her into getting to the point.' **_**"What has you so worried?" **_**'Ahh, that seems to have worked. The floodgates have opened and now, I can see she will release all of her pent up worries. Then I can get to the bottom of this.'**_****

"All of you seem so convinced that the only thing I'm going to be interested in, afterward, is slaughtering everyone in town. And I'm afraid I'll be so preoccupied with the mayhem that I won't be me anymore." I said and then hesitated. Edward winced at my vocabulary usage in the visual.

"**That may have been a little harsh." Samon said.**

"**But effective all the same." Llasa countered.**

'_**Here we are now, finally close to the real issue.'**_** Edward thought happily yet still stressed out by my angst.**

"…**and that I won't--I won't want you the same way I do now." I finally stammered out. **_**'There! I finally said it.'**_

"**Very nicely said." Mother commended me.**_**  
**_**  
Edward's thoughts picked up at my new revelation. **_**'I haven't really thought of that. I've been worried she would eventually hate me for turning her into a monster, but is it possible, in the absence of that, her feelings for me might simply change after being transformed? I doubt it. Emmett's feelings for Rosalie had only increased after the change – would it be that way for us? Or not? I feel suddenly so unsure of myself. How do I respond to this? I don't know. I guess the only way I can. I'll just reassure her, and me.' **_**  
"Bella, that part doesn't last forever."**

**Llasa made a noise of a jet crashing. 'Zeeeer boom! The birdie has missed the target.' He said as though on a radio giving a war tactical, "or maybe it's just crashed and burned. Either way, that explanation went right over his head."**

I looked at Edward_**. 'No, I finally get the words out and he misses the point altogether. I'll have to try again. There is no backing down now.'**_

'_**I feel as though I'm missing a vital piece of our conversation while I've been wallowing in self doubt. I need to review our conversation in back in my mind…'**_** Edward thought in confusion.**

**From Chandra's home room, Edward pulled me closer momentarily and chuckled into my ear. "I was pretty clueless there wasn't I" I nodded and he kissed my neck behind my ear and then drew his nose down to my shoulder and back. It still sent electrical tingling out clear to my toes and fingertips.**

**Then in the visual, I went on, staring back down at my hand. "Edward, there's something that I want to do before I'm not human anymore." **_**'That is provided I don't die right now from either embarrassment, or a heart attack.'  
**_

"**There," Llasa said approvingly. "Direct and open. Now we'll get somewhere!"**

**  
**_** 'Okay, she still wants to join me. That's a relief.'**_** Edward thought. He'd relaxed slightly. **_**'But what does she want? I feel like I'm grasping at the edge of something – teetering really; so close to what I want and all she has to do is tell me. She already knows I'd give her anything: houses, jewels, cars. She should know I would do anything – climb mountains, trek across continents, swim oceans – whatever, just to be with her; if she would only say it. Please Bella love, just say it, please!'**_** When Edward finally spoke his voice was calm and patient not at all reflecting his internal debate, "Whatever you want." He said.**

"Do you promise?" I responded. _**'This is sooo not going to work. But he is just so clueless I can't resist trying.'**_

"**No Bella," Samon said still studying the CD's. "Why try going with something that is guaranteed to backfire on you?"**_**  
**_**  
"Yes!" Edward replied**_**. '…absolutely – just tell me already, please!'**_** "Tell me what you want and you can have it."**

'_**I can't believe how awkward and idiotic I feel.'**_** I'd thought. **_**'I haven't got the faintest idea how to be desirable and alluring. I'll just have to settle for flushed and self-conscious. I can't tell him. I'll have to show him instead. He needs a hint.'  
**_**  
**_**'I'm completely torn up in this state of confusion.'**_** Edward thought and it almost seemed as though he would throw his hands up in frustration**_**. 'I can't fathom what she could possibly want that would require all this lead up, all this confusion, all this stress. How about a hint of what is coming? She seems so uncomfortable, unable to make this simple request. I am completely baffled'.**_****

"You." I finally answered him almost incoherently.

"**She's told him twice and twice he's missed the obvious." Llasa said as he started drawing stick figures in the condensation he'd created on the glass expressly for that purpose.**

**Edward thought, **_**'WHAT? Is that easy?'**_** "I'm yours." **_**'Is that all? All this angst – for that? I'm already hers – doesn't she know? Does this mean she wanted to get married? Or not? I feel… happy? But I'm still totally confused with the entire conversation; as though I'm still missing some vital portion of the last few minutes. Does she simply need reassurance of my love, of my devotion? Let me get back to my replay…'  
**_**  
From the visual I leaned forward and kissed him then. Edward kissed me back bewildered yet willing. Then my hands slipped from his collar to the front of his shirt and I started unbuttoning.**

'**That works." Sammon commented in satisfaction with a quick glance in our direction. "When subtle doesn't work; go with blatantly obvious."**

**Edward was busily replaying our entire conversation from the time we'd arrived in the house until up to that point back in his mind when I'd begun the kiss. As his body responded back– a part of his vampire brain started gauging the pressure and strength with which he pressed his lips to mine, part of his brain kept a firm grasp on the desire that was building within him, while the rest continued to work through the puzzle of our exchange. He was so engaged in solving the puzzle, only a small fragment of his mind noticed when my hands slipped from around his neck and began unbuttoning his shirt.**

That was when the pieces all suddenly came together and there in his bedroom visual Edward froze. His thoughts placed the pieces in their correct alignment. _**'Her awkwardness, her embarrassment, the blushing, the difficulty of the entire conversation--she wants ME--as a human.'**_

'**Bingo!" Llasa said as he was about to complete a hang man figure.  
…**

"**You know why I have to say no. You know that I want you, too." Edward explained gently. **_**'I want you right now. But I have to be firm on this. I have to keep her safe. I have to be responsible. Or do I? Yes—yes, I do!'  
**_

"**Actually, no you don't Edward." Dagda said while still concentrating on his wife Chandra. While the distracted actions of all of the four perfected beings seemed slightly odd, I couldn't comprehend what it was the two of them were doing. It didn't appear to be any kind of intimate moment—but rather as though they were locked in a joint mental task of some kind.**

"Do you?" I had whispered back at Edward. _**'Right.'**_

"**Don't even think that Bella." Mother chided me gently. "This is very difficult for Edward but you are right to fight for this, so don't get your feelings hurt. Show your mettle here. You know how Edward feels."**

Edward was lost trying to decipher my words and expression. _**'This is just like last fall when she had been so easily swayed to believe I didn't love her – she now doubts my desire for her. How can she, when every minute of every day I'm with her I have to beat my body into submission to not simply take her? The desire I feel at every touch, every kiss – is that not clearly evident? Every time I pull away from her, it causes me physical pain. Can she not see, not feel that I want her with every fiber of my body – that I crave her?'**_** Edward thought before quietly saying, "No. It's not possible now. Later, when you're less breakable. Be patient, Bella."**

"**You need to listen to Bella and your body at least this time." Dagda said again. He appeared to be Edward's own personal cheering section.**

From the visual I'd fought for control to keep my voice firm and reasonable to say what I had needed to say, "But that's the problem. I won't be the same when I'm less breakable. I won't be the same! I don't know who I'll be then."

"You'll still be Bella" Edward said to reassured me.

"But I will always be thirsty most of all. It will be what I want most, won't it? Blood, blood and more blood." I demanded.

"The fact that you are still alive is proof that is not true." Edward pointed out. _**'Though only barely.'**_** He thought to himself grimly.**

"**Don't let him talk you out of this Bella." Chandra encouraged me from her mind game.**

"Over eighty years later" I replied countering Edward, "What I meant was physically, though. Intellectually, I know I'll be able to be myself--after awhile. But just purely physically – I will always be thirsty, more than anything else."

"**I think it's time to finally give Edward an epiphany of his own." Dagda said while continuing to stare into Chandra's eyes. The rest of the supernaturals nodded in agreement.**

Edward's thoughts became reflective _**'Since the moment she said she wanted to join me in my lifeless existence, I have accused her of not knowing what she was asking for. I've worried that, once she was changed, she would resent me for doing this to her – for condemning her to this existence. I can see, now, she understands as much as she can what she is choosing. Perhaps the time preparing for the newborns has been too informative or maybe she has known all along. She is more than perceptive enough. And yet, as much as she seems to understand the consequences of what she will become, she is still willing to do so – to be with me. Am I just now beginning to realize of the depths of her love? I am speechless.'  
**_**  
"So, I will be different." I went on, completely unaware of Edward's epiphany. "Because right now, physically, there's nothing I want more than you; more than food, or water, or oxygen. Intellectually, I have my priorities in a slightly more sensible order. But physically…" From the visual, I twisted my head to kiss the palm of his hand.**

"**You can do this Edward." Dagda said in a commanding voice. "In fact, you must. It is your destiny."**

_**'It feels as though a bolt of electricity is coursing straight through my hand and into my body from Bella's kiss. I have, time and time again, underestimated her – her perception, her ability to accept me for what I am, her ability to love me, and the depths of her feelings. Am I also underestimating this – how much it means to her – not just something she wants or some form of reassurance of my love or her desirability? I have no point of comparison, no way to tell her it will be like this again. I have never felt this way before myself. Not even when I was human.'**_** Edward thoughts continued their reasoning and he caught his breath. He then inhaled deeply but it was unsteady. I remembered this surprising me. **

'_**Can I give her this?' My head says 'NO!" while my entire body screams 'YES' at me. Look at how much we've already overcome. And yet, it would take only a moment, a small lapse in control, a second of surrender and I could lose it all.'  
**_**  
"Bella, I could kill you." Edward whispered. **_**'In a moment of lost control I could crush her.'**_

"**True." Llasa said, "But we won't let you."**

**"I don't think you could." I replied obstinately from the visual. "…and I already know how strong you are."**

"What did you mean then?" Edward asked in a dark voice. _**'I can't imagine what possible justification she could possibly have for the risk of what I could do in a moment of passion. Maybe if I look into the windows of her eyes, I can finally begin to comprehend her.'**_**  
**

"**Don't back down now Bella, Believe it or not, your backing him right into a checkmate." Chandra said pleasantly. Still her focus remained on her mate, Dagda.**

"**Chess," Llasa said turning for the first time from the window and grinning over to Samon who went to a nightstand where there was suddenly a three-D chessboard set up. "Excellent" Llasa said enthusiastically.**

'_**I need to stay calm and focused or I'll never explain this right.'**_** I'd thought as I took a deep breath in the visual and continued. "Obviously, not that you aren't physically able to hurt me if you wanted to. More that, you don't want to hurt me; so much so that I don't think that you ever could."**

"**You must Edward. This is your future--your destiny. Trust Bella in this. It is right and it is meant to be. You are destined to be a father--an important father. This is meant to be. Not only can you do this--you must." Dagda said with more urgency to Edward this time.**

Edward's thoughts were in a snarl and he shook his head back and forth slowly. _**'Semantics, madness, there is absolutely no way. It doesn't matter what I want – I would never dream of hurting her. And yet, I have hurt her feelings time and time again. I can't take that chance either.' **_**"It might not work like that, Bella." **_**'Why is there a tone of doubt in my voice? And why doesn't it doesn't surprise me she's caught it as well? Of course she's caught it. I can see it in her eyes. She misses nothing.'**_**  
**

"**Did you hear that qualifier Bella?" Chandra pointed out.  
**

'_**Yes! My opening! Finally, this might work after all!'**_** I thought seizing upon the sudden hope but my reply was a scoff. "Might? You have no more idea what you're talking about than I do."**

"**You're thinking this too much Edward. Your thinking is flawed. You can do this without hurting Bella. You need to trust yourself more." Dagda told him firmly.**

"Exactly. Do you imagine I would ever take that kind of risk with you?" Edward concluded. _**'Well, I had intended for this to be the final argument; the conclusion to this madness. Yet, somehow, even as I am saying these words, and I'm put forward my best attempt at firmness, I can feel the doubt rise within me – and the hope. Maybe if I stared into her eyes, I can will her to believe me that this is impossible, while willing her to love and marry me anyway--and willing myself to be firm.'**_

"**Perhaps you should try begging now Bella" Mother encouraged.**

From the visual I looked into his eyes for a long moment_**. 'There is no sign of compromise to be found in his beautiful face. Not even a hint of indecision. Is this it then? He's just going to write me off. Dismiss this as if it were a prom request? Will I ever have this feeling again? Will I ever know what it would have been like?'**_** My voice came out in a whisper. "Please? It's all I want. Please." I closed my eyes in defeat. **_**'Well, I tried at least. And now here it comes, the quick and final 'NO'.'**_** I'd thought in resignation.**

"**Are you going to let her beg you for what she needs from you like that? Think of all the times you have already overcome the darkness in you to be what you were meant to be with Bella." Dagda goaded Edward encouragingly.**

'_**How can I possible deny her anything when her voice comes to me like this? It is the sweetest of pleadings – with the gentlest softness, caressing away my arguments; weakening my will. She's closed her eyes. In effect she is, closing her self – closing her soul off to me. With that minute action I can see what is at stake and I understand what this means to her. I remember how much I had desired her blood that first day, and so many days after and yet, even as the fire burned in my throat with every breath, I could not bring myself to kill her. I thought of the meadow and how, though the desire for her blood and her body were so strong I had almost satisfied both in a moment of weakness, I had been able to run away. I remember how I had drawn out the venom stained blood from James' bite and, though the taste was the sweetest thing I had ever known, I had found the will to stop before killing her. Could I do this? Can I be intimate with her as a human?'**_** Edward thought through his mental anguish.**

"**Of course you can." Llasa said. "In fact, we will be rather put out with you if you don't."**

"**Checkmate," Samon said from the side of the chessboard where he and Llasa had played a micro game. Llasa looked startled and then started scrutinizing the middle board.**

"Time for you to add a qualifier now Bella, that will seal the deal for you." Chandra said still concentrating.

'_**Where is my quick and final no? What is he doing now? Is his breathing—uneven again?**_**' I opened my eyes and saw Edward's pained expression. "Please?" I whispered again.**_** 'Is he thinking about it now? Really considering it?'**_** I jumped in, my words spilling out of me as I rushed to take advantage of his sudden uncertainty. "You don't have to make any guarantees. If it doesn't work out right, well, then that's that. Just let us try--only try. And I'll give you want you want. I'll marry you. I'll let you pay for Dartmouth, and I won't complain about the bribe to get me in. You can even buy me a fast car if that makes you happy! Just… please." **_**'I'm being rash, but I don't really care just now.'  
**_

"**Don't deny her Edward. You know this is meant to be. Deep in your core you know it. You need to have more faith in yourself, in Bella and in your ability to keep her safe." Dagda continued.**

**  
**_**'Everything in my being desires to give her what she wants – not only because I want it myself, but because I want, so much, to give her--her heart's desire.'**_** From the visual Edward clutched me tighter to him. **_**'How can I deny her? When I feel her warmth and hear her heart? How do I will myself to refuse her – to refuse myself, when my will has just deserted me? I now know somehow I will agree to her demand. Somehow I will find a way to make it work. But how?' **_**"This is unbearable." Edward whispered in my ear, "So many things I've wanted to give you – and this is what you decide to demand. Do you have any idea how painful it is, trying to refuse you when you plead with me this way?"**

"Then don't refuse." I suggested back to him breathlessly. He didn't respond.

_**'She said "try" – could we try? If I felt I was losing control or if it became unsafe, I could stop, or could I? How close to the edge could I get before jumping off into oblivion? Could I really and truly give her what she wants – be with her as I could if I were human – be with her as I want to with every square inch of my body?'**_****

"Please" I implored him again.

_**'That's enough. I have no more will left. Her warm body has just melted away the last of my resolve'.**_** "Bella" Edward said aloud as he shook his head slowly but not in denial as his face and lips moved back and forth across my throat.**

"**That seems to be working rather well!" Llasa said as though he'd done all the work. "Okay, now make them stop."**

'_**That doesn't feel like a denial. No, it sounds more like surrender.'**_** I thought with a deep intensity as I twisted in his arms to kiss his lips. His hands seized my face. **_**'Is this it? Is he going to push me away again? No, I'm wrong. This kiss is not so gentle. I can feel the conflict coming through it. There is a desperation in the way his lips move.'**_

"**Stop now! Edward, Bella," Mother said in rising alarm. "They weren't supposed to take care of Bella's demand right now!" She said in a panic.**

"**No they're not." Samon said as the game vanished and he stood up. He didn't seem to pay any attention to us on the bed but rather focused his energy on Chandra and Dagda. "Hello, we have a major problem here."**

'_**My body just takes right over as soon as I yield. But this time it feels different. My desire is flaring with a ferocity that eclipses every feeling I have ever felt before. The one remaining hold out – a small part, a very, very small part of my brain – is still telling me 'no' – but I have no further arguments, no further will to fight against my desire coupled with her own.'**_** Edward thought in ****capitulation****.**

**From the visual our passion deepened as I locked my arms around his neck and pressed my body closer to him.**

**Dagda said as though struggling to hold on to a bucking bull, "I know it reared up out of nowhere. I'm working on it."**

"**They aren't married yet." Mother said worriedly. "Edward, this is not how you treat your intended. DO you hear me?" She sighed and then turned on me, "Bella, you need to show a little more reserve now. Trust me on this. Do you have any idea how much trouble you'll get in if you cannot restrain yourself until you are married in the sight of God?"**

**Edward thought then**_**, 'I'm not sure exactly how this started happening. I don't know and I don't care—I just don't want it to end. Her body feels like molten lava against mine and her shivering isn't from the cold. I can't get enough of her.'**_

"**Elizabeth makes a good point." Llasa said sheepishly. "Not to mention how much trouble we could get in too. I mean, we're the ones that gave Bella too many hormones here and Dagda you were just telling Edward to go for it, weren't you?"**

**When I was out of air in the visual, I broke away gasping for air and Edward moved his lips down my throat.**

"**Bella dear, this is bad timing." Mother said hopelessly.**

**My thoughts were almost euphoric**_**. 'I'm actually going to get what I want. I feel like I'm riding some strange 'high' from my victory. I feel…powerful—brave.' **_**I was very thankful Chandra put everyone into a 'sleep state' as I from the visual deftly unbuttoned Edward's shirt and traced the planes of his chest. **_**'He is too beautiful. He is a magnificent statue of a god. What was the word he just used? Unbearable—that was it; his beauty is too much to bear.'**_

"**This is not good for a number of reasons." Chandra said still in deep concentration and thought lines crossed her forehead. "Vampire sperm carries the characteristics of its host."**

"**What do you mean by that?" Llasa said perplexed. "Are you saying they're fast little guys?"**

**Edward's thoughts revealed the feelings he was succumbing to. '**_**When exactly did Bella undo my shirt? I'm not sure but suddenly it feels as though the lava is flowing down my chest from her fingers as she touches me. Desire courses through my body unrestrained now and I need to taste her mouth again.'**_** I watched as Edward removed one hand from my face and wrapped it tightly around my waist. **_**'There, I can press her body closer to my now bare chest. It feels as though my body is dry tinder and she is the flame. I don't mind it at all. Under her touch, her body, I'll happily burn.**_**'**

"**Fast and accurate," Dagda responded quickly while still working to maintain control of his mental link with not just Chandra but Edward as well.**

"**No!" Llasa said aghast. "We can't have 'The Hope of the World' conceived out of wedlock. The repercussions would be staggering. And yet we can try to influence them but we can't take away their free will to chose."**

In the visual I pulled his mouth back to mine as I thought. _**'He seems to be as eager as I am. I'm pressed so tightly against him that it's a little tight to reach the front of my shirt--but not impossible.' **_** I tried to reach for my shirt.**

**Then Samon closed his eyes and a look of deep concentration spread across his face as well. Then he sighed and a look of dread spread across his features. "It's worse than that. A fertilized vampire egg starts multiplying at an astronomical rate and as such, requires attachment to the uterine wall almost immediately to sustain its nutritional requirements. Bella isn't at the right point in her cycle for an egg to make it that far. If Edward's sperm are introduced into Bella's system now; Bella will still become pregnant but it would produce a fertilized egg that would attach in her fallopian tube and she would have a vampiric ectopic pregnancy that would kill her before she even knew she was pregnant.'**

**All five of the supernaturals looked and listened to Edward's next thought in growing dismay**_**. 'What is she trying to do now? She's trying to remove her blouse. Sorry Bella, I'm feeling inclined to do that myself instead. I'll just reach down to remove her hands so I can take their place.'**_** Edward thought amorously. **

"**We have to stop them at all costs!" Mother said. "We need to get to Edward! Bella has too many hormones playing havoc with her. Focus on Edward. He knows better anyway. I know he does--as I was the one who taught him."**

"**We can remind him he needs to talk to Carlisle first!" Dagda said urgently. **

**At that all five of them yelled at Edward, "STOP!! Don't forget to talk to Carlisle first!"  
**

"_**STOP…Carlisle?'**_** Edward thought. He was startled by the shout in his head and it took him a minute to realize it was his own thoughts; though they were boosted a bit. Then he'd pulled my hand away from my blouse and over my head, laying me on a pillow. Edward breathed deeply and it was easy to see him regain control from the visual. 'I need to rein in this desire. Just moments ago it was running rampant through my entire body. I can barely trust myself to speak, but I need her help if I'm going to do this right. "Bella, would you please stop trying to take your clothes off?" He said right next to my ear.**

**The supernaturals in the room all visibly relaxed.**

"Do you want to do that part?" I asked Edward confused. _**'Is something different now? Is he going to pull away now?'**_

"**You listen to me Edward." Mother said sternly. "You'd better show this young lady a little more respect. Do you have any idea how lucky you are to have her? Just because she hasn't been taught about proper sexual relationships, and her mother didn't set the best example for her in that department, doesn't give you the right to take advantage of her in such a manner. You do this the right way—the honorable way—the gentleman's way, and most importantly of all, the Masen way."**

**My husband looked to his side at his Mother and gave her a squeeze. "Thank you Mom. What would I ever do without you? Even unseen you were there guiding me."**

**Elizabeth gazed back and said, "Thank you, Son. Thank you for listening. You are a good son. Both when you were mortal as well as now." She patted our hands and the visual started back up.**

**  
**_**'Yes, I want to do that part, but her unexpected response just gave me what I needed. Because If I am going to do this…I mean, if we are going to do this, we need to do it the right way.'**_** "Not tonight" I brushed my lips gently against her face.**

"Edward, don't… " I cut her off. _**'Don't turn me down now.'**_****

"I'm not saying 'no', I'm just saying not tonight." Edward said to reassure me. _**'I need to talk to Carlisle – to know what to expect. So I can prepare myself. If we are going to do this, I need to do what I could to ensure her safety – and – we need to do this right.'  
**_**  
"Give me one good reason why tonight is not as good as any other night?" I'd argued back. **_**'Great, I'm still breathless and it makes the frustration in my voice much less impressive.'**_

"**You may as well spell it out for her, Edward. Just spit it out." Llasa advised him as he lounged on the black sofa next to Mother now. "She's more perceptive than you. She'll probably get it pretty fast."**

**I leaned back into my husband upon hearing Llasa's constant barrage of off-handed comments thrown good-naturedly at my sweetheart. "Who does Llasa remind you of?" I murmured softly to him as I brought my hand up to cradle his face as it rested on my shoulder from behind.**

"**Definitely Emmett." He said back with a sly grin. "Emmett with an electric bite!" **

**Mother still sitting next to Edward and I patted him on the back good naturedly.**

"**The thunder god?" I asked him with a chuckle.**

**Chandra looked at us and grinned. Mother did too. At the time, we were the only four conscious 'people' in the room. It would only seem natural they would be included in any conversation. Especially, since they could read our minds at will. "Llasa is quite a character." Chandra agreed. "Just take everything he says with a grain of salt. He does have a heart of pure gold--figuratively speaking of course, and he really does love both of you two. So don't get too put out with him."**_**  
**_

'_**Hmm…'**_** Edward thought in the visual. **_**'I'm reluctant to give her my real reason; it is something so private to me that I have a fear that she'd mock me for it. So instead, I'll go back to our negotiation, I can always hope she'll buy my explanation'. **_** "I wasn't born yesterday" '**_**the humor of that statement in my particular case suddenly makes me want to laugh.'**_** "Out of the two of us, which do you think is more unwilling to give the other what they want? You just promised to marry me before you do any changing, but if I give in tonight, what guarantee do I have that you won't go running off to Carlisle in the morning? I am – clearly – much more reluctant to give you what you want. Therefore… you first."**

Edward thought's started out full of self-recriminations_**. 'My argument is weak, I know. After all, she is not the one who's gone back on their word or failed on their promises. No, that would be me. Wait, the words I have just spoken hit me. She is agreeing to marry me. She is saying "yes". I feel an overpowering thrill of joy surfacing to replace the burning desire that has only just receded.'**_

"**Don't start counting your chickens now, Edward," Dagda warned. "This isn't exactly a done deal yet. But it is definitely headed in a good direction now."**

I exhaled with a loud huff in the visual. My eyes got big as the shock of his words hit me. "I have to marry you first?" I asked incredulously_**. 'My mother will SO kill me. I'll have to get changed before she finds out just in case.'**_

'_**Okay, it wasn't a solid yes – yet.'**_** Edward thought. "That's the deal – take it or leave it. Compromise, remember?" **_**'I know it isn't fair, but I'll go ahead and take advantage of my new found appreciation for her physical desire –by kissing her deeply, persuasively… after all, I never agreed to fight fair.'**_

**  
With that he kissed me with as much passion as he had just moments before.**

"**Edward is getting pretty good at this 'art of persuasion' you know." Llasa said as though giving his own stamp of approval.**

…

"**Look Edward" I murmured. My voice sounded wheedling. "I said I would marry you, and I will. I promise. I swear. If you want, I'll sign a contract in my own blood."**

**Llasa started laughing hysterically. Samon joined in but tried to stifle his laughter by hiding it in a throat clearing. "That Bella is really a hoot. Imagine that--offering to sign a contract with a vampire in blood." Llasa said. He appeared to be trying to bat tears out of his eyes. Okay, come on Llasa, it really wasn't that funny. And to back me up, from the visual Edward agreed.**

"Not funny." Edward murmured in between kisses from where his lips sat at the moment at the inside of my wrist. _**'Actually, it is a little funny.'**_****

I pressed on, "What I'm saying is this – I'm not going to trick you or anything. You know me better than that. So there's really no reason to wait. We're completely alone. How often does that happen? And you've provided this very large and comfortable bed…" 

"**Well, not precisely alone…" Chandra corrected.**

'_**My Bella is definitely persistent.'**_** Edward thought dryly but in good humor. "Not tonight." He repeated,**_** 'If I'm doing this, I'm doing it right.'**_

"**He is great isn't he?" Mother said happily.**

"Don't you trust me?" I asked simply.

"Of course I do."Edward answered. _**'I trust her implicitly. I trust her completely. I trust that she isn't going to let this go, though I wish that she would.'**_****

In the visual, I'd used the hand he was still kissing to pull his face back up to where I could see his expression. "Then what's the problem? It's not like you didn't know you were going to win in the end." I scowled as I muttered, "You always win."

"**Actually, this way you both win! You just don't see that yet." Chandra said smugly.**

'_**She's trying to provoke me into giving something away. Sorry Bella, I won't fall for it,'**_** Edward thought before saying calmly, "Just hedging my bets."**

"**See, what did I say? Bella is too perceptive." Llasa said. "How long do you think it will take her to get this one?" His siblings just laughed at him. They weren't about to speculate on my awareness. They knew I was on the verge of figuring this one out. After all, they were the ones who had given me my 'keen' powers of observation to begin with.**

"There's something else." I guessed narrowing my eyes. _**'I know there is. I can practically see it in his carefully guarded expression. There's defensiveness about him. A faint hint of some secret motive he's trying to hide behind his casual manner.'**_

**Edward's thoughts picked up then. **_**'When she looks at me like this, she usually figures things out. She is SO perceptive. I wonder how long it will take her to ferry out my true motivation, my true reason. I haven't been able to keep anything from her for long – not when she's seeking truth.**_**' **

"**Are you planning to go back on your word?" I finally asked him.**

"No, I swear to you, we will try. After you marry me." Edward promised solemnly. 

"**That's my boy!" Mother nodded with evident pride. She leaned over and patted his cheek from where she sat with her arm around him there seated in Chandra's home room.**

Back in the visual, I'd laughed without humor and shook my head, "You make me feel like a villain in a melodrama – twirling my mustache while I try to steal some poor girls' virtue."

"**Bingo!" Llasa said. Okay, now I was positive he and Emmett were somehow related.**

**In the visual, I'd watched as Edward's eyes wearily flashed across my face before he quickly ducked down to press his lips to my collarbone**_**. 'I don't believe it!' **_**I thought humorously.**

_** 'Oh, oh…'**_** Edward thought as he caught sight of my face**_**. 'I think she's already processed my motives. But maybe if I can distract her with more kisses, she won't realize that she's just hit the nail on the head: one…two…three kisses…four…'  
**_** "She needs to know Edward, the sooner you make her understand your position and how important it is to you, the sooner you can become officially engaged. How does that sound?" Dagda said confidently. **

"**That's it, isn't it?" I answered. A short laugh escaped me that was more shocked than amused. I'd covered my mouth to muffle the giggle that followed. "You're trying to protect your virtue!" **_**'I have to admit, I never saw that one coming! It's so…old-fashioned.''**_

"**Now Bella dear, you need to calm down and really listen to Edward. This is important to him and even though you don't realize it yet. This is important to you as well." Mother had admonished me sagely.**

Edward stopped kissing me in the visual. His thoughts were full of hurt and self reproach. _**'I can feel my heart sink a little from her reaction. This was why I didn't want to bring it up. Her laughter hurts me almost as much as her initial reaction to my first proposal did. I'm trying to be noble, I'm trying to be good, I'm trying to not be the monster that I am – and she laughs. I know she comes from a different time, with different values then those I grew up with, but while I understand her callous disregard for my attempts at chivalry, be them as they may, her reaction is hurtful. I will try to respond in such a way that it doesn't betray my pain.' **_**Edward thought while laying his head on her shoulder. "No, silly girl," He'd muttered against my shoulder. "I'm trying to protect yours. And you're making it shockingly difficult."**

"**I'm sorry Sweetie," I said to my husband there at Chandra's place. "I didn't understand how closely your morality and your honor were tied together--at least not yet. And for what it's worth, you were right." I rolled my eyes, though from his position behind me the gesture was lost on him. "You're always right."**

"**It's okay love. Everything turned out okay. I never realized how fortunate we were that night. It has always been one of my favorite nights." My husband replied to me as I sat there in his lap.**

"**Hmmm, top ten?" I murmured back to him.**

"**Definitely!" He whispered back in my ear.**

"Of all the ridiculous-" I sounded so affronted in the visual. It was a bit embarrassing, given the company hearing my tirade.

From the visual, Edward cut me off. His tone was a little angry. "Let me ask you something_**." 'I want to press my point—to make her understand'.**_** "We've had this discussion before, but humor me. How many people in this room have a soul? A shot at heaven or whatever there is after this life?"**

"Two," I responded with absolute conviction_**. 'How many times do I have to tell him? Is there even a way to convince him on this point?'**_

"**See love, sometimes you're the one who's right." Edward whispered in my ear as we watched the visual continue.**

**Edward had thought**_**, 'Maybe she was right. But still, that's just all the more reason to not disrupt things.'**_** Then he said, "All right. Maybe that's true. Now, there's a world full of dissension about this`, but the vast majority seem to think that there are some rules that have to be followed." Then he continued his thoughts, **_**'I've had almost a century to think through this and now it's all coming out at once. I have to make her see – to understand how important this is to me. How strongly I feel about this principle.' **_**"Now, of course, it might be too late for me, even if you are right about my soul."**

"No it isn't" I argued angrily.

"Thou shalt not kill" is commonly accepted by most major belief systems. And I've killed a lot of people, Bella."

"Only the bad ones."

**Samon shook his head. "More to the point, you recognized that it was still wrong to kill. You felt remorse and stopped doing it; denying your inert nature in the process."**

Edward shrugged in the visual. "Maybe that counts, maybe it doesn't. But you haven't killed anyone-"

"That you know about" I muttered.

'_**She's trying to deter me with humor – but she opened this can of worms and now she's going to hear what I think on this particular subject.'**_** Edward thoughts almost sounded perturbed. His voice did not betray his angst. "And I'm going to do my best to keep you out of temptation's way."**

"Okay. But we weren't fighting over committing murder." I had reminded him. I realized as I watched the visual, that I had been as dense to understand Edward's dilemma as he had been to understand mine just minutes earlier that evening.

Edward continued quietly and calmly. "The same principle applies – the only difference is that this is the one area in which I'm just as spotless as you are. Can't I leave one rule unbroken?" _**'Please understand me on this Bella. This is very important to me. To my soul—if I even still have one. Sure after everything I've done—I'm concerned about the condition it is in. This has been something I've worried over for decades. Now I also worry over keeping hers in its pristine condition as well.'  
**_**  
"So that's it. You won't sleep with me until we're married." I looked up at him waiting for him to confirm my analysis.**

**  
"Well, technically I can't ever sleep with you." Edward said pointing out the discrepancy. "But, other than that detail, yes, you've got it right."**

I'd rolled my eyes and then slightly narrowed them. "I think you have an ulterior motive."

**All four of the 'perfected being' siblings laughed at this remark. Chandra was getting high fives and shoulder nudges from all of them.**

"Another one?" Edward said aloud while his eyes widened in surprise. '_**She's already perceptively come up with my most significant consideration after, of course, the main possibility of hurting her. What other motive could I possibly have?'  
**_**  
"You know this will speed things up." I accused him.**

"**It's about time something sped up." Llasa commented dryly.**

_** 'Hmm, actually that is also a good point. I'm really glad that she is so perceptive.' **_**Edward thought in buoyant relief. "There is only one thing I want to speed up, and the rest can wait forever. But for that, it's true; your impatient human hormones are my most powerful ally at this point."**

"**Make that: impatient and overloaded human hormones and Chandra." Samon corrected.**

My thoughts took off in a panic. _**'Am I so oversensitive that it matters to me what people say? I'm leaving and not ever coming back. I just don't want to think about the gossip. Worried about what people would think. I know what they'd think--the same as I would. They'll think I'm some country hick who got knocked up by her boyfriend. That's what they'll assume my reason is for getting married this summer. And then of course there's my mother who has raised me to be practically allergic to marriage. Of course, this is Edward, and this is important to him. So, I can do this for him--as well as for me and my compromise.' **_** By the end, my thoughts were more steady and calm.**

"**Now she worries about people thinking she got 'knocked up' by her boyfriend; when that almost happened just now and with fatal consequences." Samon said shaking his head.**

'_**She has been thinking through the ramifications of our compromise and I can tell she's distressed but now something is different… something in her face – a change – no a resolve. She looks like this; I've seen it so many times before. She agonizes over a decision, but once she has really made it – she simply follows through. It's one of her strengths of character that I fell in love with – her goodness that I am trying so desperately, to preserve as much as I can.'**_** Edward contemplated. **_**'But, still, I can make this easier for her. A wedding, with guests, her in a white dress, on her father's arm – that is my fantasy, not hers. She has given me what I really want – a claim on her. Why not give her a way to make it easy.'**_** Then he spoke out loud for my benefit. "It doesn't have to be a big production. I don't need any fanfare. You won't have to tell anyone or make any changes. We'll go to Vegas – you can wear old jeans and we'll go to the chapel with the drive-through window. I just want it to be official – that you belong to me and no one else."**

"**Edward!" His Mother said in shock. "Jeans and a trip to Vegas? You don't marry someone like this exquisite young woman in such a fashion. You must follow protocol. I want to see her wearing white and on her father's arm." Wow, Mother actually stomped her foot.**

"It couldn't be any more official than it already is." I complaint half heartedly,_** 'Actually that description doesn't sound half bad. Only Alice would be disappointed.' **_

"**Relax Elizabeth" Dagda said comfortingly. "One thing at a time."**

"**Well, okay. I suppose your right. Maybe I am getting a little ahead of myself." Elizabeth said regaining her composure. "I hope he gives her my ring now. I just know she'll love it!"**

**  
"We'll see about that."Edward said as he smiled complacently**_**. 'I wonder how in the world I'm supposed to get this past Alice…'**_** then he interrupted his own thoughts. "I suppose you don't want your ring now?" From the visual, I appeared to be choking on nothing. **_**'Yes, I unfortunately anticipated her reaction correctly this time.'  
**_**  
"You suppose correctly." I finally managed to stammer out. **_**'A ring? Is he kidding? That would be a little conspicuous--wouldn't you say? That sounds a little 'too' married for me just yet.'  
**_**  
I laughed at her pained expression**_**. 'You'd think I'd have just proposed pulling her toe nails off one by one instead of marriage. She is definitely not like any other girl I have ever known.'**_** "That's fine. I'll get it on your finger soon enough."**

"**Bella, you'll really like this ring. Wait until you see it! It is the one thing I can give you too." Elizabeth said with real feeling.**

From the visual I'd glared at Edward and said, "You talk like you already have one."

_** 'She's glaring at me, true – but do I see a hint of curiosity there as well? She has already done so well with my earlier gift, maybe she'll do well with this one too?'**_** Edward mused hopefully. "I do--ready to force upon you at the first sign of weakness."**

"You're unbelievable." I said back almost in a scathing manner.

"Do you want to see it?" Edward asked with excitement shinning in his liquid topaz eyes. _**'I feel so excited at the prospect – will she like it? I hope so. I think it will be perfect for her. She seemes to like old fashioned things…'**_

"**Of course she does!" Mother said excitedly.**_**  
**_**  
"No!" My response was a shout and an automatic reflex. In the visual, Edward's face fell ever so slightly. **_**'Shoot, why did I blurt that out? I hate to hurt Edward's feelings. What is my problem? What is the big panic about an engagement ring anyway?'**_

"**Of course you do!" Mother said shooting an exasperated look in my direction.**

**You know, I was starting to get an uneasy feeling about this. I loved being married and I loved my ring. But I hadn't been the most gracious fiancée to grace the planet. If I had understood that not only was it Edward's mother's ring, but that she was there watching me get it--well, I might have been a little more courteous about the whole thing. For that matter, if I'd known what my mother's reaction would have been and how much I would actually love being Edward's wife. Well, I couldn't change the past. Only repair the damage and make a better future. So I knew it was high time for some repairing.**

'_**I thought I was gauging her responses correctly but this one has truly shocked me, although I should have anticipated it. Still, I'm disappointed. I had hoped, once she saw the ring, maybe she'd want to try it on. Maybe even wear it. But I guess maybe I've already pushed things enough for tonight. I've actually advanced our relationship so much further than I had hoped or dreamed. I should be ecstatic. Of course…so should she.'**_** Edward thought grimly.**

"**Bella, you're hurting Edward's feelings. You don't want to do that, do you?" Mother said carefully to me.**

"Unless you really want to show it to me." I'd amended my previous statement while grinding my teeth in my stress. _**'I've got to keep my illogical stress from showing through here.'**_

'_**She's trying to appease me. The problem is that I'm not really interested in being appeased – I want her to want it.'**_** Edward then replied shrugging his shoulders. "That's all right. It can wait."**

I sighed, "Show me the damn right, Edward."

'_**Nice…'**_** Edward had thought sarcastically while he shook his head. "No."**

"**Nooooo! She did not just say that." Mother's voice was scathing as she put a hand over her heart. "Of all the unsophisticated, uncivilized distinctions to give to MY ring! My poor son! Poor me too!" She shook her head and her lips turned into a grim line. "You had better straighten up right now young lady. And apparently, I'm using that term loosely at this moment."**

**I looked over at my wonderful mother-in-law as she sat beside Edward and I. She was looking at me as well. We both looked a little embarrassed. "Mother," I began. "I am truly sorry that I said that about your ring." It was hard to hold her gaze. Edward rubbed my shoulder in encouragement. "I don't really know why I behaved that way and I was so terrified of marriage. I know I came from a broken home and I was still pretty young for our day and age, but those were just excuses and I do love my ring. Now that I know and love you, my wedding ring is extremely precious to me. I'll think about you every time I see it."**

**Mother seemed to have a hard time composing herself as well and she finally said, "You are an amazing woman Bella. You are the only one I would ever want for my Edward. I know that you were panicked about marriage and I shouldn't have been so shocked by your outburst. I also am sorry. Sorry that I said you were not a lady. You are a lady I am proud to call my daughter. And I love you too."**

**Before I even had a chance to realize it, I was in another three person embrace as I hugged Elizabeth while Edward was still attached to me. I kissed her cheek while Edward kissed my hair from behind. I turned to him and added, "You know Edward, I am sorry that I laughed at you for being 'old-fashioned' and gave you so much trouble about the ring and s-e-x that night."**

**Edward gave me one of his most dazzling smiles that was so bright it literally knocked me off my feet. He felt my knees give way and caught me—pulling me back into his arms and sat down again. "I've still got it! And I'll take that apology later—when we're alone." Then it was my turn to smile. Thank goodness Emmett was in lala land. He would have a field day with a comment like that.**

The visual started back up again as I'd studied Edward's expression for a long moment. 

'_**There, her expression has changed--softened and in it, I can now see, looking deep in her eyes, her love.'**_** Edward thought peacefully.**

"**Please" I pleaded in my soft, quiet, small voice. I touched his face lightly with the tips of my fingers. **_**'I wonder how well I can experiment here with my newly discovered weapon.'**_** "Please, can I see it?"**

_**'What is it about that her voice making such quiet pleas that melts my irritation and resolve away? It's her quiet voice that I can't seem to bring myself to resist.'**_** Edward thought and in the visual he narrowed his eyes. '**_**I know it isn't from desire for my ring or even for our engagement that she makes her request. No, nothing has changed. But she knows now that I can't resist her and she's right.' **_**"You are the most dangerous creature I've ever met." Edward declared.**

In the visual, Edward gracefully got up and knelt next to the small bed side table. In an instant he was sitting next to me on the bed again. One of his arms was around my shoulder. The other hand held a small black box which he balanced on my knee. While he retrieved the ring he thought. _**'I have been carefully keeping my mother's ring ever since deciding that Bella was the only girl I wanted to give it to. Still, I don't dare to hope she'll react at all in a good way to the ring and so I need to guard myself for whatever response is to come.'**_** "Go ahead and look, then…" He said somewhat brusquely. **

**I held my breath.**

"**She'd better like it." Mother said in the visual still irritated.**

I'd hesitated in the visual, and there was a tremor in my hands as I'd lifted the small box_**. 'Why is this so hard? It shouldn't be this hard to pick up this offending little box. But I don't want to hurt Edward again. No, I definitely don't want to do that again. I've got to try to keep my hand shaking to a minimum here.' **_** I said carefully. "You didn't spend a lot of money, did you? Lie to me, if you did."**

"I didn't spend anything." Edward assured me. "It's just another hand-me-down. This is the ring my father gave to my mother." Edward hesitated_**, 'I hope she will understand the significance, but fear that she will and somehow that knowledge will set her off.**_**'**

"Oh," I said surprised. '_**This ring is precious to Edward. And he's sharing it with me.'**_** I'd thought as I pinched the lid between my thumb and forefinger but didn't open it.**

"**Okay," Mother said. "She understands now at least." She sounded somewhat mollified.**

'_**She seems surprised and, possibly, pleased? I can hardly dare to hope she'll like it after all this. Wait, she's hesitating. Maybe I should take it back. Maybe it would be better if we went shopping for a ring together – let her pick out one she likes – that is more practical.'**_** Edward thought worriedly. "I suppose it's a little outdated--old-fashioned, just like me. I can get you something more modern; something from Tiffany's?" '**_**Wait, she's not giving it back.' **_**He'd thought hopefully again.**

"I like old fashioned things." I'd stammered as I'd hesitantly lifted the lid.

"**Of course you do dear, you're a good girl." Mother had added, apparently over her former irritation.**

**Obviously I knew what my beautiful wedding ring looked like but it was still kind of fun watching my expression from the visual and seeing the awe and wonder that sprang to my face upon seeing the unique setting and glimmering diamonds**_**. 'This is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen before in my life. The band is small with delicate gold fragile webbing around the diamonds that sit in slanting rows in front of a large oval diamond. It has to be one of a kind.'**_** I stroked the shimmering gems without thinking.**

**Mother sighed in contentment at my reaction. "It is one of a kind. Edward Senior had it custom designed for me. Oh, I knew you'd like it!" She exclaimed happily. "Edward has held on to it all this time, just waiting for you to come so he could give it to you."  
**

**Edward was watching me. **_**'What can I tell from her face, her eyes, and her mouth as she looks down at my mother's ring? Does she like it? Does she hate it? I can't imagine what is going through her mind. It seems like an eternity that she's sitting there looking down at the ring, though, in truth, it has only been six seconds.**_**' As Edward peered into my face, his eye caught my finger's movement as it brushed over the face of the ring. **

"**It's so pretty." I murmured to myself in surprise.**

_**'Ahh, A spark of pleasure sweeps through me at her response.'**_** Edward asked me eagerly, "Do you like it?" I wanted to hear it again.**

The façade was back, "It's beautiful." I said feigning interest as I shrugged my shoulders. "What's not to like."

"**Now Bella, What's with this ridiculous charade? I know what it is. It's a show the two of you put on to cover your feelings of panic or pain. Now is the time for happiness though." Mother was not to be deterred. She was practically jumping up and down in her glee.**

"See if it fits," Edward encouraged me. _**'I want to see it on her.'**_** He thought intensely.**

"**Me too!" Elizabeth sang out.**

In response to his suggestion, my hand tightened into a fist and panic swept across my face. I took a deep breath and let it out. 

'_**Why is this so difficult for her? I'll have to appeal to her practical side. I guess.'**_** Edward sighed again. "Bella, I'm not going to solder it to your finger. Just try it on so I can see if it needs to be sized. Then you can take it right off." He'd said reasonably.**

"**Maybe you should solder it to her finger." Llasa said. "You guys are meeting up with Jacob Black tomorrow…"**

"Fine." I grumbled in almost poor humor.

"**You'd better do this right Edward." Mother said. "Put it on her finger and say something romantic while you're at it." She said as if giving pointers.**

I started to reach in the visual for the ring but Edward's long fingers beat me there. Thanks to my newly restored memories, I remembered this night clearly from the first time around as well.

'_**Sorry Bella, but this is another thing I want to do and, unlike our earlier activities, this is entirely appropriate, given the circumstances.'**_** Edward thought as he moved slowly, deliberately as he took my left hand in mine. **_**'I would like to say something meaningful, something significant, but I know I've already pushed things much further than I had hoped for tonight and I don't want to scare her. There is a tiny part of me that still expects her to run screaming away from me. So, I'll only think the words I hoped to say as I slip the ring on her finger. I feel another spark of pleasure because I can see that it is a perfect fit--a good omen.'**_

**As I gazed at his Mother's ring on my finger with him I'd thought, **_**'Now this isn't so awful. Really, Huh. It is kind of pretty sparkling there on my finger. No, it's not as bad as I feared it would be. It actually looks like it belongs there somehow. Go figure.'**_

"**Yes, she loves it!" Mother said joyously clapping her hands. Tears sprung to her eyes.**

'_**I am filled with such sudden joy that it's difficult to contain, yet I must maintain a calm demeanor.'**_** Edward said rather indifferently, "A perfect fit. That's nice – saves me a trip to the jewelers."**

**I looked up into his eyes then in the visual. '**_**I can hear some strong emotion burning from underneath his casual tone…yes; it's there in his eyes as well. It's visible despite the careful nonchalance of his expression.' **_**"You like that, don't you?" I asked him suspiciously as I fluttered my fingers. **_** 'It's really too bad I didn't break my left hand. No, I don't mean that. Why am I still so panicky about this?'**_

'_**Of course I am. The way the light dance across the stones of my ring--your ring, is as dazzling, as are you. I'm completely entranced by my Bella in this moment. I want to shout from the mountain tops, to sing at the top of my lungs, to run from house to house. She said 'yes'. She is wearing my ring, she is mine! I've got to get a grip on myself. It's taking every ounce of control I have to simply maintain my calm.'**_** Edward shrugged his shoulders and added still very casually, "Sure. It looks very nice on you."**

**I continued to stare into his eyes. **_**'What is that emotion smoldering just under the surface Edward? As I look into your eyes, your casual pretense dissolves and somehow…I can see you glowing. You're angel's face is brilliant with joy and victory. You look so glorious that it knocks me breathless. And you want me?'  
**_**  
**_**'I can't keep up this charade any longer. Not while staring into her impossibly deep chocolate brown eyes, I can contain my joy no longer. I've never felt such pleasure, such completeness. She is mine and I am hers. It is the ultimate acceptance – who I am, what I am - for all time. This joy boils up and flows over.'**_** In the visual Edward had beamed back at me. **_**'… my Bella, my fiancée, my bride to be. I can't resist any longer. I'll kiss her now--claiming her as my own.'**_** Edward kissed me then there on his bed. It was as I'd remembered--a kiss of triumph. It was exuberant. His breathing raced as did my own. I was lightheaded when he moved his mouth to whisper in my ear. "Yes, I like it. You have no idea."**

"**This is wonderful! Don't forget to propose properly Edward now." Mother encouraged Edward.  
**

**I'd laughed and gasping a little replied, "I believe you."**

'_**Finally, there is the joy I have hoped that she would have! Oh, but I want--no I need to get this right – to complete the way I've imagined I would do this.**_**' "Do you mind if I do something?"He'd whispered in my ear, while holding me closer.**

"Anything you want." I'd replied happily.

As Edward backed from me I'd complained, "Anything but that" _**'Where is he going?'**_

'_**Too late Miss Bella, I'm way too full of joy, too filled with purpose to notice.'**_** He'd pulled me toward him, off the bed standing in front of him, steadying me and himself. His face was very serious.**

"**Oh, he's doing it." Mother said in excitement. The four siblings looked on in anticipation as well--although they were more focused on Mother and her ecstatic exuberance.**

Edward had looked at me with his hands on my shoulders and pleaded, "Now, I want to do this right. Please, please keep in mind that you've already agreed to this, and don't ruin it for me." He got down on one knee and held his breath. _**'I must remember to anticipate her reaction. I must wait for it as she figures out what I am about to do.'  
**_**  
"Oh no" I gasped as I watched him slide down onto one knee.**

"Be nice," Edward warned. I was surprised to hear his mother's voice shadow his as she said the same thing at the same time.

I took a deep breath. Edward took another one also to steady himself. '_**I want my voice to be clear as I pull out the words I have been preparing to say to her for months now.'  
**_**  
"Isabella Swan?" He'd paused to look into my eyes, again. **

**My thoughts were in a whirl**_**. 'When he looks at me through his impossibly long lashes I get dazzled again. Is he even really real? How is it his eyes are so soft and yet so scorching at the same time?'**_** I'd thought. **_**'I'm not sure, but somehow, looking into his eyes is keeping my panic at bay.'**_

**Edward's thoughts caught up to mine in that instant. **_**'From the moment we met it has always been her eyes. They've held me off from my blood lust, they've captured my curiosity, and they've been the windows to her secrets – to her soul that I have fallen in love with. So many times I have looked into them expecting to see fear, revulsion, and hate – but have found only acceptance and love. In her eyes, I am at home.'**_** "I promise to love you forever – every single day of forever. Will you marry me?"**

"**Hmmm' Mother said in nervous anticipation. There was a little bounce to her feet and her hands were holding her heart.  
**

'_**There are so many things I want to say to him right now. Some of them aren't very nice at all, and others are more disgustingly gooey and romantic than he probably ever dreamed me capable of. But rather than embarrass myself with either of them…'**_** I thought softly. **

**  
Edward thoughts were still a little anxious**_**. 'She always surprises me with her responses and, even now, I don't know what to expect. She has already surprised me with her love, her tenderness and now by simply saying the one only word I had ever wanted to hear…'**_

"**Yes." I whispered.**

"**Thank you," He simply said. He took my left hand in his and kissed each one of my fingertips before he kissed the ring on my left hand.**

"**Did you see that?" Mother said excitedly to the other supernaturals in the room. Yes, she was actually jumping. "Edward is engaged! My son is getting married! Whoop!!!" She jumped right into Chandra's arms and the two of them bounced together. She did the same with the rest of them as well. She was literally bouncing off the walls.**

**Later, when Elizabeth had finally settled down and the other supernaturals were discussing plans for the battle with the newborns, I was finally drooping off to sleep, I'd thought about what I had promised--my part of our compromise. **_**'This shouldn't bother me. It really is no big thing at all! A road trip to Vegas! I'll do him one better than old jeans though. Ha! I'll wear old sweats. How long can the ceremony take? Certainly not that long—fifteen minutes tops, right? So I can handle that. And then…when it was over, he'd have to fulfill his side of the bargain. I'll concentrate on that!'**_

"**Chandra!" Mother almost shouted in alarm startling the four siblings. When Chandra looked over to her Mother said indignantly. "Bella believes that she can just run off to Las Vegas to partake of the sacrament of marriage. And I thought old jeans were inappropriate attire, but she's planning on going in old sweats. She can't be serious. Does she know I'm here and she's making a joke of some kind? We have to stop her. After everything we've done to get the two of them together; we deserve something grander than a Vegas drive-thru marriage. Sweats!!!!" Mother was beside herself.**

**The four siblings looked at each other and suddenly burst into a fit of laughter. Mother looked shocked and then confused. Finally Chandra took Mother by the shoulders and said sweetly. "Relax Elizabeth. Bella won't be going anywhere near Vegas. There's something she hasn't really thought about yet."**

"**And that would be…" Mother prodded them.**

**Llasa, Samon, Dagda and Chandra looked at each other with twinkling eyes and responded in unison, "Alice!"**

***A big THANK YOU to Erica for letting me sift through all of her Eclipse pieces for little cameos of this chapter…If you haven't had a chance to read her Eclipse chapters---well get ready for the 'Midnight Sun' of Eclipse! That's what you're looking at! It is truly fantastic! To see what she's got so far go to this link:

I have links to Erica's Eclipse—Edward's POV fan fiction and her many other stories on my profile page underneath notes for Chapter 33


	36. Chapter 33 Part Three

***A big THANK YOU to Erica for letting me sift through all of her Eclipse pieces for little cameos of this chapter…If you haven't had a chance to read her Eclipse chapters---well get ready for the 'Midnight Sun' of Eclipse! That's what you're looking at! It is truly fantastic! To see what she's got so far I have links to her fan fictions on my profile page under my Chapter Notes for Chapter 33.

Chapter Thirty Three  
Power Shift-Part III (PG-13)

Bella's POV

(A/N: TO get a fuller scope of the events, please refer back to 'Eclipse' by Stephenie Meyer and 'Eclipse-Edward's POV' a Fan Fiction by Erica Bailey. Thank you, Tami)

***

**I felt Jacob tap me on the shoulder. It startled me out of my reverie and brought me back to our current surroundings in the airplane on our trip back home. **_**'Dang he's silent. You'd think I'd have heard him with my vampire senses!'**_** I thought. **

**He came, crouched down in the aisle next to my seat and smiled his 'kindred spirit' smile. Then he said in his gruff deep voice, "So, Bella, do you remember my birthday you missed?" Thanks to Edward, I already knew what he was after, but I couldn't help but play with him a little first. I had only just discovered courtesy of Chandra how 'in-the-dark' I'd been in the past not having access to the thoughts in Jacob's head and for once, I liked the power 'being-in-the-know' afforded me.**

"**I got you a stereo for your birthday." I reminded him lightly.**

"**I didn't mean my LAST birthday." He replied almost sheepishly. "Go further back"**

"**Okay, the year before, I got you a book on automotive makeovers." I said slowly. **_**'Was this his lead in?'**_** I plastered a confused look on my face. Edward squeezed my hand. He'd been helping me master my poker-face for a while because, let's face it. When it came to acting, I needed all the help I could get.**

**Jacob shook his head looking at me with puppy dog eyes. Edward fought back a grin. Jacob must have told hi****m something mentally and didn't know Edward had already told me what my friend was after. "You don't mean the year before that? The year when I wasn't even hanging out with you yet?"**

"**Actually that's the one!" He said grabbing his opportunity. "Funny you should mention that. See cause…"**

"**You want me to give you back-dated birthday presents?" I asked in mock incredulity. Jacob carefully nodded his head—the puppy dog look was back in his eyes. "That's a lot of presents Jacob. Are we talking actual birthdays or relative birthdays here?"**

**Jacob grinned remembering our age tallies regarding who was older from the past. "Maybe we'd better go for relative. It will give me more leverage."**

"**Relative birthdays?" I sighed and shook my head. "To hear you talk, you'd almost think you were after something 'near and dear' to me like my old red truck or something." Jacob froze with the puppy dog look kind of glazing over on his face. I read his reaction and continued my performance. "You've got to be kidding! Jacob, what do you want with my old truck? I'm not even sure it's street legal anymore."**

**He spoke low and conspiratorially as though Edward and I would be the only ones to hear. "I want to turn it into a hot rod."**

"**Isn't it a little big for a hot rod?" I asked innocently. Actually I had no earthly idea.**

"**It would be part of a special project I'm doing with Rosalie." Then he thought for a minute and added. "You know what. How about after I'm done, I give it to Nessie for her birthday when she's old enough to drive?" That distracted me. When would my baby girl be ready to drive? I panicked, looked over at Edward and realized it appeared we were thinking the same thing again. I gave his hand a squeezed this time.**

"**O--kay," I said slowly to his excited response and he grabbed me into one of his characteristic bone-crushing hugs. Not that I had to worry about any of my bones breaking now, or breathing for that matter, my seatbelt however…**

"**Thanks, Bells!" He crowed enthusiastically. It was amazing to me even now that we could be friends—family even, after all of the craziness from the past. Especially after learning more from Chandra today… There was just so much water under the bridge. I guessed it was a good thing we seemed to all be good bridge builders. **

"**Don't forget Jacob. From now on, no more retroactive birthday presents--period!" I stated emphatically.**

**He stood up, saluted and went back to his seat by Rosalie where they 'high fived' each other in victory and were soon busy with their 'planning session' once more.**

"**That was very nice of you." Edward approved, smiling at me. **

**Something I'd learned today was that while I'd thought I was the peace maker between Edward and Jacob, with all of my Switzerland crap; it was really Edward who'd turned out to be the actual peace maker. He was the stabilizing force that allowed me to keep my friendship with Jacob. He was the one who had swallowed his pride and his fear and put on a show for me—never truly showing me the intensity of the mostly-mental assault Jacob waged on him. It made me sad to realize how my past poor choices had caused him pain and I felt foolish when I finally realized how completely Edward had held both his temper and his sadness in check when Jacob had let them take his head. Edward was more than the perfect man I'd imagined. Today I'd promoted him to sainthood and I loved him all the more for protecting my connections to my then 'human life' even at the cost of his own peace of mind. **

'_**Was it just me, or did his eyes do their scorching thing again.'**_** I looked down to collect my thoughts and my gaze fell on my beautiful glimmering wedding ring. Edward saw it as well and it must have reminded him of something because he added, "Don't forget Bella love, when we get home, I want my apology." He started kissing me with more ferocity than the moment called for and I was taken off guard. We were almost competing with Leah and Nahuel for a minute there.**

"**I thought you said you wanted to wait until we got home--and were alone?" I quietly reminded him in a whisper.**

**Edward flashed me his crooked grin and his eyes had a mischievous glint to them. "That my dear, was a preview."**

"**Ahh," I answered him smiling broadly. "Is there any way to speed this plane up?" **

**He laughed and gathered me back up in his embrace. Feeling safe and secure in the circle of his arms, my mind wandered back to my reflections of the retelling of our story back in the Sun Temple at Chan Chan.**

"**There are two other factors really needing some more clarification in regards to our story," Chandra had told us after 'reawakening' everyone else. "One leads into the other. The first factor revolves around Jacob Black." Jacob had cringed a little there in Chandra's home room at the mention of his name. He looked a little worried with Nessie sitting there in his lap. **

'_**Maybe he's starting to get a clue here.'**_** I'd remembered thinking at the time. **

"**The second factor playing into our story, Bella, was your self-sacrificing nature." Chandra explained to me directly. "We were getting ready for the battle with the newborn vampires and Victoria. We had already made sure Bella had talked Edward into staying with her during the battle and that Seth would be with them. Llasa had gathered all of the moisture in the entire northeastern region and created a June snow blizzard of epoch proportions. The intent of which was to deter human back-packers from the area. Of course, there are always consequences for such things and one of them in this case happened to be Bella coming down with a case of hypothermia--being a human back packer herself for that one night anyway. So we made sure Jacob was there to keep her warm." Nessie had looked up at Jacob fondly and patted his shoulder.**

"**Of course we knew this would be risky because of Jacob's aggressive, alpha, wolf-dominant gene and his misunderstood love for Bella. It would also be a risk because Edward was pretty fed up with all of the mental sparring, Jacob constantly hurled at him while he fought to remain in control of himself so that you, Bella were none the wiser."**

**Chandra added a slight disapproving twist to her mouth as she added to me, "It was unfortunate you chose not to tell your best friend about your engagement while you were running to the campsite, but you remained silent and left that honor for Edward to tackle. Which he finally did with a vengeance after a night filled watching you spend the night in Jacob's arms and listening in on his umm…fantasies."**

**You know, I'd never considered how fed up Edward must've been by morning if he'd spent the night not just putting up with what I'd previously known about from the infamous tent scene; but so much more I'd not realized at the time. It was no wonder Edward had dumped him on the floor while freeing me from the sleeping bag. And then I'd had the gall to force him to apologize. I felt as though my eyes were being opened to just how accommodating and generous my Edward had been to put up with not just all of Jacob's crap but my ignorant understanding of exactly just how intense their little contest had gone right under my nose had become as they 'fought for me', as they'd put it after I'd broke my hand on Jacob's jaw. I might as well have nick named myself 'Captain Oblivious'.**

**Chandra's voice had broken through my reverie. "Now, Jacob knew you pretty well, Bella, and he was going to pull out all of the stops to make you 'wake up' and chose him over Edward. We knew this would happen and it wouldn't be pretty. But we also knew three important things would happen as a result. First of all, you would have your final choice. Second, Jacob would know he had tried everything and be satisfied with your decision and third…well, the third reason will become clearer in a minute here."**

"**We knew we wanted to have Victoria find you with Edward there so he could, as he had requested earlier, 'end it with his own hands'. So we'd arranged to have him chase after Jacob to have him return for a 'talk' with Bella. It was this trail Edward left in getting and bringing Jacob back that Victoria caught and made her snap-decision to follow. So that scenario set itself up rather nicely."**

"**We also knew Jacob would try to take advantage of the situation. We knew he understood your self-sacrificing nature remarkably well and would use it against you. Jacob knew you didn't want him down there in harm's way. Jacob knew you were frantic for his safety—almost as much as you were for Edward's. So Jacob took advantage of that, playing shamelessly off it. He told you he would go out there and find the battle and get himself killed. It was actually a very skillful deception on his part. Llasa was grudgingly impressed. So he tricked you into kissing him. You were still trying to keep yourself apart from the 'activity' by balling up your fists and being somewhat passive but Jacob wasn't having that. This was his last stand. He was determined to make you see your feelings for him were there. So he pushed again, asking if you wanted him to come back or really die. That made you angry and you tried to fight against him. Jacob misinterpreted your anger for passion and your anger mixed with his triumph and you lost your tenuous hold on your self-control."**

"**What you have to understand Bella is that it was your self-sacrificing nature that got you into trouble with Jacob Black that day. You had been searching desperately for ways since your return from Volterra for ways to make everyone happy; ways to make everyone safe; ways to take away everyone's pain--especially Jacob's. He very deviously used this aspect of your nature to try to pry you away from Edward and the Cullens. Some of his reasons were noble. He truly believed he was saving you from death. He didn't understand the Cullens were as noble as his tribe's shape shifters was. Most of his reasons were selfish though and Edward knew this very well. He was well acquainted with it from hearing it through the mental 'shouting' Jacob served him every chance he got."**

"**So the third reason we allowed this exchange with Jacob to progress as far as it did—even though it turned you into a mess for the next twenty four hours, was because part of our responsibility was to ensure your shield would be as strong as possible at the time of your conversion. You had to be able to help protect Nessie with it and the rest of your family as well." That had totally confused me at the time. Chandra explained it to me further.**

"**Do you remember Carlisle's theory about 'vampire gifts'?" She asked me.**

**It took me a moment because while it was Carlisle's theory, I had been told about it from Edward, as we travelled in my beat up truck on the way home from our first date at the meadow. "Carlisle believes at the time of our transformation, our greatest attributes are enhanced." I said slowly looking at her.**

"**That's the one. And this theory of Carlisle, like most of his, is correct. Your shield is part of your 'mental silence' but it also has a component with your self-sacrificing nature--your compassion for others--your need to protect others from harm--your desire to shield those around you. The stronger that characteristic was embedded in you at the time of your conversion, the greater your shield would be. This is why your shield was so well defined when the Volturi came to destroy your family a year and a half ago. Every time you put others needs ahead of your own it grew; whether it was Lauren's jibes you blew off or Charlie's unfair groundings you endured. There were so many little things and big things that strengthened this characteristic in you. But this last stand of Jacob's was another opportunity for your shield to be strengthened as you acted to save Jacob, as someone you loved, from what you perceived to be a threat to his life.'**

"**Some of the big ones were of course, the events that led up to your acceptance. Leaving Charlie to save him, going to the ballet studio to save your mother; letting Edward leave without letting him see how it was tearing you up inside; trying to save Jacob from a 'cult'; not going to Florida but staying in Forks, partly in case Victoria came, she would kill you and leave your father alone; risking your life to save Edward in Volterra—that was Llasa's favorite by the way; and of course there was one of Samon's favorite—'the third wife'. Then there were the things you did after the newborn battle that further strengthened your shield, there was my personal favorite, which we will go over momentarily—when you protected Edward's soul, then you protected Renesmee when your life hung in the balance against the men in your life who didn't understand the great things to come. Dagda's favorite was your self-sacrificing during the transformation itself that led to not just putting the finishing touches on your shield, but developed your self-control to the point you were able to be around your daughter and your human Father right away." **

**I had winced when hearing mention of my transformation. I hadn't really wanted Edward to know about that. I knew Samon had advised me to tell him. But I had just not had time to decide yet. When I'd glanced a peek at him there at Chandra's; sure enough he had a look of deep consternation on his face. He would put it together soon. I wasn't sure what I thought about that. I didn't want Edward to suffer and I knew he would if he knew about my 'burning' experience.**

"**Well," Chandra continued now directing her words to everyone present. "The aftershocks of the events leading to and during the battle with the Newborn Army and Victoria had left both Edward and Bella quite shaken for different reasons--but so many of them centered once more on Jacob Black. Bella, you were worried sick about his injuries and how you were going to be adding to his pain when you informed him you still planned on marrying Edward. You already knew you couldn't live without Edward—even if the thought of marriage still scared you a little. Next you'd seen the newborn vampire Bree, and had been confronted with a 'mirror' of your own near future. Add to the mix the Volturi's visit with their reminder of the threat they still posed to you. Victoria had just been killed before your eyes by the man you loved and another vampire, Riley had been torn to bits by a giant wolf –while you stood helpless; your worry fueled by a dread of them getting seriously injured or killed. All of this after a bout of hypothermia the night before, yes, by the time everything was said and done. Bella, you were pretty much a mess and you felt a great need to go to Jacob though you finally understood that you needed to let him go for his own well being as well as your own."**

"**Edward," Chandra continued, directing her words to him. "You had just experienced the greatest night of your life thus far. Your Bella had finally agreed to marry you. So it was quite a downer for you to spend the next night watching helplessly as Bella was saved from nearly freezing to death, in the arms of Jacob. All of this while trying to remain calm and even cordial to your rival. Jacob wasn't even aware of the new 'boundaries' of an engagement at that point and you was eager for him to understand why his fantasies were just that and not appropriate to entertain anymore—especially with Bella's unconscious ramblings, **_**'Jacob, My Jacob'**_** in her sleep."**

**Okay, so by this time, I was becoming humiliated. If I could have gone back in time, I would have done that entire episode differently. My hind sight just kept getting clearer and clearer. One thing was for sure, I was going to have a lot of making up to do with Edward when we got home. Just the thought made me smile, at least just a little. **

"**Understandably, you were beside yourself when Bella reacted so strongly to your ploy to inform Jacob of the upcoming wedding. Bella had been unaware Jacob remained outside listening as the two of you discussed the night of your engagement. You knew though," Chandra continued, directing her comments to my husband. "You knew because Jacob was still hurling mental barbs at you through the tent's canvas wall. You were terrified you would lose Bella when she reacted so strongly to Jacob's pain at the discovery of your plans. That was when you ran after Jacob in a panic and brought him back, leaving the trail for Victoria and Riley to follow later. You were frantic Bella had changed her mind. Then she'd told you to 'hurry back' before she'd spoken with Jacob and though you tried to 'steel' yourself, you were hopeful her words had meant she still preferred you."**

"**When you'd returned to the tent from discussing the Volturi's arrival with Alice via Seth and Sam, and found her sobbing you learned she'd been tricked into kissing Jacob. You heard him mentally crowing in joy and victory, reliving the kiss from his perspective and his thrill to have made Bella realize what you'd suspected all along—she did in fact, love Jacob too. Jacob thought she'd changed her mind and he was back in the running. You were hearing his thoughts and you were afraid it was true. You feared Bella had chosen Jacob again. It just kept going back and forth for you all day long. Within twenty four hours of becoming engaged, you'd felt as though you had truly lost Bella at least three times to Jacob Black. Then you'd spent the next night with Bella sobbing in your arms over the loss of Jacob while trying to come to terms with the pain it caused all three of you. **

**Not only did you have those worries, you also had to kill Victoria with Bella much too close to the action for your liking and you worried that seeing your true-nature would scare her off. Then the Volturi came and as a result, twice that day, you'd been confronted with the possibility Bella would be killed right under your nose. Needless to say Edward, you were an emotional wreck as well."**

"**The one thing you both understood at the end of the ordeal was that neither of you could live without the other. These were the issues the two of you were dealing with as we start the visual. This time it is roughly twenty four hours after the battle with the Newborn Vampires." **

**I was surprised to see the rest of my family once again become 'unaware' before the presentation began. That fact alone had me sighing in relief. I was already worried about Nessie seeing me at my worst.**

**As the lights dimmed once more I found Edward and myself in the hallway at the Cullen's home in front of Alice and Jasper's door. Mother and Chandra were there as well. I remembered it well. I had just been shown my designer wedding dress that Alice had ordered for me. A dress that Chandra had just told me in a fit of laughter that Alice had commissioned before Edward had taken me to prom over a year earlier.**

'_**Why does it look like Bella is resigned to marrying me? It may be we need some time to focus and reconnect with each other.'**_** "Let's get out of here. Let's go to our meadow." Edward had suggested. **_**'Perhaps it will bring back pleasant memories and help bring some her some happiness.'**_**  
**

'_**Ahh, that sounds so appealing.'**_** I'd thought with a hint of enthusiasm. "I guess I don't have to hide out anymore, do I?"**

"No. The danger is behind us."Edward said quietly. _**'Now if I can only determine the best course of action for picking up the pieces.'  
**_

**During our run to the meadow, the visual picked up my thoughts first. **_**'It feels great to feel the wind in my face –like I'm waking up and feeling more like my old self; especially after all the drama of the last couple of days. That has definitely left me feeling emotionally exhausted. So much has happened so quickly, I haven't even had a chance to really think about what Edward told me concerning his real reasons for pushing this marriage thing. If he'd told me earlier, I might not have been so objectionable about the whole 'waiting until after we're married' thing. Well, at least now I know for a fact he believes he may have a soul—or he wouldn't be worried about the condition it's in. If he believes having sex without a ceremony first would jeopardize his soul than I don't want to cause him any undue stress about it. I love him enough for that. And what do I know—he may be right! And I told Carlisle once 'I would never risk Edward's soul'. Anyways, what's a few months wait when I will have him forever? And if marriage is so important to him that it will get me what is so important to me, than I can deal with that. Besides, even with all the fan fare Alice is sure to sneak in…it's still just one evening—just one event. And then I get Edward all to myself—forever. Plus, I guess a wedding is the best way to say good-bye to my old life--to my old friends—to my human family. But it's also a great way to say hello to my new life—a new life with Edward. I'm still having a hard time picturing Edward as a husband though. Actually the thought makes me want to laugh. It is just so…so ridiculous. It's like casting an arch angel as an accountant. But Edward has always been so selfless and giving to me. This is really the only thing he's ever asked of me. Yes, I can do this and I will. I'll do it for Edward. Heck, I'd do anything for Edward! I just need to focus on what I'll get out of the deal…'**_

**Edward's thoughts were busy heading in the opposite direction**_**. 'I'm worried about Bella's new resolve. She's just letting this happen. There's no fight in her. Our wedding should be a happy occasion – something she wants. Who am I kidding? This whole wedding isn't something she wants. She's always only wanted me, forever. She doesn't need or want a ceremony, a ring or a piece of paper. She has known what she has wanted from the beginning. It's been my insecurities, my rules, and my insistence that has caused her so much pain. I always think I know better. But look at all the messes we've been put in because of my obstinate view of what is right and moral. I have been so wrong. Still, every moral fiber of my being tells me I need to wait. But look at what waiting has nearly cost me. What waiting may still cost me. Can I change my course? Can I do this Bella's way? Do I dare? Can I give up my convictions to keep the woman I love? I probably don't really have a soul to worry about anyway. That's just a pipe dream for me. What I do have is Bella and I can't live without her. I can't lose her. Can I do this? Can I let my mind wander consciously down a path I've never allowed previously? Sure, in a moment of passion, I've often been close to losing control – but for once I need to really think through what it would mean to give her the one thing she really wants – the one thing that would truly cement our relationship and make us belong to each other. In many cultures there is no ceremony – this is the act of marriage, the confirmation of commitment…'  
**_**  
In the visual we arrived at our meadow. The sky gray, the ground covered with patches of summer daisies and green grass. We lay down on the green carpet and held hands. There was a slight pause while we collected our thoughts. Mother and Chandra were joined there by Dagda, Llasa and Samon.**

'_**Hmm, no pictures in the clouds today, just a soft gray blanket instead. Still, being here with Edward makes it perfect. The flowers smell nice, but nothing smells as good as Edward himself does.'**_** I thought contentedly.**

"**We've got ourselves a little role reversal here." Chandra informed the others.**

'_**Our meadow is perfect – peaceful, happy—and no Alice to foresee my next move. My next move. Am I making decisions for Bella now? Perhaps I should see what she really wants. Hmmm, her conditions for Alice - that would be a good place to start. Maybe that will give me a clue to her true wishes.'**_** Edward thought with his mental voice becoming more resolved. "August thirteenth?" **_**'Maybe the date held some significance.'**_

"**His next move?" Samon asked. "I don't think I like the sounds of that at all."**_**  
**_**  
"That gives me a month till my birthday. I didn't want to cut it too close." I said quietly still searching the gray blanket above. **_**'If you're staying in your teens than so am I. Besides, if we're going to be going through high school repeatedly, I want to look close enough to the same age so we get to be in the same grade and same classes.'**_

'_**Okay then, she's just confirmed it isn't the date or the event. She simply wants to get through my requirements in time to meet some arbitrary deadline she has in her mind. Why should she rush this? Is there any way to help her accept more time –time to do what she really wants?'**_** Edward thought as he sighed. "Esme is three years older than Carlisle – technically. Did you know that?"**

From the visual I shook her head. _**'He is still trying to get me to change my mind and he thinks if I have more time I will.' **_**I thought.**

"It hasn't made any difference to them." Edward's voice held a hint of anxiety.

When I answered him I was calm, serene. "My age is not really that important, Edward, I'm ready. I've chosen my life – now I want to start living it_**." 'I hope that convinces him I'm committed to this—to him—to my future.'**_

"**Maybe I can distract him with some sunshine?" Llasa said a little nervously as he brought in a few rays of light that streamed in through an angle in the trees.**_**  
**_**  
**_**'I believe her words, and hearing the truth in them fills my whole being with pleasure…but the wedding? Is she really happy about that? Oh, I'm getting distracted by the way her hair shines in the rays of sun. Brown – so beautiful--I can't resist touching it soft and wavy to my fingertips. It reminds me of that first day in the car, that I can circum to that temptation, as I had tried to unlock her secrets. Yes now to try and ferret out some more of her motives.'**_** Edward questioned me gently, "The guest list veto?" **_**'Maybe I can unlock more of her secrets now.**_**'**

"I don't care really, but I…" I hesitated_**. 'Do I really want to get into this just now? I mean we just closed this chapter. Well, I guess its best just to deal with it up front—explain it and get it over with.'**_** In the visual my face changed from uncertainty to resolve. "I'm not sure if Alice would feel the need to invite a few werewolves. I don't know if… Jake would feel like… like he should come. Like that's the right thing to do; or that I'd get my feelings hurt if he didn't. He shouldn't have to go through that." **_**'That was still hard to get out. Huh, well, at least I don't have to hide it from him now.'  
**_**  
Edward's thoughts were perspicuous as I stared up to the tops of the trees against the light gray skies. **_**'I can hear the complexity of her emotions in her voice; her desire to have him there – her best friend – her fear of hurting me by voicing that desire, her sense of duty to protect Jacob from having to make a difficult choice. I know, if it were me in his shoes, I would want that choice. But I can also see, she is doing only what I have done to her so many times – protecting her from making choices she's had every right to make. And still it tears her apart. It is another stress over something she never wanted in the first place. She is doing all this to make everyone else happy – Jake, Alice… me--everyone but herself. She should be happy. I'll make her happy.'**_** Edward grabbed me around the waist and pulled me onto his chest. "Tell me why you're doing this, Bella. Why did you decide, now, to give Alice free reign?" **

"**I don't think your sunshine is as distracting as you'd hoped it would be." Dagda said casually to Llasa. "Maybe you should try for a thunderstorm instead."**

**  
I looked up at Edward as I thought**_**, 'I guess the best way to explain this would be to tell him what Charlie said.'**_** Then I did just that. "I was at home and headed out to see Jake and tell him my (I'd paused) decision." I winced in the visual slightly. Then I shook my head. "Anyway, Charlie had been telling me how strange everything had been in LaPush yesterday and suddenly he stops me at the door and says**_**, 'Maybe I'm getting superstitious after hanging around Billy while he's acting so strange all day. But I've had this hunch. I feel like…I'm going to lose you soon.'**_** Then he made me promise I would tell him before I ran off with you and do something major. He said, **_**'I'm serious. I won't kick up a fuss. Just give me some advance notice. Give me a chance to hug you good bye.'**_** And he told me he loved me." **

"**So I started thinking, it wouldn't be fair to keep Charlie out of this. And that means Renee and Phil. I might as well let Alice have her fun, too. Maybe it will make the whole thing easier for Charlie if he gets his proper goodbye. Even if he thinks it's much too early, I wouldn't want to cheat him out of the chance to walk me down the aisle." I winced again at that thought. **

'_**Well, her grimace just confirmed her feelings about the wedding, and in her explanation I can see, again, her selflessness.'**_** Edward thought almost sadly.**

"**At least my mom and dad and my friends will know the best part of my choice, the most I'm allowed to tell them." I said continuing my explanation is a calm quiet manner. "They'll know I chose you, and they'll know we're together. They'll know I'm happy, wherever I am. I think that's the best I can do for them."**

"**A thunderstorm? I drew all the moisture out of the air for the epic June snow storm. There isn't any left for a thunderstorm." Llasa said morosely. "Maybe I can start working on getting something started out off the coast." He added almost to himself as he closed his eyes in concentration.**

Edward held my face in his hands, searching with his eyes. _**'My mind is becoming more and more resolved the more she explains this. I will not force her ever again to do one more thing in her life she doesn't want to do. Her entire life has been one of duty and pleasing others. I remember this from our first conversation.' **_** In the visual our table in the biology room loomed front and center as Edward spoke from it.**

_**"But now you're unhappy."  
"And?" I'd said.**_

_**Her answer spoke volumes. It said that her happiness was not even an aspect to be considered.**_

"**No Edward," His Mother said emphatically. "Bella is happy. Don't you dare even think about…"******

_** 'No! Her happiness is something to be considered! I won't allow her to sacrifice her own happiness any longer. All I want is her happiness. And she can have it in whatever form she chooses.'**_** "Deal's off" I said abruptly.**

"What" I gasped, "You're backing out? No!" _**'What did I do now? Is he going to leave again?'  
**_**  
**_** 'No, she misunderstands me. I can see the panic rising in her face—her fear of rejection.'**_** "I'm not backing out, Bella." Edward quickly assured me, "I'll still keep my side of the bargain. But you're off the hook. Whatever you want, no strings attached."**

"Why?" I asked confused and still panicked. 

"**She doesn't see what he means here." Chandra said worriedly. "I don't know if she'll have a strong enough will to stop him with all the extra hormones I gave her."**

"Bella, I see what you're doing. You're trying to make everyone else happy. And I don't care about anyone else's feelings. I only need you to be happy. Don't worry about breaking the news to Alice. I'll take care of it. I promise she won't make you feel guilty." _**'I can put my own desire for a wedding on a back burner. Bella's happiness is too important to me to trifle with.'**_****

_**'Hey, I just got on board here.' **_**I'd thought and then tried to explain, "But, I-"**

"No." He said, cutting me off, gently but firmly. "We're doing this your way; because my way doesn't work. I call you stubborn, but look at what I've done. I've clung with such idiotic obstinacy to my idea of what's best for you, though it's only hurt you. Hurt you so deeply, time and time again. I don't trust myself anymore. You can have happiness your way. My way is always so wrong. So" He shifted himself so he was fully under me_**. 'This may be the best way, with her length lying on top of me as I lay on the ground. It may be the best way to keep her from injury.'**_** "We're doing it your way, Bella. Tonight, today. The sooner the better. I'll speak to Carlisle. I was thinking that maybe if we gave you enough morphine, it won't be so bad. It's worth a try." He cringed gritting his teeth. **_**'Oh, it is difficult to even considered the pain she'll have to endure, and I need to focus—to prepare myself for the control I'll need for that later – and now. My mind and body tingles at just the thought, the anticipation building… Our meadow, what a perfect place to begin her happiness. I can't think of anything more poetic – more Bella.'**_****

"Don't forget Bella, you're fighting for Edward's soul here. Be strong." Mother said wringing her hands.

"**Edward, no-" I objected**_**. 'I want to make him happy. There isn't anything more important to me in the entire world. He would never have made his condition of 'marriage first' if it wasn't important. Besides, I can't have a wedding with my parents there later if I'm all sparkly white and attacking them.'**_

'_**She still doesn't understand what I'm telling her. I'll give her everything she wants. I'll have to explain it to her with a demonstration.'**_** Edward stopped my objections with his finger to my lips. "Don't worry, Bella, love. I haven't forgotten the rest of your demands." His voice was husky in anticipation. **_**'She's wanted this for so long. I've wanted it for so long. I can feel the desire stir within, giving my mind leave to consider the possibilities, while my body somehow moves of its own accord. It's hard to concentrate – to keep my touches light enough, my hold from being too tight and, at the same time, listening for her reaction to my touch. I want nothing more than to bring her joy.'**_

"**Bella, listen to me, this is not the right time for this now. Can you hear me?" Mother said clearly as she knelt right by our heads.**_**  
**_

**  
My thoughts were also quite caught up in the moment. But I was trying. '**_**Oh, I love kissing Edward. This is my favorite thing to do ever. His hands, so strong and yet so gentle--weaving into my hair, securing my mouth to his. His scent is so intoxicating, breathing it in is making me hungry for more. He's as intent as he was the other night…when…we …almost--wait. This isn't right. He is planning on giving me my 'human experience' right now. This is not what Edward believes is right. He's just doing this for me. I need to think here before I get too carried away. Or is it already too late for that? It can't be because Edward's soul is at stake here! I've got to act right now before I forget why I need to stop him. I'm already having difficulty breathing. My hands are gripping his arms, pulling myself tighter to him. My lips are glued to his and I never want it to stop. The heat engulfing me now is like none I've ever felt before.'**_

"**Bella is trying to focus. Can she do it though?" Samon asked nervously.**

**Edward's thoughts became more driven, even more focused—more excited. **_**'See this is incredible and now that I've decided, there's no holding back… This – is right. Oh, how it feels right. Bella in my arms – her radiant skin, her intoxicating scent, the warmth of her body against mine, the heat of her lips searing me with pleasure. Almost a century I've been a man – but never truly. I'll be a man for her now. I can already see what we will do next in my mind, picturing her glorious body against the pale blue sky – the warmth of her under my hands – and the majesty as we are physically united. Why have I put this off?'  
**_**  
My thoughts were disjointed and distracted as I fought for control. **_**'How long can I make this last? It feels like every touch is a live wire. I can feel a heat to his cold touch. This is driving me mad…and, what was I saying? I need to find a way to clear my mind. I need to find a way to speak. To tell Edward…Oh, never mind! His head is full of the sweetness of his breath and I can't think straight anymore. Besides, this is what I have wanted since I met him. I have wanted him and no one else—ever. That isn't very noble of me…but I'm not sure I care anymore. Wait! Of course I care. I care about Edward most of all right?! Of course right! Maybe I can move…'**_

"**If they do this now, the consequences will be the same as they would have been two days ago." Samon said urgently.**

'_**She responds to my every touch. She wants this as much as I do now. I had thought keeping her on top would be safer, but she seems to pull away slightly. That's fine with me, I'll follow her lead.' Edward rolled over, gently pinning me against the soft grass. 'This position only intensifies our connection. I can feel her body under mine.'**_** Edward thought amorously through his passion.**

"**And we now have lost Edward's ability to focus and control himself this time." Dagda said glumly. **

'_**No, no, no,'**_** I mentally argued with myself while actually shaking my head and Edward freed my mouth and began kissing down my throat. **_**'I've got to stay focused. This is getting WAY out of hand. I've got to protect Edward's soul. I have to do this the right way because it's important to Edward and if it's important to Edward than it is to me too. Even if he…somehow…seems to have…forgotten…. I have to find a way to remind him.'**_

"**That's right Bella. Find the strength to stop him--and stop yourself. Your life depends on it.' Mother said encouragingly.**

'_**Bella is shaking her head – she must want something else? Ah, her neck. I revel in the taste of her and I'll start my exploration by kissing down her neck. Her breathing deepens in response. This must be what she wants—what she needs. I think she's happy now. I know I am. I'm surprised how easy it is giving in to this.'**_****

"Stop, Edward. Wait." I said feebly, _**'Great, my voice is about as weak as my will now. That's going to sound convincing.' **_

"**I've got a system started off the coast!" Llasa said happily. His siblings looked at him exasperatedly. "What? It should be here within the hour."**

'_**What is this 'stop Edward wait' about? I know, it's likely in response to some foolish desire to make me happy. Well she doesn't need to worry. I am very happy.'**_** "Why?" He whispered into the hollow of my throat. **_**'I'll answer her made-up objection quickly and then move on to…'**_

"**We don't have an hour Llasa." Chandra said with an elevated voice.**

_** 'It's hard to work up some resolve into my voice.'**_** I'd thought before saying breathlessly, "I don't want to do this now**_**." 'No, that sounded more like I DO want to do this right now. Dang it! That's probably because I want this right now very much. Where is my conviction? I've got to find it. There is too much at stake to mess this up. I've got to think.'**_

"**There even more at stake than you know." Samon said solemnly to Bella.**

'_**Oh, I caught that. She said that unconvincingly. She's a poor liar, trying to protect me…'**_** Edward thought. "Don't you?" He challenged me with a smile in his voice. In the visual he started kissing my lips again making speaking impossible. **_**'I know she does, so I'll just press my lips to hers in confirmation. Oh, yes – she does want this! Her hands tangle in my hair pulling me closer; her hands move to my chest. This time I won't stop her as she pulls the shirt from my body. It makes me moan at just the thought of her bare skin against mine. It will be glorious.'**_

"**Do you think she can stop him? He seems pretty determined?" Dagda asked Chandra and Elizabeth.**

_** 'I've got to think. That's right. Oh, the heat from where he touches me is burning in my in my veins making it so hard to think. Think…about what? Oh, Dang it. I remember. Edward. I've got to make this right for him—for me. I have to because he is the most important thing to me. I've got to do this right. He has been there for me and now if he is weak then it is my turn to be strong for him. He is too precious to me, for my selfish behavior to screw this up. I've got to protect him from himself right now. I love him more than anything. Why have I knotted his hair up with my hands--again? Now it is even harder to focus enough to move my hand to his chest. There, now I can push and he'll know. He'll help me get out of this.'**_

"**Bella is showing a surprising amount of personal restraint here--all things considered. She may be able to pull this off after all." Chandra said with a small smile playing at the corner of her lips.**

'_**Wait, she hasn't moved her hand to my chest to remove my shirt; she's attempting to push me away. And I'm sorry to say, there's a part of me that briefly considers ignoring her feeble push, but I'm attuned to responding to her requests – to doing what she wants.'**_** Edward pulled away a few inches to look at me.**

"**Okay, I picked up a head wind and can have the leading edge of the storm system here in about thirty minutes!" Llasa said in satisfaction.**

'_**Oh, that look in his eye is so…intense. His eyes are like black fire.. They're smoldering my resolve away. Think!'**_** I thought weakly yet desperately**_**. 'Great! Now there are butterflies in my stomach flying up to my throat. I can't seem to get any words out.'**_

"**Do you really think we have thirty minutes here Llasa?" Dagda asked somewhat pointedly. In response, Llasa seemed to take in the situation for the first time.**

"Why" Edward asked me roughly. "I love you. I want you. Right now." _**'I see only confirmation in her eyes. Her words and her desires are at odds. I'll press my lips to hers again as I know she wants me too.'**_

"**Oh," Llasa said sullenly. "Maybe not then. Let me think for a minute."**_****_

** "Wait, wait." I protested weakly, trying to speak around his lips. '**_**You are not helping me here Edward. I want to give in but this is too important. You are too important. I will not mess this up. Not when we'd have eternity to regret today's wrong choice. Not when your soul is possibly at stake. I won't run that risk. No, I won't.'**_

"**Every time she tries to rise to the challenge and correct the situation, he leads her back into a dangerous direction." Samon said.**_**  
**_**  
"Not for me." Edward murmured back in disagreement. **_**'No, you don't need to wait for me any longer, I'm preparing myself to take this to the next level. I'm anticipating it actually.'**_

"**He's not thinking clearly. He's been too affected by the events of the past forty eight hours." Dagda said.**

"**Remember the 'magic word' you learned the other night Bella? That should get his attention." Mother said firmly.**_**  
**_**  
"Please" I gasped**_**. 'Saying 'please' seemed to work quite well going the other direction. Will it work as well in reverse? It has to…'**_

"**Okay, this is the very best I can do. There is just enough moisture in the head winds, to give me a few big drops coming in even earlier to start my illustrious thunderstorm." Llasa said still trying to 'help'**

Edward groaned in the visual _**'Wait, is she serious? What is she trying to do here? I need to do this her way…so. It's taking every ounce of strength I possess to pull myself off her – away from what I know we both desire – but there is no part of my being that would ever force her – though I AM slightly annoyed. I am so ready for this. I'm only just now realizing how very much I want it. Somehow, I need to calm my voice before I speak.'**_** When he did speak, Edward's voice was very demanding. "Tell me why not, Bella. This had better not be about me." **_**'Drat, even I could hear a touch of anger in my voice.'  
**_**  
**_**'Ha! Everything in my world is about him. What a silly thing to expect. But his irritation can help give me the focus I need now to do this correctly.'**_** When I spoke, my voice was more resolved. "Edward, this is very important to me. I am going to do this right."**

"**He's listening. This is good." Samon said with a hint of relief.**

_**'I know what she's doing here. She is just trying to please me--again.'**_** Edward asked with a raised eyebrow. "Who's definition of right?"**

"Mine." I replied confidently. _**'Yes, I do believe it is my right way now. I just can't take any chances. This is the right way. This is MY right way.'**_

'_**The resolve in her voice surprises me. Where did that come from?'**_** Edward rolled over onto his elbow and stared at me. **_**'I'll need to search her face, her eyes for any signal she is just trying to placate me while I ask…'**_** "How are you doing to do this right?"  
**_**  
'I just need to tell him how I feel. He needs to realize how much I love him and how important he is to me. He needs to know what I've decided…but I need to be firm so he understands my commitment.'**_** I took a deep breath, "Responsibly; everything in the right order. I will not leave Charlie and Renee without the best resolution I can give them. I won't deny Alice her fun, if I'm having a wedding anyway. And I will tie myself to you in every human way, before I ask you to make me immortal. I'm following all the rules, Edward. Your soul is far, far too important to me to take chances with. You're not going to budge me on this." **_**'He does understand. I can see it in his eyes. They have gentled and are soft and kind.'  
**_**  
**_**'I love her more than ever. I want her more than ever.'**_** Edward thought before adding with intensity, "I'll bet I could" **_**'I'm half teasing, and also half seriously considering it.'**_

"**He is trying to tempt her—even after she explained herself." Dagda said.**_****_

** My mental chatter picked right up**_**, 'No, don't you try that smoldering-eye-thing now…not after I just finally got my point across. And his proposition…is still just as tempting. Edward wouldn't dare though. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't if he really understands what I'm saying here.'**_** I'd better clarify this immediately. I won't have strength to stop if there's going to be a round two.' I said even with more conviction, "But you wouldn't, not knowing that is what I really need."**

"**This storm is going to be a doosey." Llasa said with satisfaction. His siblings shook their heads.**

_** 'She is right--again. Of course!**_**' Edward thought in resignation. "You don't fight fair." Edward accused me. **_**'It's funny how my annoyance and anger are fading away and being replaced with awe for her decision. She really does love me more than I deserve. And now I find--I cherish her for her strength.'  
**_**  
I grinned at him and said, teasing him back, "Never said I did." **_**'I've never been a fighter or a lover before now…'**_

"**Did you just see what our little Bella just pulled off!" Samon said clapping Chandra and Dagda both on the back in his excitement.**_**  
**_**  
"If you change your mind…" Edward smiled at me wistfully, **_**'I almost hope she does. August thirteenth is beginning to seem very far away.'**_

"**Yes, we did." Dagda said smiling.**

"**She truly is the 'keeper of his soul' isn't she?" Chandra said in delighted awe.**_**  
**_**  
"You'll be the first to know." I promised him. **_**'You'd be the only one to know actually.'**_

"**Ta Dah! The leading edge of my thunderstorm has just arrived." Llasa said with a smirk.**_**  
**_**  
**_**'Interesting how, just now, as if the fates, or our own guardian angels, or perhaps God himself has confirmed our decision, the clouds open, releasing their rain on us.'**_** I glowered at the sky as the cool wetness of the rain hit my face. Edward brushed it away from my cheek. "I'll get you home."**

"**Yes, I guess it's a little late, but turns out we didn't need it after all." Dagda said, clapping Llasa on the back.**

_**'Home…home where Charlie will be waiting. Well, no sense in putting this off any longer.'**_** "Rain's not the problem." I grumbled. "It just means that it's time to go do something that will be very unpleasant and possibly even highly dangerous."**

Edward's eyes widened in alarm, _**'Has she not already been through enough? What more could there be?'  
**_**  
"It's a good thing you're bulletproof." I said sarcastically and sighed before adding, "I'm going to need that ring. It's time to tell Charlie." My tone was dismally.**

Edward laughed at my expression on my face and the release of tension, "Highly dangerous" he agreed, laughing again before reaching into his jeans to pull out the ring_**. 'How ridiculous I had been last night, moping in my self-imposed despair while Bella visited Jacob.' **_**He looked at me with his face full of love and elation. "But at least there's no need for a side trip."**

_**'I am in this moment filled with pure joy,' **_**Edward thought while he slipped it on the third finger of my left hand. **_**'It is wondrous how this ring is a perfect fit – and she is a perfect fit in my life.'**_

'_**Now I have things in the right order. I'm wearing his ring, right where it belongs, and I'm right where I belong--with Edward, the love of my life--for the rest of eternity.**_**' I'd thought as we left the meadow.**

"**Ohhh, I love this girl!" Mother said wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. And with that the heavens opened and the storm began in earnest.**

*******

*****A big THANK YOU to Erica for letting me sift through all of her Eclipse pieces for little cameos of this chapter…If you haven't had a chance to read her Eclipse chapters---well get ready for the 'Midnight Sun' of Eclipse! That's what you're looking at! It is truly fantastic! To see what she's got so far go my profile page to find her links under my chapter notes for this chapter :D**

***  
And now back to my story...

This was the culmination of my 'Power Shift' chapter it was this last scene…where Bella becomes the true heroine of the story for Edward. She sticks up for what is important to him and ultimately for herself too!

Please leave comments. I hope I wasn't too wordy at the first part especially.

Please let me know what did and didn't work for you...what I can do to improve...etc...

What you did and didn't like. I know that some of you were really wanting me to focus on the tent scene…what can I say that Stephanie and Erica haven't already expounded on.

Thanks, Tami


	37. Chapter 34 Parts One and Two

**Part IV: The Edward & Bella Story—Breaking Dawn**

**Chapter Thirty Four  
The Birth of Hope-Part I **

Bella's POV

**Finally our plane touched down in Salt Lake City, Utah. Our sparkling skin was carefully concealed behind caps, sun glasses, long sleeved shirts and slacks, as we entered the brightly lit terminal where the fierce desert sun shown in through the huge windows. Thankfully there was just enough time, traveling at a 'human' speed to make it to our next gate just in time for first class priority boarding. As we waited for the remaining passengers to prepare for departure, I took out my mobile phone and dialed my Dad's cell number for the first time since we'd left Peru. He picked up on the third ring.**

"**Hello Bella! You better be calling to tell me you're coming in as scheduled." He said somewhat sarcastically. You could hear the sounds of other motor cars in the background. "I'm more than two-thirds the way to Seattle and I'm NOT turning around."**

"**Hi to you to Dad." I replied back grinning into the receiver. He had insisted on meeting us at the airport in Seattle even though I'd told him we could get to Forks just fine and meet him there. After reminding him Edward's Volvo was already in long-term parking, he finally cut a deal with us. He wanted to see us and especially Nessie. So Edward and I could leave after seeing him but Nessie would be going home with him and Sue. He already had things for her to wear at his house and he wouldn't hear of any other arrangement. I was momentarily distracted with a worry over whether the clothes that had fit her when we'd left for the Amazon would fit her anymore. Maybe I'd have to have Alice get her some more and run them over to Charlie's. I could clearly hear Seth's voice through the receiver, ask his Mother to change the radio station. The voices of Quil and Embry were muted but heard as well. Finally I caught the timber of Sam's voice quieting them while the cell phone was being used.**

"**Wow Charlie, What did you do? Bring the entire reservation out with you?" I teased him.**

"**I don't really know what the big deal is." Charlie said a little quieter but still good naturedly. "I can understand Seth wanting to go to officially meet Nahuel. I mean he'll be his brother-in-law and all, but I'm not sure what's with everyone else demanding to come to meet him. They all act as if they already know him or have seen him before but have never really met him. I can't figure them out. I mean—it's not like any of them have been to South America lately. Honestly Bells, I think it's just some of their mysterious wolf stuff. I'm just glad Edward got me this great Escalade. Otherwise most of these guys would have to walk home, so Nessie, Leah and her intended have room in the SUV."**

"**Well, I was just checking in to make sure you were still planning on coming." I told him, preparing to hang up. Just then Nessie bounded across the aisle between boarding passengers and pleaded with her eyes to talk to her Grandpa. "Umm, Dad…there's someone here who is dying to talk to you." I handed the phone to Nessie and she looked as though she would explode with excitement. I hadn't realized how much she'd missed Charlie but apparently she was as eager to see him as he was to see her.**

"**Grandpa!" She practically shouted into the phone in her still clear high soprano voice.**

"**Nessie! How are you doing Sweetie?" Dad's voice sang out loud and clear for my vampire hearing.**

"**I'm great. I can't wait to see you. I've been taking pictures and everything. And I'm taller now too." She added proudly.**

"**That is fantastic. I can hardly wait to see you pumpkin. Do you have any idea how much I've missed you?"**

"**No." She answered in surprise.**

"**Well, don't tell your Mother but I missed you even more than her. And I missed her a lot." Charlie said. Nessie looked at me and grinned. She knew I had no trouble catching that.**

"**Okay, Grandpa, I won't tell her. But don't blame me for her knowing because she just heard you say it yourself." Nessie told him in a whisper. Her eyes twinkling merrily, her bronze curls springing with her movements.**

"**What?" Charlie asked puzzled. "Am I on speaker phone or what?"**

"**No, my Mom and Dad have crazy supersonic hearing. That's all." Nessie explained rolling her eyes, as if this fact were obvious to everyone.**

"**Hmmm," was Charlie's brilliant response.**

"**Oh, Grandpa! I can hardly wait to tell you all about the Amazon gods we met out in the lost ruined cities…"**

**I grabbed the phone away from her. "Oh, Dad, I'm so sorry but the plane is getting ready to taxi now and we've got to turn off the cell phone."**

"**Oh, alright, I guess I can hear about the… What in the heck did Nessie mean about 'Amazon gods' and 'lost ruins'?" He asked quickly in confusion.**

"**Don't worry about it." I whispered in a rush to sound as though it was time to hang up now. "We went to some ruins and they had a movie about the ancient legends that's all. Hey, we'll meet you in Seattle. Love you Dad." **

"**Love you too kid." Charlie said back. "And no hard feelings about missing Nessie more right? I mean it's only very slightly more…"**

"**That's fine Dad. I've gotta go now, bye Dad."**

"**Bye Bells." I hung up the phone and looked at my daughter and then at Edward. Nessie looked at us in confusion.**

"**Mommy, why did you lie to Grandpa about the Amazon gods?" She asked innocently. Clearly she had plans to discuss them with Charlie in detail, probably on the trip home. I looked at Edward for help. Lying for the sake of appearances was his specialty. One thing I was sure of, even with Charlie's 'semi-knowledge', immortal perfected beings might be WAY more than he needed to know.**

"**Nessie," Edward began gathering her into his lap. "Grandpa doesn't know about a lot of things and some things he can't know. SO we tell him what he needs to know and it is safer for him this way. Also some things are hard for Grandpa to understand. I'm afraid that Samon, Chandra and everyone else like them we met and learned about the last few days, are going to fall into that category."**

"**Oh," Renesmee said clearly disappointed. "I can't tell him at all?" She asked sullenly looking into her Father's eyes.**

"**Sorry kiddo. I don't think so." But then Edward reconsidered. Nessie was just so hard to resist. Everyone wanted to make her happy--especially her Daddy. "But you can tell him about the animals, the cities, the ruins, and the Indians we met. So there is still a lot to talk about. Right?"**

"**I suppose so." She moaned dejectedly. It really was time to depart and so Renesmee went to take her seat by Jacob as we prepared for our take-off.**

**Yes, ancient Amazon gods would have definitely been a tough one for Charlie to swallow. Guardian angels--maybe, but as his main Sunday service consisted of getting his knees muddy and wet from fishing and not praying, somehow, I just didn't think so.**

**As our plane took off once again and we watched the Wasatch Mountains disappear behind us, I thought some more about one ancient Amazon god in particular, the perfected being, Chandra. Edward's 'Reckless Angel'; and more of the revelations she'd shared with us yesterday. This time I moved on to some details she had filled in for us on our wedding, honeymoon and my pregnancy with my daughter. **

"**I'm going to skim through the wedding and the honeymoon and only make a few points about each because we are short on time and I really want to cover some things for you Bella about your pregnancy and some things that occurred during your…transformation." Chandra said as she shot me a knowing look. I was worried the reminder would 'remind' Edward he'd been wondering about that from her 'clues' already given. Sure enough, when I looked at him and smiled trying to appear 'normal', his look of consternation told me he hadn't bought it. Great!**

"**Well, I'd just like to show you some stills from your wedding you may find interesting." Chandra said and the wall now became a slide show displaying pictures of Edward looking for all the world like a Greek God he was, with burning buttery gold eyes, bronze-colored hair and the most dazzling smile I'd ever seen him wear. The picture of him, alone about knocked me senseless. I was there by his side with my hair coffered into thick braids with the silver combs graced with blue sapphires in a floral design at the sides tucked perfectly in line with my veil and my elegant wedding dress that Alice had ordered from a designer before Edward had left on his hiatus from my life. I'd remembered the wedding scene depicted and there were pictures at home in our wedding album similar to the one the screen. In this first one, I had both of my arms wrapped around Edward's neck still holding my bouquet and kissing him enthusiastically. What was new to this picture was my guardian Angel, Elizabeth Masen who was standing behind me with tears in her eyes with a look of sheer joy and a smile of triumph on her face. Behind Edward was a man I'd never seen before. He was an inch and a half taller than Edward and shared with him the same build on a similar lanky frame. His hair was a light brown and he had the same strong jaw line and angular nose as Edward had. With a start, I had realized I was looking at Edward's Father. Edward Masen, Sr., had a similar look to his face as both Edward and his Mother shared. My husband gasped in recognition.**

**The next still was of Edward and I just after our kiss when Edward had turned us to face our friends and family, it had been taken when I had finally pried my eyes off of Edward's glorious face. In the picture, Llasa and Samon were on Edward's left side and Chandra and Dagda were on mine. All four of them were smiling as beautifully as Edward was and as I was trying to. There was a picture of Edward and me with Charlie, Renee, Phil, Carlisle and Esme. New to that one was the addition of Edward Senior and Elizabeth Masen. There was one with everyone mentioned above and the entire Cullen family included. The supernaturals made a fine addition to that picture as well. In all there were about twenty pictures some looked to be deliberately posed and others were more like candid shots. All included us and one or more of our supernatural 'guests'. They looked as though they had enjoyed themselves immensely. **

"**My Father was there?" Edward asked quietly in a voice sounding more like a question than a statement.**

**Mother patted his hand. "Are you kidding? Wild horses couldn't have kept him away." She said with a chuckle. "He was as pleased as punch." She sighed contentedly at the memory.**

"**Where is he now?" Edward asked looking around and half expecting him to turn up as well.**

"**He has assignments of his own." Chandra said smiling. Then she added, "Of course he does turn up time and again to check up on you and see how you're getting along. And of course, I see him often as well."**

"**Really?" Edward asked in a whisper. He looked like he would cry if such a thing were not impossible.**

"**Yes." Chandra said softly. "Now, so far, the gifts I have given to the two of you," She added gesturing to both Edward and me. "First, Bella has had her human memories restored, Edward, you have gotten to speak with and visit with your Mother and that is of course a gift for Bella as well, as she was your guardian angel. You've gotten an in-depth look at the story of your love through a new perspective of just how much was involved in bringing things about, and there are a few more gifts I have for you. One of them I will give you now." With that Chandra went to a desk sitting in the corner of the room and opened the center drawer. She pulled out a large white padded book. She brought it back with her and handed it to both Edward and I. Our names were embossed in gold on the front cover along with the date of our wedding. Also embossed in the same gold with silver and bronze shadowing, was a line drawing of us from that day in our wedding attire. I opened the page and found an 8x10 of the same first picture Chandra had shown us, of our kiss with Edward's parents there. Each of the pictures we had seen from the slide show was included in the beautiful photo album and there were empty slots at the back for us to put our own pictures of that wonderful day in as well. "Of course, we included an extra copy of the photo including everyone so you can display it at home." She added happily. I didn't know what to say. I barely had time to hand Edward the precious book before I practically threw myself at Chandra in an excited embrace. **

"**Thank you!" I said fervently. I looked back at Edward who was holding the book open to a picture of the two of us with Carlisle and Esme and now Elizabeth and Edward Sr. were there too. Edward's father was standing in a space between him and Carlisle. His hand rested lightly on Edward's shoulder as he looked on with a dazzling smile I'd recognized right away. Edward was softly fingering the picture running his hand over his father's image with a look of deep melancholy in his eyes.**

"**I didn't realize how much I've missed him until seeing these pictures." Edward said softly. "I thought I'd forgotten almost everything about him, but seeing these seems to bring back such a flood of memories. Just as seeing Mother did when she came into the room." Edward looked up at Chandra in wonder.**

"**Yes Edward, we gave you back some of your human memories as well--the ones of your parents. They are a part of who you are and your parents are worthy of the honor and tribute good memories of them will provide. They also provide a link to your past and your heritage. So for your valiant work in bringing the 'Hope of the World' here, we were happy to give you something in return." She said smiling warmly at him.**

"**Thank you Chandra." He said appreciatively. "I will treasure these photos always."**

"**I thought you might. Your wedding day was one of the greatest highlights of your life, and now even more so." Mother said happily. "I know it certainly was for me. I cried so many tears of joy that day." She shook her head at the memory. "All I can say is I'm glad my eyes don't get red and puffy anymore." She laughed gently and Edward reached over and hugged her again, kissing her cheek. When he finished he opened his arms back up for me to sit on his lap again. Complying with his request earned me a kiss that matched the one in the wedding picture in enthusiasm. Edward once again was the one to pull away to the sound of Emmett's half annoyed and half amused grunt.**

"**Of course we wanted Jacob to head back to LaPush so he would be around for the coming drama upon your return from your honeymoon and we were pleased when he did so in time to put in an appearance at your wedding. We were not as pleased by his sarcastic remarks about your honeymoon that goaded you, Bella into divulging private information about just how 'real' your honeymoon would be. We of course, knew how Jacob would respond to that piece of 'none-of-his-business' news." As Chandra added that last bit of news she cast a disapproving look at Jacob. "Even with his improved control, all four of us had to work once again to keep him from phasing and hurting either Bella or Seth. We got him out of there as fast as we could, but not before he nearly soured Edward on the compromise and in so doing would've also compromised our entire operation! The experience nicely started Bella's system producing the adrenaline we'd later manipulate on Isle Esme a bit." She added in an off-handed manner. Then she continued, "We did know that one good thing resulting from Jacob's new information would be that at least he wouldn't be completely blown away when he showed up at the Cullen's house almost four weeks later."**

"**HA! Like that worked." Jacob's loud bark of a laugh startled us all. "I was completely blown WAY away when I came to the Cullens house after the honeymoon."**

**Emmett nodded in agreement. "We all knew the… How did you say it? Terms of the 'none-of-our-business' real honeymoon; but we were also totally blown away. I was completely taken by surprise. I mean, no one had been more surprised than me."**

"**Actually," Chandra said clarifying the point. "No one was more blown away than Edward, but I'm getting just a bit ahead of my story. So let's start at the beginning of the honeymoon rather than the end." She added deftly as she redirected the story back in her arena.**

"**Now, as we've just said, most of the things that happened on Edward and Bella's honeymoon was 'none-of-anyone's-business'." Chandra said pointedly. Edward rested his head on my shoulder and I let out a silent sigh of relief. I didn't have to worry about people laughing at my sigh because at the same moment Emmett drew all the attention to him instead.**

**Emmett sighed dramatically and said, "Phew! Thank goodness! I don't think my poor little virgin eyes or ears could take it."**

"**Oh please!" Jacob said rolling his eyes. "You advertise your sex life loudest of all."**

**Emmett seemed slightly offended. "What do you mean by 'advertise'? Am I louder than Edward?"**

**I was surprised when every other Cullen in the room including Rosalie and Edward answered him with a resounding, "Yes!"**

**Emmett seemed pleased. "Good! I've still got it!" He said bringing Rosalie in for what could've passed for a passionate kiss--if he weren't for his wagging eyebrows at the same time.**

**Chandra looked at him in a pained amused expression. "Okay well, speaking of virgins, this gave us a problem with Edward's control. Don't get me wrong. He needed to be just that to be the Father of 'The Hope of the World'. And we only condone a sexual relationship inside the bonds of marriage, so this was a problem we were happy to deal with. But it was a problem all the same. The problem being that Edward had no reference for how strong his experience would be, and therefore had no workable plan for how to maintain control during the experience to keep from harming Bella. So this was what we worked out." **

**I'd remembered thinking as Chandra explained, about my bruises and how upset Edward had been with me because I had not stopped him before he had 'hurt' me.**

"**Well, we knew after Edward had his initial experience, he would find ways to work through the excess energy by channeling it somewhere else. But the first time, he didn't understand it would even be there and he would need to channel it. He was expecting Bella to tell him if he began hurt her and Bella had agreed to do just that. Well," Chandra began to slowly shake her head, "We knew if Bella were to tell him he was becoming too aggressive, he would stop and not try again… And consequently there would be no Renesmee. So we made sure Bella didn't feel any pain to tell him about." She said with a big smile.**

"**What do you mean you took away her pain?" Edward asked indignantly. "You intentionally let me hurt her?"**

"**You didn't really hurt her." Chandra said rolling her eyes. Then her eyes got bright again. She turned to my Father-in-Law and said, "Carlisle, why don't you explain to everyone about what endorphins are."**

**Carlisle raised an eyebrow before clearing his throat and responding in an informative, lecturing tone. "Well, endorphins are peptide hormones, found mainly in the brain. They're referred to as the body's natural pain killers. They work similar to Morphine and they inhibit the perception of painful stimuli. They also stimulate feelings of euphoria and release sex hormones as well." He looked at Chandra in mild reproach. "You over stimulated Bella's system with endorphins didn't you?"**

"**As a matter of fact, we did." Chandra responded simply. "Of course, the buildup started with the adrenaline rush from Jacob's little performance at the wedding. And I know that you, Edward noticed her heart rate increasing as you neared your destination. You thought it was just her anticipation. Well, it was anticipation--and us spiking her pituitary glands to mass produce these neuro-transmitters. I can assure you Edward, the next morning when you were so upset and asking her how badly she was hurt—she had absolutely no idea what you were talking about. It took a good three days to get her system back to normal and by then the small amount of soreness she'd felt from the bruising was gone. Also by the time those three days were up the fertilized egg that would become Nessie was securely implanted in Bella's uterus and multiplied into an embryo--equivalent in size to a four week embryo—already with rudimentary toes and fingers." **

"**Hmmm," Was all Edward had said in response. He had already known I had been okay. Once I became a vampire and learned how to open my shield to him, I had made a point of showing him how I had felt about all of my experiences from our honeymoon as best as I could remember them at the time. Of course, they were much clearer now, thanks to Chandra.**

"**Well, I'm sure you all could just imagine Edward's reaction the next day seeing Bella bruises as evidence against her verbal assurances she was 'fine'. 'Mr. over-reaction' was back. He decided there would be no more sex until she was changed. He didn't realize he would be able to correct the situation a second time, simply by knowing what to expect. Bella knew he would, but he wasn't about to listen to reason when Bella's safety was the issue. This would have been fine anyway, except for two things. The first one was that Bella was very unhappy and trying desperately to change Edward's mind. She thought she would never have an experience like that again. Of course she was wrong, but still, she was very sad about Edward's decision. We were concerned about her mental state because we knew she was going to be put through the ringer shortly and wanted her going into it in good spirits and continuing with a 'real honeymoon' would not only give her that better emotional state but also help cement your relationship as husband and wife. The more firmly that relationship was established, the greater the strength you would both have for the upcoming ordeal."**

"**The second reason was even more important. Bella was desperately trying to 'change' Edward's mind. What he was, at times dangerously close to doing, was changing her right there on the island to give her the rest of her 'real' honeymoon without hurting her. Bella would have agreed to it without even realizing she was pregnant. This, of course, would have killed the growing embryo and prevented any other from taking its place. SO this was our primary motivating factor in breaking down Edward's resistance to continuing the honeymoon in the way Bella desired it to be. We did it by knowing exactly when Edward's willpower was at its lowest, through a great dream for Bella of what she did want and with her tears; easily done with pregnant women. I didn't have to boost any hormones. They were already all over the charts! The second time, as we knew already would be the case, he was able to discover a way to channel what he knew would be an 'excess' of energy into something else--like a solid wood headboard. With this 'discovery' on Edward's part, the honeymoon was back on track; Bella was MUCH happier and so were we; no transformation coming before Nessie was scheduled to be born."**

"**Of course, Caius was up to no good back in Volterra and we had to let Alice 'see' him and have her send a wedding announcement to slow them down there." She added with a scowl. She shook her head as if vanquishing a bad thought and then continued, "We made ourselves scarce from the beach house after that. We let our little lovebirds have their own fun and we went out having fun exploring the island ourselves. Of course, we let Bella have a few dreams about needing to protect a child from the Volturi. Just so she would have a warning."**

"**That was what your Volturi nightmares were about?" Edward asked in alarm.**

"**Yes," I admitted softly. "I just couldn't bring myself to mention about the child to you." Then I had turned to Chandra and added. "But why did you make it a boy, if it was going to be a girl?"**

"**Well, we wanted to reinforce the idea to you, when you did discover you were pregnant, that it was Edward's child. We made the boy from your dreams actually look like Edward did at that age--Edward's baby—Edward himself. It was just to help you focus on that fact. That and also because Llasa insisted. He just loves throwing people curve balls." She shook her head in good humor.**

"**Then there was the last day of your honeymoon. We made sure Edward went hunting before Bella's condition became known as it would be over two weeks before he would do so again, with the most stressful period with the most of Bella's blood exposure being at the end, when his control would need to be at its strongest. Then we made sure after they both realized what had happened, Bella understood what Edward's plan for 'taking care of the situation' involved. We made sure she felt the baby moving inside of her and that she already had an emotional attachment to it."**

"**Next, we made sure Edward left his cell phone out where Bella could grab it and call the one Cullen she was 100% positive would help her save her baby no matter what." Chandra looked at Rosalie with a look of approval. Her eyes were still sparkling away. "You did an exceptional job too, Rosalie. We were all very pleased with the care and support you gave to both Bella and Renesmee. Thank you." Rosalie's entire countenance seemed to start glowing and as she was already beyond beautiful, the effect was staggering, to say the least. I wasn't the only one left stunned. Emmett's jaw actually dropped and then froze in its open state.**

"**You're welcome Chandra." Rosalie said pleased with a nod and then she very pointedly closed Emmett's jaw with the palm of her hand and kissed him lightly. He continued on with his 'deer-in-the-headlights' look.**

**Chandra nodded and then turned her attention back to everyone and her story. "We made sure Kaure came that last day as well. We knew while it would be upsetting to Edward, it would be important for him to know there were others like Renesmee in existence so when the Volturi came, You would know to look for one." She said glancing at Nahuel with a grin. "Of course, we also filtered a great deal of Edward's family's thoughts at the airport in Seattle so he would not hear Rosalie's plan until Bella was safely in her arms. I was rather pleased with how everything worked out. It was quite a choreographed maneuver to work." She added to explain the difficulties.**

**Chandra paused in her monologue for a few moments as though deciding how to begin her next explanation. Then she walked over to Nessie, who had been in Jacob's lap and spoke directly to her. "Renesmee, I am going to be talking about some things that happened while you were still growing inside of your Mother's womb. Some of this may be somewhat difficult for you to hear. If you would like, I can let you take a nap if you would rather not listen to the things we'll be discussing." **

**Nessie seemed to consider her offer for only a tenth of a second before shaking her head and saying, "No, I want to know everything that happened. It may help me understand things better,"**

"**Alright then," Chandra said taking a big breath. She knelt in front of my daughter and looked her seriously in the eye. "I don't have to tell you that your daddy and your Jacob both love you very, very much, right?"**

**Nessie smiled broadly. "No, I know THAT. I've known that since I was born."**

"**Yes, they have both loved you since they have known you." Chandra clarified. "But there was a time, before you were born, when both of them were afraid of what you might be. They were also upset because you were stronger than your Mother at the time, and she was getting hurt as you grew and developed--not that you did anything wrong." She added in a reassuring manner. "They were also terrified your birth would kill her. Kaure had already warned your father this would be the case and he was literally dying inside at the prospect of what would become of your mother."**

"**Now, when Jacob came to the house and realized your mother was expecting you, he was also very upset. He had all of the same fears your Father had but he also had his love for Bella mixed up with the love he would feel for you. You were still very much a part of your Mother and he was drawn to you but didn't understand yet, that it was you pulling him instead of her." Chandra explained as she stood up, staying in front of Nessie and continuing her story--this time addressing her remarks to everyone.**

"**Now we knew Jacob would need to be a strong Alpha to be the mate and protector of 'The Hope of the World' so we set up a few things to get him prepared for his upcoming role. The first thing we did was have Sam react badly to the information of Bella's pregnancy. Sam and the majority of his pack believed the unknown life would not be able to be controlled and would destroy their families."**

**Nessie's eyes got wide with shock. Jacob rubbed her shoulder. **

"**I know, as if you would ever do such a thing!" Chandra added incredulously. "But don't get to mad at them. We kind of nudged them in that direction." Now Nessie wasn't the only one in the room with eyes wide in shock. "Relax everyone. Bella was in no danger. We needed to force Jacob to embrace his birthright as the true alpha. This was our ploy to pit his desire to honor his tribe against his honor to do what was right to protect Bella and in effect, Renesmee as well. This was an important step for him. His future was waiting for him and he needed to be completely ready for it. He had to fight for it. So when Jacob broke off from the main group and took on the mantle of the Alpha, he embraced his destiny. He also needed to have a 'revised' opinion of the entire Cullen family. He couldn't get that from his home in LaPush. Just like Edward learned the more he was around Bella, the more desensitized to her scent he became; Jacob also grew more 'tolerant' of the scent of the vampires from his prolonged exposure to them. It would also later put him in the position, to approve Bella's transformation, as the rightful Alpha. It also put him where he needed to be in order to help save Bella during Renesmee's delivery and where he would need to be for his imprinting."**

"**And let's not forget, it was a snide internal comment Jacob made and Edward picked up on about Bella's needing to drink blood for both herself and the baby to survive. Jacob's being there also provided Alice with some relief from her 'vision' blurring and leaving her with 'headaches' due to Bella's pregnancy's interfering with her 'sight'."**

"**Jacob had been very unhappy Bella had made several phone calls to her Father because he believed she was either going to die or, best case scenario be changed into a vampire and either way, he'd probably be told she would be dead. What Jacob didn't know was, those phone calls ultimately set up his excuse for bringing Charlie into the picture and keeping the family close to him where he could protect his new charge. And Jacob made it possible for the Cullens to leave and get medical supplies that would be necessary to care for the new baby and Bella. He also made it safe for the Cullens to go hunting. This was important for Jasper especially to be available when Bella's blood permeated the house, so that he was available to control Rosalie as well as himself. Of course, Rosalie might have been able to focus better during the delivery had she gone hunting when Jasper did. But that's fine. Rosalie was focused when she needed to be." Chandra said with satisfaction. I was still trying to play 'connect the dots' from her explanations of events surrounding my pregnancy. I guessed her estimation of it being a choreographed dance was spot on. At least I didn't fall on my face. Well, thanks to Rosalie I didn't anyway.**

"**This is a little out of order but while I'm focusing on Jacob for a minute here, I'd like to explain something to you." Chandra said now looking directly at Jacob. "We tried to get you to calm down when Edward heard the baby so you would be there long enough for Nessie to 'hear' and react to your voice as well, but you were not thinking rationally and you left in quite a fit." Chandra sighed. "So Dagda followed you to Tacoma where you tried to imprint on everything in a skirt." I almost felt sorry for Jacob as I remembered how hard it was for him just before Renesmee had been born.**

"**Do you remember the young lady you spoke with there about Edward's Vanquish? Lizzy was her name, right?" Chandra asked lightly. Jacob nodded his head slowly. He was looking nervous again as though he was trying to figure out how this was going to get him into trouble with Nessie. He was already in 'the doghouse' so to speak. "She was rather nice, didn't you think?" She asked with her eyes still dancing with excitement.**

"**She was nice," Jacob replied slowly, unsure of his answer and any hidden dangers that might be lurking there for him. "She was pretty, friendly to grumpy strangers and she knew a lot about cars." He added looking back at Chandra. It seemed as though he was begging her with his eyes to not point out anything too humiliating.**

"**She was definitely all that!" Chandra said. "Well, I'd like to let everyone see what Lizzy looks like." With that the room went to half light and on the wall that had played out so many scenes over the last several hours there was a single picture. It was of a young woman. She was attractive, about 5'3. She had long dark blonde hair that was lightly curled and hazel/green eyes. Her skin was slightly tanned.**

**Jacob looked confused. Finally he shook his head and said, "Umm, Chandra? That girl was not the Lizzy I met in the park that day in Tacoma." He said very definitively. "I've never seen that girl before in my life."**

"**Well, actually Jacob, that IS the girl you met that day in the park. But since you didn't stick around for your introduction to Nessie the way we had originally planned, Dagda decided to introduce you to her another way." Jacob looked confused. "Watch this." Chandra commanded.**

**On the screen another figure appeared next to 'Lizzy'. With a start I realized this young woman was my daughter—only as how she would someday be as an older teenager. Oh, she was so beautiful. I gasped. I wasn't the only one, but I was too mesmerized to mentally tabulate the reactions. Before I had too much time to study my 'future' daughter, the two figures went towards each other and kind of 'morphed' together. Lizzy's hair had been dark blond turned into a light gold with red tints to it as it mixed with Nessie's golden bronze locks. It also picked up more curl to the ends. Her eyes settled into a cinnamon, light brown color and her skin became paler with a small spray of freckles to replace Lizzy's tan.**

"**That's Lizzy!" Jacob said excitedly. "That's the girl at the park!" Then he looked at Nessie and back at the girl in the picture. "Lizzy looked different to me because I was trying to imprint and you were supposed to be my imprint. Lizzy changed to become more like you will be when you grow up!"**

"**That's it basically. Dagda was trying to help you see, your future was coming too you soon. You didn't really get it at the time. But it did remind you of Bella and your need to get back to the house. Which was exactly where you needed to be and pronto."**

Chapter Thirty Four  
The Birth Of Hope-Part II

Bella's POV

"**Mommy," I was surprised once again to see my beautiful daughter there in the plane standing in the aisle in front of me. I automatically held my arms out to her and she crawled into my lap with heavy-lidded eyes. "I'm so sleepy and Jacob keeps talking too much." She yawned as she tried to speak through it. "Sooo, I was wondering, if I could sleep here with you and Daddy. I want a little nap before Grandpa picks me up in Seattle."**

"**Sure thing," I said as Edward grabbed a pillow and blanket from the overhead compartment and after he was seated again, I helped her get comfortable. I tucked the pillow under her head. She was getting so tall that her feet were in Edward's lap. He took the blanket and covered her up, leaning over her and kissing her cheek as he tucked the blanket up under her chin.**

"**Thanks Daddy, but just don't treat me like a baby okay." She said with another yawn.**

"**But that's exactly what you are." Edward said softly to her in a teasing sort of way. "You're not even two yet. So just deal with it. You're growing up too fast as it is…" He shook his head as though dislodging a painful thought. "Just humor us and act your age once in a while."**

"**Oh, does da Dada wanna habe a wittle baba?" she teased him back sounding very much like a two year old in a fake, baby-talk voice. **

"**Very funny. When did you get so sarcastic young lady?" He said in mock indignation. "Did you learn it from Jacob?" Edward added with a frown.**

"**No, Silly," She added, freeing her hand and touching his nose with her fingertip. "I got it from watching you and Mommy, of course." She rolled her eyes and yawned again hugely. "Please just let me sleep now or I might as well go back and listen to Jacob jabber on." She closed her little eyes and fell fast asleep.**

**Edward watched her and smiled with so much love and adoration that I was reminded of the same look I'd seen on his face from the visual in Chandra's home room earlier. As we settled back into our seats, I gently played with Nessie's gentle golden bronze curls and watched her face relax as she gently fell into slumber. Edward was contentedly smiling as he watched the two of us. My mind started to wander back to my recollection of Chandra's tale about my daughter's entrance into the world. Looking at Edward's face as he gazed at the two of us, I decided to remember the events with him and I opened my shield to him as I started to mentally relive the story. He bent his head to mine and kissed my forehead. He left his lips there as if frozen in the pose while I thought of our experience from Chandra's and Nessie slept in our laps.**

**Chandra was there explaining about the day Nessie was born. "We tried to do some things to help improve Edward and Jacob's spirits the day they would work as a team to deliver Renesmee into the world. Edward had been unable to hear any of the mental thoughts from his daughter yet because her mind had not been strong enough yet to pull free of her mother's shield. Once it did, we were able to help Edward understand the nature of the creature that was his daughter. It also alerted him to the advanced state of development the child possessed and that delivery would need to be done very soon. This scene starts out right after Rosalie had left the room to get Bella more blood to drink. The room darkened and once again the wall had a visual on it.**

*******

**I was lying on the couch; my huge stomach ballooning out in front of me as I lay on my back. Even Emmett's huge Sweat shirt had barely covered my bulge. And the collar almost had my shoulders slipping through the huge neckline. A blanket was carefully covering my legs. Edward was on the floor sitting on his knees beside me. He actually looked as though he were about to spring in reaction at any movement I made. Jacob lay sprawled out in the chair closest to my head. He closed his eyes and was about two heartbeats away from snoozeville. What made seeing Jacob all slouched there on the couch so comical, was the addition of the 'then invisible to us' perfected being, Llasa, who must have been previously sitting on the chair and still was. Only now, Jacob was draped out on top of him. It looked as though Jacob had landed in his lap like a ton of bricks and then passed out. Also new to the scene, at least to our knowledge, had been the addition of Edward's mother and my guardian angel, Elizabeth Masen, and the other perfected beings, Dagda, Chandra and Samon. Elizabeth or Mother as she'd asked me to call her, was kneeling at the end of the couch by my head. Chandra was standing behind the couch with Dagda beside her. Samon was looking out the window as though deep in thought. Ephraim Black, as Jacob's guardian angel was located behind the crowded chair.**

"**Mommy, you were so big. That wasn't all me? I wasn't THAT big in there!" Renesmee said with a tiny peal of laughter.**

"**Oh, that WAS you kiddo." I laughed right back at her.**

"**You, and a placenta, and about three cups of amniotic fluid, that is." Edward had added. It had been nice to see the contrast between his smiles for our daughter there in Chandra's room as opposed to the grim expression of pain and resignation that his face wore in the visual.**

"**This was so much more comfortable before Jacob Black sat down." Llasa moaned morosely.**

"**You could try moving." Chandra said pointedly.**

"**I know, but I WAS here first. It's the principle of the thing." He said by way of explanation.**

"**Never mind now," Samon said excitedly. "Our little angel is about to make her presence known."**

"**That ought to bring Edward right out of his stupor." Dagda said in relief.**

"**I certainly hope so," Mother said fervently. It looked as though she was wringing her hands again. "He's got to be in better spirits and ready to save this baby and Bella in just a few more hours!"**

'…_**Edward in the bay, his bare back to me in waist deep water with the moon shimmering across the ocean's surface. My Edward, only for me; finally mine forever to love with no restrictions. And he carried me to that big white beautiful bed and…' **_**My thoughts had surfaced through the visual. That was embarrassing. I was glad that Chandra had the foresight to do SOME editing at least. My two year old daughter was too astute for one so young. And there was still Emmett to consider.**

**Suddenly there was a quiet humming sound emanating from the visual. I wondered where it was coming from. I didn't remember any humming from that day. As the humming persisted, I'd noticed that it was like a little happy made-up tune and it sounded a little like Renesmee's voice from when she was a very young baby. Edward's expression changed as he started to concentrate on the sound. Neither I nor Jacob picked up on it. **

'_**What is that?'**_** Edward thought in confusion. '**_**It kind of resonates right between my ears. Jacob's dreaming about Bella with her hair whipping around her on a motorcycle—with no helmet and smiling hugely at him. Well, I guess that make it not him. Rosalie is focused on warming up Bella's blood for her and wondering if there would be enough for her to have a tiny sip. Everyone else left to hunt--nothing from Bella, as usual. Am I finally losing my mind? Maybe…but it is changing, almost like thoughts without language. Thought pictures with colors to go with the humming. Where am I getting this from? Is it from my mind or did someone say something? Maybe Bella did and I missed it listening out for other sources.'**_** Edward stared into my eyes with a look of confusion on his face now. **

'…_**with feathers everywhere—kind of like angel wings.'**_

**"Did you say something?" Edward's voice had cut off my reverie.**

**Jacob woke up with a start and looked at Edward in sleepy shock**_**. 'Now that's strange. Edward hears as good as me and he was the only one who said anything. He should know that!'**_

"**No, I didn't say anything either," Llasa said in exasperation, "But I will say, 'get up Jacob!'" Almost as if in response to Llasa's request, Jacob sat up in the visual. He appeared to still be 'pinning' Llasa.**

**I looked back at Edward with an identical confused expression. **_**'What in the world does he mean asking me if I said something? Is he making a joke here? No, his face is dead serious and very confused. Edward can hear my heartbeat from about a half a mile away. So surely he would have heard any noise I was to make.'**_** After a moment I answered. "Me? I didn't say anything." **_**'What is he doing here? This is very strange.'**_

'_**I knew that bloodsucker should have gone hunting.'**_** Jacob thought in alarm as he looked into Edward's pitch black eyes. **_**'No, I guess I jumped the gun on that one. That isn't bloodlust in his eyes. It's, well, it's something else. Maybe he is finally cracking up.'**_

"**Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said, 'get up', maybe 'stand up', would work better." Llasa added with a hint of annoyance. "He'd better not become gaseous anytime soon."**__** At his comment Ephraim and Dagda both covered their mouths with their hand to hide small chuckles. Chandra rolled her eyes.**

"**That was uncouth, Mr. Llasa." Elizabeth said properly with a tiny hint of disapproval in her tone. That surprised me. She sure was one to speak her mind. I was glad she was on my side!**

'_**There it is again!'**_** Edward thought. **_**'It isn't words with thoughts. No, they're more like raw feelings with thoughts. It's kind of like I'm hearing someone's emotion. That is the strangest thing. It seems to be coming from Bella's direction. Am I somehow picking up something from her? It's almost like I'm picking up emotions from Jasper's mind as he registers them.'**_** Edward leaned forward on his knees so he was leaning over me. His expression was suddenly intense in a whole new way as he scrutinized my face. **_**'I'm picking up feelings of… contentment. Maybe this is somehow like it was for me when I tried to read Charlie's mind in the beginning. I could only pick up his mood with some of his thoughts but it was 'hit and miss'. So is this me finally hearing something from my beautiful Bella?' **_**"What are you thinking right now?"**

**Samon looked over at Llasa and said, "You know what? Maybe you should go check on Jasper and Alice. Make sure that they get their hunting taken care of right away. We're going to need them back here pretty soon. Make sure Jasper gets plenty. There's going to be a lot of blood around here for him to deal with."**

"**That's true," Dagda said thoughtfully. "And you know, just the amount from Bella's cups have set his throat blazing like the Texas sun in August."**

"**Of course you would put a weather comment in there to manipulate my feelings." Llasa sighed. "Why do I have to go? This was just getting good!" Llasa said almost as though he really wanted to stay there with Jacob in his lap.**

"**But that's the beauty of it." Dagda said. "You still will 'see' everything here though us and you can get outside and 'hunt' with the Cullens simultaneously. You know feel the wind in your hair. Taste the fresh air."**

**Llasa sat up. He appeared to 'melt' right through Jacob and come out unscathed into a standing position in front of him. "Okay. You do know you're doing it again with the weather remarks. But you guys had better keep Jacob from going ballistic here." He added with a weary glance at Ephraim.**

"**Nothing," I replied staring at Edward blankly. "What is going on?"**

'_**Yes, what is going on? Inquiring minds want to know, and all that.' **_**Jacob thought, his sarcasm still ever present, even in his confusion.**

"**What were you thinking about a minute ago?" Edward asked me again not yet ready to attempt to explain what he didn't know for sure himself yet. I glanced down and blushed furiously. **_**'Oh, there is her healthy blush. I love to see her face blush like that so much. It means there is color in her cheeks and she is not dying. It also means she is somehow embarrassed. What would that be about?'**_

**I looked back up at him and sheepishly replied, "Just... Esme's Island. And feathers." **_**'I'm sure that will sound laughable to him now with me being a big balloon and hardly able to move at all. Yes, I am just SO very sexy.' **_**I'd thought with a mix of chagrin and sarcasm.**

"_**Gibberish,"**_** Jacob had thought sarcastically**_**. "Drinking all that blood has finally got Bella spouting gibberish. Hmmm, speaking of blood, seeing that blood pooling in her cheeks says Bella is definitely thinking about something—something embarrassing. Maybe it isn't so much gibberish but more stuff that I really don't want to know about--ever! Yeah, I think my 'too much information alert' is about to start sounding its alarm again."**_

'_**Yes, she's thinking of our first intimate moments together; MY sweet, wonderful WIFE. She is finding happiness remembering our honeymoon at such a stressful time. I could just kiss her.'**_** Edward had thought full of sudden tenderness. **_**'Oh, her answer distracted me. I'll have to put those thoughts aside to remember in minute details later. Right now I must find out the mystery of what and who I am hearing. Let me try again. It must be Bella. Jacob is awake but only wondering what my problem is. It has to be my Bella--especially if she was thinking about something that made her happy; something with feathers…and--Focus!!!'**_** Edward thought before whispering to me, "Say something else."**

"**Oh, he's going to get it! My Edward is going to put it together in just a few minutes and then his pain will finally be erased!" Elizabeth sang exuberantly. "It has been so difficult seeing him suffer so. Almost as hard as to see Bella being beat up so badly. Not that I'm blaming my poor sweet little Granddaughter." She added with her eyes getting slightly wider. She was obviously concerned about someone taking offense at her comment. I couldn't imagine who would.  
**

**"Like what? Edward, what's going on?" I'd said to him. I was still confused. **_** 'I just don't get it. He wants me to focus on something else to think about. Great! Now that he wants me to focus on something, I'm too self-conscious and I can't think of anything. My mind is coming up blank here. Okay, how about ummm…a butterfly dancing on a flower. No wait, how about a play, 'Romeo and Juliet'. Hmmm, no they both kill themselves at the end--TO high drama. Well, maybe I'll think about holding my new baby in my strong vampire arms. Yes, that one is a good one to think about. He will have Edward's old green eyes and…'**_

**Edward continued listening hard as he hovered over me with his now black eyes gazing into mine. **_**'There it is again.'**_** He thought. Every time he heard the 'voice'. There was the melody humming through the visual every now and then it was accentuated with a small peal of laughter. It sounded like high tinkling bells. **_**'Wait, it isn't coming from Bella's mind. No from here I can follow it down…trace it…' **_**Edward's attention shifted with his thoughts as his head and body moved lower to hover over my expansive girth.**_** 'It is here. The 'voice' I'm hearing is coming from Bella's stomach--no, her womb. Maybe I can hear it better—concentrate on it with my hands; sort of like I used to do with Bella's head when I used to try to hear her.' **_**Edward very lightly put his hands against my enormous stomach. The laughter and joyful humming thrummed louder in reaction.**

"**Do you see that!" Chandra said excitedly. "The Hope of the World can tell her father's touch as well as her mother's. Just as we suspected, she is highly perceptive and intelligent."**

"**I think she's picking up the rudiments of early speech through her Mother's voice and thoughts and now that she is through the shield, from other's voices too." Samon said. Despite his huge grin, his face was full of reverence.**

**In the visual Jacob's jaw drop. **_**'Are you kidding me now? This cannot be good. This can't be about the 'feather' thing can it?'**_

"**The 'feather' thing?" Ephraim said incredulously. "Wake up boy! That was over five minutes ago. And you thought Edward was cracking up! If you'll just pay attention here, you'll see a miracle occurring. Maybe she'll even recognize your voice if you stick to your guns here."**

**Rosalie entered the room and gasp**_**. 'I should not have left the room. He might be trying some kind of mind control on Bella. Is he trying to hurt the baby? Well, no, he isn't doing anything like that at all. This is…different.'**_

**Edward's intense thoughts drowned out the rest. **_**'There is no mistake in this. I can hear quite clearly now. A mental 'voice', just a tenor really but it is of joy and happiness. Is it stronger because of my tactile reinforcement or in reaction to Bella's voice? Of course the creature would have feelings but no words to apply to them yet. I'm hearing its mental thoughts. Would this be the thoughts and behavior of a monster? Of a creature worthy of my hatred?' **_**Edward had thought and then added looking into my eyes in shock. "The f--." **_**'No, this is not a monster that is worthy of my hatred; worthy of my anger. That was just my agony needing an outlet. How could I have chosen a defenseless innocent baby to be the object of that enmity? I can't! I've been wrong. This isn't just a fetus--a thing. This is a new life.'**_** Edward swallowed hard before continuing. "It....the baby likes the sound of your voice." **_**'Yes, that is definitely what this is. This is incredible.'**_

'_**What!'**_** Both Rosalie and Jacob thought in unison as they were frozen in their respective poses.**

'_**Oh, my goodness! This is it! I didn't think this would happen. But it has!!!'**_** I'd thought before I shouted. "Holy crow, you can hear him!" I immediately winced as Renesmee had kicked me from the inside out. **_**'Oouch! Dang it that really hurt. But I can ignore that, because this is so unbelievable. That kick was really nothing. I'm fine. Especially since this experience is worth any pain!'**_

"_**Oh my poor Bella," **_**Mother said as she smoothed out my hair across my forehead.**_** "You're doing really well here. Just a little bit longer. You just need to tough it out for a little bit longer and then everything will, be, alright."**_** Elizabeth's voice that had been strong and encouraging became suddenly sad and unsteady there at the end. Was that because of the traumatic birth that was soon to occur? Somehow I didn't think so.**

"**Poor Mommy." Renesmee said. She looked at me from her perch on Jacob's lap. She looked abashed. "Did I do that?" Everyone smiled fondly at her but no one wanted to answer her. She took that as all the answer she needed. "Sorry about that, Mom." She added sheepishly.**

"**No need to apologize. I might as well have jumped up behind you and said 'Boo'." I'd told her sympathetically.**

**Back in the visual, Edward had thought, **_**'I can hear the tenor change to one of **__**startlement**__** with Bella's outburst. And I could almost 'hear' the kick in response. Oh, my poor Bella. I know right where the kick landed too.' **_**Edward moved his hand to the peak of my belly and gently rubbed where Nessie had kicked. Once again, the tenor of the humming changed from an almost anxious sound to one of happiness. It was loud while Edward rubbed where Nessie's foot rested. Smiling he looked back to me. "Shhh, you startled it--him." **_**'It's not a monster, not an 'it', but a baby; my Bella's baby--my baby.'**_

**I'd patted the side of my stomach lightly. My eyes were full of awe. 'Sorry, baby." Edward was leaning in with his head close to my stomach, deep in concentration. "What's he thinking now?" I'd demanded excitedly. **_**'My baby is communicating with us. He is alive and thinking. I am so happy I could explode! Well, maybe that was a poor choice of words. But still this is just--incredible!'**_

'_**He's thinking cruel monstrous thoughts about how he can break some more of your bones. What do you think Bella? What would a murderer think?' **_**Jacob had thought snidely. **

"**Knock it off Jacob!" Ephraim commanded thumping his hand upside of Jake's head. **

"**Thank you Mr. Black" Elizabeth said in response to Ephraim's reprimanding Jacob's hostile thoughts.**

**Nessie looked rather pointedly at him and he gave her a 'wolfy' grin in response. "You are the cutest little monster to ever grace the planet. Right? No hard feelings." He sounded a little nervous. Good!**

"**We'll see." Renesmee replied indignantly.**

'_**Of course the baby is thinking happy thoughts. I have been taking such tender care of him or her. Just like I will once the baby is born!'**_** Rosalie had thought in delight. **_**'I mean, Bella will be burning for at least three days and who knows how long it will be before she can be around her baby. I will be ready to step in for as long as is needed.'**_** She sighed contentedly.  
**

**In the visual, Edward said and then thought, "It…" **_**'I must stop calling this child an 'it', clearly this is a sentient being who's thoughts are not bent on the destruction of my love.'**_** "He or she is…" Edward looked back up at me with his eyes full of wonder and discovery. **_**'Her chocolate brown eyes seem to be melting with liquid joy. Oh, how I love this strong, determined woman. Still, I need to not get too carried away here. But how would I describe this feeling. There it is again, it makes me feel so 'warm' inside. I know that feeling. I almost forgot these last few weeks but there is no mistaking that feeling.'**_** "He's **_**happy**_**!" Edward said in an incredulous voice. **

**In the visual my breath caught. **_**'I'm going to be a mother. It sounds so…just so surreal. I'm going to have a tiny Edward to hold in my arms. Edward is going to be a father. I never dreamed I could give him this gift. I was right. This is right! My baby! Edward's baby! Our baby! I can hardly breathe. It feels as though my heart has enlarged to include as much love for our little one as I have for Edward. I mean, I loved this little nudger from the first moment I felt him fluttering in my stomach. I never knew that I could feel so complete, so whole. I thought Edward was all I could ever love or want, but this baby is an extension of Edward, a part of him. This feeling is staggering. I love you Edward, so very, very much. And our new little baby too.'**_

**Edward and I looked at each other in the visual. For once Edward's face did not hold the pain and self-loathing I'd remembered from those days. His face reflected the same astonishment as my own as we gazed at one another marveling.**

**Edward had thought, '**_**How could I have been such a fool? When will I ever finally learn that Bella is always right? I have been so wrong—so arrogant—so grossly mistaken. This child is half Bella. Of course I will love this child. It will be the most natural thing in the world—second only to loving the woman in front of me. How could I have ever considered anything else?'**_

'_**Oh no, not this 'happy family' mentality thing going on. Come on Edward—get over it! What are you thinking here? So you heard the thing. Big deal! You traitor! Here I've been counting on you to hate the thing killing Bella as much as I am. Wake up, man!'**_** Jacob mentally hurled at Edward. But Edward was in no way acknowledging his remarks. He was tuning him out in an effort to hear Nessie's thoughts.**

**I'd rubbed my hands in circles acrossed my massive stomach and crooned. "Of course you're happy, pretty baby, of course you are." Tears gushed down my cheeks. I may have lost two pounds that day from crying so many tears. "How could you not be, all safe and warm and loved? I love you so much, little EJ, of course you're happy." **_**'And so am I! No, I am beyond happy. I can't believe that I told Edward before we got married that I didn't care about having kids. I CARE about this! I get it now, Rosalie! This is so…so intensely incredible!'**_

'_**Wait, she's already picked out names? Well, why not? I wasn't much up for helping. And after everything she's gone through, she should get to decide.'**_** Edward thought. He then asked me curiously, "What did you call him?" **

**My cheeks were blushing again as I'd rather awkwardly stammered, "I sort of named him. I didn't think you would want...well, you know." **

**Edward's face then registered his chagrin. **_**'No time to beat myself up now. No, I've already done that enough and that has caused my love even more suffering. Now is the time for her, for our BABY, for us.'**_** "EJ?" **_**'She wants to name him after initials? Or is it a foreign name. Like Eheejay or something like that? Or maybe I'm over thinking this again?'**_

**I smiled at him and explained, "Your father's name was Edward, too."  
**

**Edward smiled and asked with a hint of perplexity. "Yes it was. What-?" **_**'…is the J for? Well, that would be a very stupid question to ask with Jacob standing right here his mouth still hanging open so wide that there's drool on the carpet directly under his chin. You know what? I'm too happy to even care that she obviously wants to name our child after Jacob too.'**_

'_**Sorry Bells, you can just leave me out of this one. I in no way want to be connected with that demonic thing.' **_**Jacob had thought in a snarl.**

**Edward's thoughts continued with the baby's humming and 'feeling' thoughts continuing. He was picking it up easier now. **_**'There it is again and there is a new meaning this time. Oh, our baby is listening to us. He is listening to ME. He likes hearing me as much as Bella!'**_** Edward looked up somewhat dumbstruck into my eyes again, "Hmm."**

"**What?" I'd practically demanded. **_**'Tell me now, Edward. You can't torture me like this. It is so frustrating not to be able to hear his mind right now!'**_

"**The baby likes my voice too." Edward said in disbelief. **_**'That is fascinating--to say the very least.'**_

'_**Hey, I'm getting lost in the shuffle here. I deserve to be a part of this moment' **_**Rosalie had thought anxiously**_**. 'I've been working pretty hard here. A lot harder than Edward has, that's for sure! Well, at least for once Edward's mind reading ability has served a good purpose. It has been unbelievably helpful today! I don't think I'll ever get mad at him for mindreading again! Maybe if I say something, the baby will also like the sound of my voice; either way, I'm getting in on this. It is so fantastic that the baby is communicating with us.'**_**  
**

**"Of course he does," I said with satisfaction ringing from my words. **_**'Our baby has excellent taste and a good ear.'**_** "You have the most beautiful voice in the universe. Who wouldn't love it?" **

"**Do you have a backup plan? Rosalie had said leaning over the back of the couch, sharing the same wondering satisfied look on her face that I had. "What if he's a she?" **_**'I would rather it was a girl. She would be so much fun to dress up. Alice would like that too. I could fix her hair and put those cute little girl bows in it.'**_

**Wiped the flood of tears off my cheeks and said, "I kicked a few things around; playing with Renee and Esme. I was thinking…Ruh-nez-may." **_**'I'll bet they all hate it. It is a little 'out there'.'**_

"**Ruhnezmay?" Rosalie said to clarify. **_**'I see what Edward means about never knowing what Bella's going to say. That is very unusual. Still, not bad, better than Jane or Heidi or Chelsea…'**_

"**R-e-n-e-s-m-e-e. Too weird?" I had asked worriedly. **_**'I don't want to offend Rosalie now. Maybe she wanted me to name it after her.'**_

'_**That is a freakin' weird name to give a monster.**_**' Jacob had thought through clenched teeth, his hands balled up into fists. **_** 'Godzilla might be better.'**_** My daughter gave Jacob another icy stare. He mouthed the word 'sorry' back to her. Yes, Jacob was definitely going to have some explaining to do.**

"**Jacob, you better erase all monster names from your vocabulary right now." Ephraim said sternly. "Seriously, this is your soul mate you're talking about here. You know—your imprint? You can't be referring to 'The Hope of the World' in such a vile manner! What would deity say about that?" He looked truly horrified at the thought. "Seriously Jacob, you need to calm down, Son. You're taking this all the wrong way. You're kind of embarrassing me here, Jake. TRY not to speak." The last plea was a bare whisper.**

"**No, I like it," Rosalie had assured me. "It's beautiful. And one of a kind, so that fits**_**." 'I could get used to that name. It does kind of grow on you. I'm just so exuberant that there is going to be a baby to name! This is absolutely glorious!'**_

"**I still think he's an Edward." I'd said confidently. **_**'My dreams have been very clear; a little Edward for me to love.'**_

**From the visual Edward was staring off into space again as he listened to the humming thoughts that were clear to all of us there in Chandra's home room, but only to Edward at the time.**

"**What?" I'd asked him. My entire face was bright with happiness. "What's he thinking now?" **_**'Come on Edward! Are you being so quiet on purpose? Is this payback for not being able to hear me?'**_

"**You know there is a sense of 'poetic justice' in her waiting frustrated for Edward to order his thoughts, isn't there?" Samon had piped up in amusement.**

**Edward hadn't responded at first. He'd kept listening to the baby's thoughts. Then to the shock of not just me, but Rosalie and Jacob as well he laid his ear tenderly against my belly.**

"**He loves you," Edward then whispered sounding dazed. "He absolutely adores you." His eyes looked as though tears would be in them if that were possible. It was okay though, mine had enough in them for both of us**_**. 'The world has just vanished. I am here looking into the eyes of the love of my existence. I am swallowed up in this euphoric moment. Dazzled beyond belief at the love I feel. The love I feel for my beautiful Bella and the life within her is all encompassing. It is incomprehensible--unfathomable, this feeling of unadulterated joy that seems to emanate from my amazing wife and reach out to me--enveloping my entire being. There is only she and I and our little miracle. This love encases the three of us. We are a FAMILY. How ridiculous I have been to believe all was lost. Bella believed. Bella knew there was hope. Bella had faith that this was right. And she had been right all along! This baby is a miracle. She knew exactly what would be required of her to bring this baby--MY baby into the world. But true to her self-sacrificing nature, she met the challenge with grit and determination. She is the most amazing creature I will ever know. And of course I love our child. Something that loved my Bella so much would never be worthy of my misplaced hate. This changes everything. Now I understand. Now I see hope.'**_

***

Some special thanks for this part of my story, first to Talva, for her suggestions about Rosalie's motives in a forum I used to have on the twilightsaga's website: Analyzing the Twilight Saga at this address if you care to check it out:

Second, I would like to mention Charitie, who used to be on the above mentioned site quite a bit and has not for some time. She had written a piece from Edward's POV that I had wanted to use for this last scene, but as I suspected I was unable to get a hold of her. Also all of her stories were deleted. So I will give her an honorable mention here as I elaborated on some of her sentiments that I recalled from her work.


	38. Chapter 34 Part Three

[A/N: I have a few more banners up at my Profile Page working now! Yeah! I appreciate all of the positive feed-back I've received so far. You guys are great. Also, I'd like to give a big 'Thank You' to Nevinia, who is translating and posting my fan fiction into German. Is that exciting or what?]

**Chapter Thirty Four  
The Birth of Hope-Part III**

**Bella's POV**

**The next scenes I reviewed in my mind, with my shield still lifted so I could share the memory with Edward was a series of visuals Chandra had displayed there in her home room. The first one was one I was unaware of. It had been of Edward and Jacob in the garage upon Jacob's return from his little field trip in Tacoma. Ephraim was standing next to Jacob with a look of concern on his aged, weathered face. Llasa and Samon were there as well; both of them flanking Edward.**

"…**I'm trying to persuade Carlisle to deliver the baby as soon as he is back." Edward had said carefully, looking for Jake's reaction to the news. **_**'This is going to be hard for Jacob. He has made it clear he views Bella's transformation as a death already. So in a sense, when we talk about how many days she has left, it means days until she's gone--for him at least.'**_

"**WHAT?" Jacob asked in a panic. **_**'What happened to my four days? I need those four days; I 'm not ready to deal with what that means yet. I need more time.'**_

"**More time." Llasa had chortled, ginning hugely. "Get a load of this kid. He just tried to imprint himself across the entire state of Washington, and now that it's finally going to happen for him; he wants more time."**

"**He can't help it." Ephraim defended Jacob. "He can't see the outcome like some of us can."**

"**That and his head is in the clouds." Llasa continued good-naturedly.**

"**Well," Samon said to diffuse the debate, "By the end of the day, if all goes well, he'll be on cloud nine."**

"**The child seems to be attempting to avoid rough movements, but it's difficult. He's become too big. It's madness to wait, when he's clearly developed beyond what Carlisle had guessed. Bella's too fragile to delay." Edward had said quickly to explain. **_**'I've got to help him understand somehow, that becoming a vampire is not as bad as dying. That Bella will still be here.'**_

'_**It's happening again! I keep getting my feet knocked out from under me. I mean, first I was counting on Edward's hatred of the thing. I can see that I was also banking on those four days being a sure thing. Now I can see an endless ocean of grief spreading out in front of me. It's practically lapping at my feet.'**_** Jacob had thought as he'd struggled to breathe. **

"**Don't be so sad, boy! If you only knew what was in store for you. You'd be thinking of your ocean as the ocean of love." Ephraim said happily clapping Jacob on the back. Jacob wobbled slightly in response. He would have thought it was just his lack of fortitude though.**

**Edward waited with him while Jacob composed himself. **_**'He has to understand. I know she can pull through this ordeal and live. There is hope now! She doesn't have to die. Unlike what I'd thought before, she can make it through this intact.'**_

'_**What is different about Edward? There is a change--something positive.'**_** Jacob's face registered the change. "You think she's going to make it," He'd whispered**_**. 'Yes, but make it how? How can she make it with her stomach ripped out and torn to shreds? How can even vampire venom fix that?'**_

"**Here it comes." Samon said looking at Ephraim. "…the amendment to the treaty. Hopefully Jacob will make the right choice." **

"**Yes, that's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about." Edward said somewhat hesitantly. **_**'I need him on my side for this. Somehow I need to make him see how this can work. That Bella's tenuous hold on life has just been given a real chance as the child is somehow helping us now.'**_

"**Of course he will." Ephraim said in mild shock. Then he turned to Jacob and added. "You'd better make the right choice here."**

'_**You might as well keep going now bloodsucker. You're on a roll. Anyway, I can't seem to gain enough composure here to speak yet anyhow.'**_** Jacob thought in pain that mingled in a strange way with hope.**

"**Yes, waiting as we have been, for the child to be ready, that was insanely dangerous. At any moment it could have been too late. But if we're proactive about this, if we act quickly, I see no reason why it should not go well. Knowing the child's mind is unbelievably helpful. Thankfully Bella and Rose agree with me." Edward said.**

'_**Great, so I guess the psychopath is now Rose; He's completely crossed over. But I can't worry about that right now. One day or less? How long do I have before I take the final dive into my endless ocean of pain?'**_** Jacob's thoughts were so distressed they were almost incoherent. There was a mental image that flashed on the screen of him jumping off the cliffs at LaPush.**

"**Remember," Ephraim said encouragingly, "You're jumping into an ocean of love—not pain—love."**

"**Now that I've convinced them that it's safe for the child if we proceed, there's nothing to keep this from working." Edward added carefully**_**. 'He's not ready to hear the timing I have in mind here.'**_

'_**Those days are slipping through my fingers and out of my grasp completely. I want Bella to have a chance to live though. Don't I' **_** "When will Carlisle be back?" Jacob asked in a whisper that pushed the remains of his oxygen stores out of his lungs. **_**'Do I really want to know the answer to this? Maybe it will take them a few days to get everything set up.'**_

"**By noon tomorrow," Edward responded carefully**_**. 'He's falling. I could help him but, that wouldn't be helpful—not to Jacob anyway.'**_

"**Good call, Edward." Llasa said approvingly. "Jacob is far too volatile right now to be able to predict which way the wind will blow him."**

**Jacob started to fall. He righted himself by grabbing hold of the hood of Edward's Vanquish. Edward started to offer his support but then thought better of it and dropped his hands.**

"**Go ahead and tell him how you feel about his pain Edward. Perhaps it will be the best lead in here." Samon had advised in his polite conversational manner.**

'_**This boy has given up everything to be here for Bella and to protect my family as well. He doesn't deserve to suffer in such a manner. And yet, there is nothing I can do to alleviate his pain--except perhaps share it in a way.' **_**"I'm sorry," Edward whispered. "I'm truly sorry for the pain this causes you Jacob. Though you hate me, I must admit that I don't feel the same about you. I think of you as a brother in many ways; a comrade in arms, at the very least. I regret your suffering more than you realize." **_**'I certainly can say that I know EXACTLY how you feel thinking that Bella will die. It feels like you are going to die yourself; that you'd do anything to take the pain away. But it doesn't have to be that way. Not this time. Not now!**_**' Suddenly Edward's voice became fierce—even violent with his conviction. "But Bella is going to survive—and I know that's what really matters to you."**

'_**He may be right? It's hard to tell with my head spinning around like a planet careening out of control.' **_**Jacob had thought.**

"**Of course he's right, son. This is necessary to get what you want. Do you really think the Cullens will want you anywhere near your imprint if you do not act to save her mother? How do you think that will play out? This is right and you know it." Ephraim pleaded with him.**

"**So I hate to do this now, while you're already dealing with too much, but, clearly, there is little time. I have to ask you for something—to beg, if I must." Edward said resolutely. **_**'How do I ask this in a way that it doesn't set him off or inflict a greater burden on his already overloaded plate?'**_

"**I don't have anything left," Jacob choked out. **_**'It's all sitting in there in the living room and it never really was mine in the first place anyhow. My heart, my soul, my reason for living; it's all going away--going away in less than twenty four hours. Ohh, it feels like a thousand icy knives have plunged themselves into the pit of my stomach. How do I survive this?'**_

"**Don't listen to him." Ephraim said chuckling to Samon and Dagda somewhat embarrassed. Then he turned back to Jacob, "Of course you've got plenty left. Think of this as kind of like a job interview here, best foot forward."**

"**Icy knives? Is he wanting an ice storm?" Llasa asked brightening.**

"**Uh, I'm thinking 'no' to the ice storm. It would be a little too conspicuous in August—especially after your snow blizzard in June." Samon said in good humor. "And don't worry so much about the 'job interview' Ephraim. His destiny is secure. Just help him make things right with the treaty and the imprinting process will take care of everything else." Ephraim nodded seeming relieved.**

'_**It's bad—really bad for him. I know how bad it was for me. I know how I would have done anything to get rid of that pain. Maybe because of it, he can see reason then. See that Bella will not have to die and that he can have a hand in her recovery, her transformation. He can help her live.' **_** Edward raised his arm again as though he would have put it on Jacob's shoulder but then like before he dropped it and sighed. "I know how much you've given." Edward said quietly. "But this is something you do have, and only you. I'm asking this of the true Alpha, Jacob. I'm asking this of Ephraim's heir."**

'_**hmmm.'**_** Jacob thought bleakly.**

"**Keep it together Jake, my boy. This will be one of your finest moments. This will be your first real binding agreement as the true alpha." Ephraim stated proudly. "I could just cry. Of course, I won't. I mean, what would Taha Aki think?"**

'_**I'm just going to have to put it out there for him to consider. The more I beat around the bush, the more confused he'll be and he's already hurting.'**_** Edward's thoughts were full of concern. Then he took a breath and continued quietly. "I want your permission to deviate from what we agreed to in our treaty with Ephraim. I want you to grant us an exception. I want your permission to save her life. You know I'll do it anyway, but I don't want to break faith with you if there's any way to avoid it. We never intended to go back on our word, and we don't do it lightly now. I want your understanding, Jacob, because you know exactly why we do this. I want the alliance between our families to survive when this is over." Edward said firmly.**

"**Ahh, here it comes." Ephraim said almost gloating. He looked expectantly at Jacob. "Speak up Son."**

**Jacob was having trouble swallowing. It made speaking impossible. **_**'Sam, its Sam you want!'**_

"**No!" Ephraim said truly shocked. "You can't delegate a treaty or an alliance terms. This is just plain insulting. Stand up and be a man. You're an alpha. Stronger than even I was."**

"**No, Sam's authority is assumed. It belongs to you. You'll never take it from him, but no one can rightfully agree to what I'm asking except for you." Edward debated back fervently**_**. 'Sorry Jacob, but this is on your back. You can see that can't you?'**_

"**Don't give him too much wiggle room here Edward." Samon advised. "He's young and leadership is still new to him. Be firm and help him learn his role, his responsibility."**

'_**It's not my decision'**_** Jacob had thought as he gulped in a ragged breath.**

"**It is, Jacob, and you know it. Your word on this will condemn us or absolve us. Only you can give this to me." Edward said gently but not giving up. '**_**He still thinks she will be dead when she changes. After being here with us for almost a week, he still believes that?'**_

'_**I can't think. I don't know.'**_** Jacob had thought in a moan.**

"**Okay, now you can give him a little breathing room." Samon said.**

"**We don't have much time." Edward said glancing back towards the house. '**_**I've been out here for ten minutes already waiting for your arrival to discuss this. Bella will be waking up soon and I don't want to burden her with this dilemma.' **_

'_**No, there isn't any more time is there? My few days have turned into a few hours.'**_** Jacob thought morosely. **_**'I don't know. Let me think. Just give me a minute here, okay?'**_

"**Pull it together Jake, my boy. You've heard what they say about it always being darkest before the light comes. Always bleakest before the sunshine burns the clouds away." Ephraim said in a rousing voice of encouragement.**

"**Clouds are nice though. And the sun can help make for some exceptional storms. Ahh," Llasa said thinking about, well, who knew what Poseidon thought about anyway. Probably some thunder god stuff.**

"**Yes," Edward said quickly**_**. 'Hopefully he can have a little more time than a minute to come to his decision.'**_

"**Hopefully," Samon echoed Edward's sentiment. He seemed a little worried as he said it though.**

*******

**Next scene showed both Edward and Jacob now in the living room. Edward was sitting again on the floor by my head. Jacob was sitting on the arm of the sofa also by my head. Rosalie and Alice were both there, as were all the supernaturals. Llasa had made a point of not sitting down until he knew what Jacob was going to 'get comfortable' first.**

'_**Bella just gave me another happy smile. It might be one of her last…and it just fell right off her face. Stupid Leah! Well, I need to fix this anyway.'**_** Jacob then pulled himself together and spoke to me in a casual tone."Big day today, huh? Lots of new stuff." **_**'Like talking unborn babies and screaming werewolf girls and deadly surgeries…'**_

'_**Leah's right. He's my best friend and I love him and I'm ruining his life. I am a terrible person. I always thought so. It was nice of Leah to point out the obvious, I guess.'**_** "You don't have to do that, Jacob" I'd told him trying to keep the tremble out of my voice. The tiny humming thought voice came into play with a tone of sadness and longing.**

'_**The child is upset because Bella is. Hopefully it will stay calm and not hurt her. Thanks to Leah, she's already hurting more than enough.'**_** Edward thought perceptively.**

"**That's always the way it goes Edward, my boy," Llasa said in mock solemnity. "If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."**

"**Don't know what you're talking about." Jacob said nonchalantly. **_**'Okay, that was weak. I'm a better con artist than that. I'll have to try a different tactic here. I don't want her last living thoughts to be sad. Ugh, I have to stop thinking like that, or I'll never pull this off. I should concentrate on Edward's belief that she'll live.'**_

'_**Right, you don't know what I'm talking about. Then what were you doing outside with Edward just now? Taking bets on how fast Edward's Vanquish can go? I don't think so. I have to let him go now.'**_** I'd thought sadly. I gave him a reproachful look. "I'm so s----" I'd started to say.**

**Jacob pinched my lips together between his thumb and finger**_**. 'There, this will help me focus and give me another second to catch my breath.'**_

"**That is rude, Jacob Black." Mother started indignantly. "Do you have any idea how upset she's been this afternoon? This should have been the happiest afternoon she's had for some time. But no, you had to run off on a fool's errand so you're 'out-of-control' 'second-in command' could come in uninvited and slander her good name and kind spirit. And did Bella give it back to her? Of course not, because my Bella is a woman of strength and courage. Now she feels a need to apologize, because she can't bear the pain you've suffered. Which I might add, is a far cry from the pain she has suffered. Let her ease her mind a little at least. Wolves!!!" She sighed with a huff.**

**Chandra rubbed Mother's shoulder to help calm her. Dagda smiled in amusement.**

"**Feeling better now, Elizabeth?" Samon asked kindly. Mother seemed to collect herself and nodded once.**

"**Well, all I have to say is that was mighty impressive!" Llasa had said to Mother. "I mean that had all the fury and intensity of a category five hurricane. Hmmm maybe I'll make sure there is a 'Hurricane Elizabeth' this year--in your honor of course."**

**Mother colored at the remark and ducked her head.**

"**Jake," I'd mumbled as I'd tried to pull his hand away. '**_**Stop that. It's messing up my apology.'**_

'_**I can't believe that is all the strength she's got. Huh, it looks like she is really trying too. Dang.'**_** Jacob thought shaking his head. "You can talk when you're not being stupid."**

**The humming became happier as Jacob spoke his last line. Edward's thoughts came in loud and clear. **_**'Now was that my imagination? Is the baby happier because Jacob is helping Bella feel better or is the baby enjoying the sound of his voice as well? Or is it perhaps both? I'm glad that Bella does seem to be doing better now. Funny how before this I would have gladly ripped his head off for pinching her lips together like that, but now…' **_

"**Fine, I won't say it." I'd mumbled. **_**'…at least, not until you move your hand away.'**_

**Jacob let his hand fall freeing my lips. "Sorry!" I'd said quickly grinning up at him before my mouth was imprisoned again. **

"**Do you see Jacob," Dagda said intently. "Here is what you have been looking for--in those eyes--in that smile."**

"**What is he doing?" Ephraim said to Samon. "Is he still trying to keep Jacob confused right before he imprints on this woman's daughter!" He asked as though it had just occurred to him that this might be scandalous. **

"**Relax Ephraim," Samon reassured him. "He's giving him what he needs to agree to the treaty amendment. Plus Renesmee will have both Bella's eyes and her smile"**

"**Oh," Ephraim said a little confused. Then he shook his head and said to Dagda, "Carry on then."**

"**You know that Edward is right here. You want her alive. That is what is most important to you. And if her transformation is the only way to attain that end, then by all means make it so." Dagda prompted him.**

**Jacob rolled his eyes and smiled back. **_**'There it is. Everything I was looking for in the park. Tomorrow she'll be someone else, but hopefully still alive. And that is what counts, right? She'll still look at me with the same eyes, well sort of--maybe a little scarier. Smile with the same lips, almost. They'll be as hard as rock. She'd still know me better than anyone who doesn't have full access to the inside of my head. Ahem….yes, Edward that remark was for you.'**_** Jacob had thought as he stared at my face**_**. 'Leah may be an interesting companion and a true friend—someone who would stand up for me. But she isn't my best friend the way that Bella is. Aside from the impossible love I feel for Bella…there's that other bond, and it runs bone deep. Tomorrow she'll either be my enemy or my ally and apparently that distinction is up to me.'**_** Jacob sighed wearily**_**, 'Here I go—giving up the very last thing I have to give. Even though it just leaves me feeling hollow…empty inside.'**_** Jacob looked at Edward until Edward met his gaze. Then he continued to think, **_**'Fine! Go ahead and save her. As Ephraim's heir, you have my permission, my word, that this will not violate the treaty. The others will just have to blame me. You were right—they can't deny that it's right to agree to this.'**_

"**Thank you." Edward whispered so fervently that even though I was oblivious to the entire exchange, Alice and Rosalie turned to stare at the two of them.**

"**This is a red letter event for me." Ephraim said with a sigh. He was proud and moved as he added. "If only he'd said it aloud. That would have really been the icing on the cake."**

*******

**The next scenes were small cameos of when Renesmee was born with blackouts in between. **

**The first one had been while we were still there in the living room. I'd started out in Rosalie's arms. Everyone else was standing.**

"**Are you sure?" Edward had asked me. **_**'You are still a fragile human. Make that an extra-fragile human right now.'**_

"**Rose will catch me if I trip over my feet; which could happen pretty easily, since I can't see them." I'd said lightly, **_**'…especially when I can trip so easily even when seeing my feet! Hmm, I'd better not say THAT aloud or I can forget about my little excursion.'**_

**My baby hummed merrily with her mental feeling thoughts**_**.**_** The supernaturals looked on dubiously.**

"**Do you think that's such a good idea?" Mother had asked worriedly as she eyed me carefully.**

"**Well, as long as she doesn't do anything to startle her baby. She should be alright." Chandra had said cautiously. **

**From the visual, Rosalie set me down very carefully. She'd kept her hands right at my shoulders. I stretched my arms out in front of me. The movements made me wince slightly. "That feels good." I'd sighed. "Ugh, but I'm huge."**

'_**That's the understatement of the year.'**_** Jacob had thought with a hint of his regular sarcasm. **_**'I mean her stomach is its own continent.'**_

"**There's a good probability that she'll in some way startle the baby." Dagda said.**

"**The bathroom is behind the stairs; not very far at all. Plus the exercise will be good for her." Llasa had put in dismissively. "Besides, Rosalie won't let anything bad happen to her. You know that. She's watching her like a hawk. Ahh, she's quite the mother hen—that one."**

"**One more day," I'd said as I patted my stomach. **_**'…and then I'll get to see my sweet little Edward Jacob.'**_

"**Well, we'll see about that Bella." Chandra added dubiously. "Your 'daughter' may see you but you've got a three day transformation to go through and then we'll have to wait and see."**

'_**One more day. Ahhh, how those words shoot through me with a sudden stabbing burst. I've got to keep it together. Keep it off my face. I can do that for one more day. Right?'**_** Jacob had thought forlornly.**

"**Right! Of course you can." Ephraim said like a cheerleader. "Hang tough boy!"**

"**You think she can just get up and walk across the room with a strong, full-term, half-vampire baby in her stomach when she hasn't really done any walking for about two weeks now." Samon said skeptically. "The baby has grown so big so quickly that her equilibrium is way, off-centered and she hasn't had time to adjust to the additional weight." **

"**Please!" Llasa said writing off their concerns. "I've seen pregnant ladies bigger than that walking all over the place."**

"**But this is Bella we're talking about here." Mother replied guardedly. **

**Then Edward's thoughts kicked in. **_**'I have a bad feeling about this. I want to let her stretch her legs but I also don't want her to hurt herself. Maybe I should carry her to the stairs and then she can walk with Rose the few extra steps to the restroom. Or maybe Rose should take her all the way, and when she gets back here, I'll let her walk around the couch once and just hold her hand. The baby seems content so it should be okay. I just need keep her safe until Carlisle gets back. I can't take any chances here.'**_

"**All right then" I'd said as I'd moved my left leg forward to start my bathroom trek. Then I'd noticed the cup of blood I'd left sitting on the couch start to spill onto the pale fabric. "Whoops—oh no!" I'd bent over to grab the cup. I was nowhere near catching it as Edward, Rosalie and Jacob had a three way tie touching it all in the same instant.**

"**Somebody get the cup!" Dagda ordered as they'd all reached for it together.**

'_**I'll get it,'**_** Rosalie had thought as she dove.**

'_**Bella's going to need that later. There's only two more pints until Carlisle gets back tomorrow.' **_**Edward thought as he made his dive.**

'_**The last thing we need is Bella going for that cup.'**_** Were the thoughts Jacob had as he'd also reached for the offending glass.**

**Three seconds later there was a very strange audible noise. It was a muffled ripping sound and it came from the center of my body. The humming cut off from the baby. A soft cry took its place.**

"**Oh no!" Elizabeth had moaned. "This can't be happening."**

"**The placenta detached." Samon yelled at Edward and Rosalie. "Get her upstairs now--before it's too late!"**

'_**What was that noise?'**_** Rosalie had thought in alarm. **_**'It come from Bella!'**_** She'd straightened up in alarm.**

'_**It sounded like it did; No this can't be happening. Not now. Not after I had everything planned safely; my poor, poor Bella. NO!'**_** Edward thought in dread. He'd straightened at the same time as Rosalie.**

"**Oh!" I gasped. **_**'The pain--it's staggering. I can't breathe. It is so intense, I'm actually going to pass out here. I don't understand. What happened just now? Oh, my baby kicking…no…baby…blackness'**_** I'd thought disjointedly as I'd passed out in pain.**

"**Catch her!" Llasa had commanded Rosalie.**

**Then I watched myself go totally limp as I slumped towards the floor. Rosalie had me into her arms in the same instant before I could fall. **

**Edward was there as well. He'd held his hands out, "Bella?" he screamed at me. Then his eyes unfocused and pain shot across his features. '**_**Our baby is panicked. He can't breathe and he will struggle out of fear if we can't get him out. No, I can't lose my Bella. I have to get the baby out now. Get him out so I can save her. I can't wait for Carlisle. But can I do it? Rosalie and I both have a few medical degrees, but neither of us has ever done any kind of real applications. It's all been theoretical.'**_

"**This is not the time to second guess yourself now, Edward. You have to be strong now. DO you hear me? Strong and Fast—get her upstairs and deliver your daughter now!" Elizabeth said, showing her iron grit once more.**

**A half a second later, I regained consciousness and screamed a blood curdling shriek of agony. **_**'Light, reality…I'm being sawed in half. Ahhg,'**_** The sound of which was finally cut off with a gurgle and my eyes rolled back into my head. My body started twitching and arched in Rosalie's arms like I was being electrocuted. Renesmee's humming began to sound more and more frantic and scared. It increased in its intensity.**

"**We need to get them all upstairs in the next five seconds or we lose them both. The child had decided to trust her father and try to wait." Chandra said urgently.**

**Next I vomited a fountain of blood. It went all over the front of my clothes, Rosalie's shirt and down to the carpet. She stood for a fraction of a second gazing at me in horror as if she had not believed until this moment that I might actually die. Then my wild thrashing continued even though I was once again unconscious. There were sounds of sharp snaps and cracking with every spasm.**

"**MOVE PEOPLE" Llasa said in a deep bass voice that resonated throughout the house.**

**Rosalie and Edward stood frozen for the shortest half second before they both shot up the stairs to the second floor with me. Jacob was right behind them. **

'_**Bella, she can't die. She just CAN'T.'**_** Edward had thought as his mind went into overdrive reviewing every textbook he had ever read about emergency cesarean births. **

'_**Okay, now, I have probably only got a minute and a half to get the baby safely out. Even then it may need oxygen. Of course, that would be a human baby. I have no real way of knowing what this baby may need to survive.'**_** Rosalie had thought as she'd whipped us both up the stairs.**

'_**My twenty four hours just turned into five minutes—or less.'**_** Jacob had thought in despair as he quickly followed after them.**

"**Heaven help us." Chandra said quietly as she disappeared and reappeared at the top of the stairs.**

**The visual went black**

…

**When the lights of the visual came up, I was sprawled on an operating table that had been set up in Carlisle's study, where I faded in and out of consciousness. Thankfully, Chandra had magically put a sheet over me so that my bruised and naked body wasn't on display for everyone to see. And Carlisle's study/operating room had been packed with bodies; both seen and unseen. Renesmee's whimpered hummings were turning into horrifying gasps laced with dread.**

"**What's happening Edward?" Rosalie was frantic**_**. 'Bella is going to break if I can't get the baby out right away!'**_

"**He's suffocating." Edward shouted back in panic. He plunged a morphine filled syringe into my arm while thinking, **_**'Bella, Bella--please!!! No, NO!!! Stay with me Don't leave me. STAY!!!'**_

"**I'm going to calm the child down." Samon said quietly. "I'll bring back her heart rate a bit too. The less she struggles, the longer her oxygen will last." Samon became very quiet in the corner of the room. As he did so, the sounds of the baby gasps quieted as well. My body still convulsing seemed to ease up slightly. **

**I semi-opened my eyes, **_**'Red: I'm back, I'm ripping apart. I can't stand this agony. It's torture. My baby needs out. He wants out.'**_** Even my thoughts were riddles with searing pain.**

"**The placenta must have detached." Rosalie said in growing alarm. **_**'The baby won't make it. I've got to get the scalpel now.' **_**She spun to the tray holding the sterilized operating instruments.**

'_**Something sharper than a knife is ripping through me--but Rose said it was a detached placenta? No! I know what that means; it means my baby is dying inside of me. NO!'**_** I looked at Edward and hysterically commanded, "Get him out!" I'd screeched as I came around. "He can't BREATH! Do it NOW!"**

**Edward's thoughts were centered on my pain and searching mentally through three surgical books on anesthetic. **_**'But I can't bear to see my Bella in pain and I need at least another minute before the Morphine will start working. Can't I at least give her that? A much as she hates needles, I'm sure a knife in the stomach would be too much. I can't stand to see her in so much pain. And to know it's my fault because I'm a monster after all?'**_

"**She's right son, you need to move at vampire speeds now to save them both." Elizabeth said urgently.**

"**I think I should work on keeping Edward calm." Dagda had said quickly and he headed over closer to Edward at my side.**

'_**The tone of her voice at that pitch is so shrill it claws at my eardrums. Poor Bella--keep it together Bells, come on.'**_** Jacob had thought from the doorway. Not quite sure what to do.**

"**Please tell me that this isn't your idea of helping Jacob." Ephraim had said to him in alarm.**

**Chandra turned her back on the visual as she said, "Rosalie, right here is where you want to make your first incision."**

**From down the hall there were two more thoughts that made it into the visual. The first belonged to Alice, **_**'I can't lose my sister--my friend. No! I love her. She is my truest of friends. She can't die. I can't see anything. No! No!'**_

**The second was from Jasper who was trying to fight his way back to his room against his need for human blood. **_**'Why is there so much human blood in the house? I can smell it everywhere. Okay, so I stopped breathing but the memory is still fresh on my tongue. I know the scent too of course, it's Bella's and I can hear the commotion too. I'm going to have a far greater problem than my thirst today if anything happens to my sister-in-law. This can't happen. I remember what happened to my wife, my brother, my family the last time I lost control. This must not happen. Bella cannot die—not by me, and not by that fetus! She just can't! It would destroy the entire family! But what can I do? If I go over there, I'll attack her myself. There must be something I can do. It galls me to run away from a fight; and it is a fight—a fight for Bella's life and that of this strange new life. I'll be damned if I'm going to run away and hide. No, but since I can't go and assist personally, it may be time to try something different.**_** (There was a pause as a door closed) **_**I may be of greatest assistance this time on my knees.'**_

**My excruciating thoughts came in finally, **_**'Oh no, black spots: non-reality. It's coming fast. There is a new icy pain twisting in my stomach. It feels so wrong. No, I have to protect my baby. Everything is wrong inside of me. I'm all twisted up. This torture is making me black out again--No!'**_

**The screen went black again.**

…

**The scene came back into vivid focus with things looking similar to the previous scene, but apparently Rosalie had made her surgical cut and had an adverse reaction of sorts.**

"**I knew this would be a problem." Chandra moaned. "This cannot be happening."**

**As Rosalie held the bloodied scalpel in her hand, her eyes changed to reflect a predatory glint as the hunger of bloodlust overcame her. Her lips pulled back from her teeth in a snarl. **_**'I need to save the baby, but I'm just so thirsty. It's maddening really. Here I've been a vampire all these years and to have never once tasted human blood. I could just lick it off this scalpel and the floor and then I'll be strong enough to resist and save the baby. No! I have to save the baby. That smell is intoxicating…'**_** Her thoughts became more and more incoherent as the blood frenzy seized her. As she descended below reasoning a dark being started to worm its way around her right leg.**

"**Get Jacob on this!" Llasa said to Ephraim. **

"**Good, he needs something to do and he's been itching to take down miss prissy britches since he got here. And we need to get rid of that dark being too. I thought they weren't supposed to be here?"**

"**Jacob, pay attention now. Edward needs you and so does Bella. Go take out Blondie okay." Ephraim had prompted quickly.**

"**No Rose!" Edward had roared, from up by my head where he was trapped trying to keep my head propped up so I could breathe.**

**Jacob launched himself across the operating table and knocked Rosalie into the doorway. He pushed her face, locking her venom coated teeth safely away with the palm of his massive hand. Locking her jaw and closing her airways. She stabbed the scalpel deep into Jacob's left arm. He swung her body out so he could land a solid punch in her gut.**

"**That's the way. Not too hard. She is still a lady." Ephraim added with a look of apology at Elizabeth.**

'_**This feels like kicking concrete. Geez, talk about your brick house.'**_** Jacob thought**

**The door frame buckled under the struggle and the little phone speaker that had been in Rosalie's ear cracked into pieces. The dark being wormed its way between Jacob and Rosalie and then suddenly it was vaporized. The supernaturals looked around to see who had taken it out.**

**Alice took over for Jacob. She'd yanked Rosalie by the throat to get her into the hall. **_**'I knew you should have hunted! You're no good to anyone like this. And here you were finally getting along so well with Bella. Well, I'm sorry but Bella is my sister too and I won't allow this to happen.'**_

'_**I have to give it to Blondie—she didn't put up an ounce of fight. No, she definitely wanted us to win. She let me trash her like that, to save Bella; or rather to save the thing.' **_**Jacob had thought grudgingly with irritation.**

"**Hurry boys! This is no time to dally about!" Elizabeth said loudly. No it was more like a frantic wail.**

**Jacob ripped the scalpel out of his forearm. **_**'Well, this won't do Bella much good here lodged in my arm like this. I guess it won't be too sterile either. Of course will its cleanliness matter if she dies?'**_

"**Who vaporized the dark being?" Llasa suddenly asked the supernaturals in the room. They all responded negatively. Samon was still concentrating on keeping Renesmee semi-calmed although her cries were evident and getting weaker; the thrashing continued as well. But Samon's calming influence kept her from ripping her way out.**

"**You have help here, Edward. Look around you. Alice can get Rosalie out of here and Jacob can do whatever you need him to do." Chandra said encouragingly.**

'_**No, I can't lose Rose's help now. Bella will die for sure. How can I possibly do this alone? I can't. I need help! There's Alice and Jacob. Sorry guys you've just been drafted.'**_** 'Alice, get her out of her!" Edward shouted. "Take her to Jasper and keep her there! Jacob I need you**_**!" '…like never before. If you love Bella as much as you insist that you do, you may be exactly the assistant I need.**_

**Jacob spun around and wheeled back towards me and the delivery nightmare. There I lay still momentarily 'gone' I was turning blue. I was watching this play out in the visual with my hands fisted around Edward's arms. Even knowing how it had turned out, and remembering bits of it from the first time around, it was nerve racking to see how close it had been to a disaster.**

"**CPR!" Edward growled at Jacob, fast and demanding**

"**You don't do CPR on a patient who has a heartbeat! Think Edward." Ephraim had said in shock. Then he turned to Jacob who was now leaning over my face. "You do know he meant artificial respiration right?"**

"**Yes!" Jacob said. He quickly assessed Edward's mental state. **_**'No, I don't see any signs to indicate that he is about to react the same way that Rosalie did. There is nothing there but single-minded ferocity.'**_

'_**It's been a minutes and a half since we got up here. The baby is getting more and more distressed.**_**' "Get her breathing! I've got to get him out before…" Edward was cut off by another shattering crack from the inside of my body. This one was so loud that they both stood frozen in shock waiting for my answering scream. Nothing, but now my legs were no longer curled up in agony but limp in an unnatural way.**

"**Her spine," Edward choked**_**. 'This cannot be happening to my Bella. I had it all planned out. Bella, Sweetheart—please, just hold on. I'm getting the baby out right now. Just hold on. Don't leave me. Please! Just don't leave me.'**_

"**Get it out of her!" Jacob spat back at him whiling hurling the scalpel his way. "She won't feel anything now!" **_**'I guess it's a good thing he's going to turn her now. Didn't Carlisle say that venom can heal a broken spine? I hope he did.'**_

"**Stay with us, Bella dear." Elizabeth said in a controlled panic.**

"**Who vaporized the dark being?" Llasa then repeated his question from before.**

**The visual went black again.**

…

**The next scene started. I was coughing; my eyes rolled, blinking yet finding nothing to focus on.**

"**Someone vaporized that dark being and we need to know who." Llasa said with alarm. "It could have been someone trying to keep their presence unknown—just like we did in Volterra." This time, at his words the other supernaturals paused in their ministrations and carefully considered his words.**

"**You stay with me now, Bella!" Jacob yelled at me. "Do you hear me? Stay! You're not leaving me. Keep your heart beating**_**!" 'She can promise me this much at least. She can be turned if her heart is beating. Edward's right. Of course he's always right. Having Bella alive in some form or another is the most important thing to me. I can go on as long as I know that she does exist. Keep it beating Bells! Come on!'**_

"**You're right of course, Llasa." Samon said quickly. "We'll have to be on alert. But at this particular moment we must get 'The Hope of the World' safely born!" The four perfected beings glanced wearily around and then bent back to the task at hand. Ephraim was instructing Jacob on his job of keeping my airways clear and breathing for me when I needed it. Elizabeth was my 'coach' and tried to keep me focusing on Edward or Jacob and not the searing pain whenever I was coherent. Samon was mentally calming Renesmee while she was still in the womb. Dagda was working to keep Edward calm so his panic didn't incapacitate him. Chandra was instructing him on the task at hand, which at the moment, was where to place his teeth to cut through the 'vampire' birth sac.**

**My eyes continued to wheel around trying to focus on Jacob but unable to do so. **_**'Jacob is still here? He's still trying to save me? Of course, I'll keep my heart beating. Didn't I promise both him and Edward that I would ? Where exactly is my heart though? I can't seem to locate it. I'm lost in my own body. Nothing is where it belongs; like my baby. Edward, why is my baby not here yet and crying? Where is my baby? Ahhh, it's hard to breathe through this pain. I can't think straight. It isn't bearable. I need it to stop! But I need my baby to be okay first. Please dear God let my baby be alright.' **_

"**Of course he's going to be helping you with this little one, dear." Mother said soothingly. There are a lot of people waiting for this special little one to make her into the world.'**

**Jacob continued to stare into my eyes. My body still twitched and convulsed from within. **_**'Come on Bells, don't quit on me yet. We're almost there. You're almost free. And then we can…ummm…do whatever we need to do to fix everything.'**_** His was shuddering at the end of his thoughts.**

"**Do you see the baby's head there? You'll need to gently press down from the top of the womb to push her out." Chandra continued with her instructions.**

**While Edward complied, moving about to save both Renesmee and me at a blurred frantic pace, his emotions were still held strongly in check by Samon. Even so some came through. **_**'Our baby is here, Bella. I see him. I see a head with some curls on it. I'm getting our baby now, love…just a few more seconds.' **_

**Nessie's mental humming started back up. It was a mixed with emotions of shock, fear and relief.**

"**Suction her mouth out." Chandra instructed him when Nessie was only half way free of me. "She's going to need a breath of pure oxygen to get her started. Llasa, do you want to do the honors?" **

**Llasa didn't even speak, simply nodded with a grin. When Edward did suction out Renesmee's mouth, Llasa blew a quick breath into her mouth and as her lungs expanded, it became her first deep breath. It was followed by several startled quick pants. Edward then suctioned out her nose, carefully wiping fluid and blood off from her face and eyes with his bare hand. At his touch on her face, she opened her eyes and she focused on him. The humming immediately became calmer, more peaceful. You could almost hear a word float up from the emotional mental chatter, **_**'Daddy'**_** it seemed to say.**

'_**My baby!'**_** Edward had thought and though his whole vestige had been one of stress and trauma, for three seconds, he'd paused in his task to look at the face of his still half born miracle. **_**'My baby has the eyes of an angel; the same eyes as his mother's--the same eyes as my Bella's. And my baby knows me and loves me now, too. And what is happening again to my stone heart? Is the sun rising even higher in my midnight sky? Is such a thing even possible? It must be, because I cannot contain this feeling as I look on the face of my baby. I love you, my little one.' **_

"**Focus Edward," Samon had commanded him reigning Edward's emotions back into check to complete his arduous assignment. "You will not be able to save Bella if you dally now."**

'_**Yes, I must finish this so Bella can see her baby--our baby.'**_** Edward had thought as he gently guided and pushed her out of my womb the rest of the way, then clamped and cut the umbilical cord. Then the internal thrashings inside me stopped. **

'_**Huh, it must be over. Her breathing has picked up slightly and her heart is still thudding away--both good signs; but no convulsing; so that means IT must be out of her. Yep, it is.'**_** Jacob mental voice was relieved and stressed.**

**Renesmee had managed to curl her tiny hand tightly around Edward baby finger as she continued to hold his face in her view. **_**'This is the most tender, trusting feeling inside me, as I feel this tiny hand hold onto my finger. I am a father. This little person is holding onto me. It feels so…incredible to have a hand in the creation of new life. It feels…beyond anything I can fathom. There are no words. I felt how the tiny hand closes around my finger and my life takes on new meaning. It is just like the Spanish saying I read so long ago: "He aprendido que, cuando tu hijo recién nacido tiene tu dedo en su puñito, te tiene enganchado a la vida" I've never understood that phrase and now I understand it completely. I understand because I'm living it.'**_

"**Bella, Edward," Samon said sternly. "Finish delivering your baby so you can tend to your sweetheart."**

'_**Now to get him out so Bella can meet her baby too.' **_**Edward quickly maneuvered Renesmee into a 'football hold' that cradling her head in his left hand and ran her body up the length of his forearm. With his free hand he quickly worked to stop my bleeding. It took all of my vampircally enhanced visual acuity to catch the blur as he deftly stapled me back up. Then he turned his attention back to the little miracle in his arms. **

'_**Oh, it's a girl--not a boy like Bella thought. It's a girl! My little girl, my sweet little daughter, my little miracle,'**_** Edward had thought joyfully. "Renesmee" he'd added in a reverent whisper. **

'_**So Bella was wrong. No dah! Not the boy she had imagined. Really though, what hadn't she been wrong about? This should really come as no big surprise!'**_** Jacob thought. **_**'Wait, wait, wait, Bella what are you after now?'**_

'_**What?'**_** I'd thought in a daze. **_**'Not the pale and perfect son of my imagination?'**_** The supernaturals looked at Llasa to see if he would gloat. He didn't even seem to notice his little joke play out as he looked intently around the room searching for something off but apparently coming up with nothing. **

'_**Renesmee, I have a daughter to love. I love her already. I have to meet her. My baby girl! But I can hardly breathe—let alone speak. I must concentrate to say the words…'**_** "Let me…" I croaked in a broken whisper. "Give her to me."**

"**Llasa," Chandra said snapping him out of his search. "Help Bella prop herself up so that she can meet her baby now."**

"**Oh gladly!" Llasa said as he went to the head of the operating table. Ephraim gladly made room for him. Llasa gathered my head and shoulders into an embrace that had me half propped and resting on his chest and each of my arms laid out down the length of his.**

'_**Okay, now what is Edward doing? Hello? I should have guessed he would listen to her. He always gives her what she wants, but this request is just so stupid that I didn't think he'd cave. I should have stopped him.'**_** Jacob thought incredulously.**

**In the visual Edward brought her forward to meet me. She was struggling and dripping blood and fluid in Edward's blood covered hands that sparkled in the light of the window, he'd brought her gently into my hands without letting her go. Llasa brought his arms together so that my weak, useless ones could cradle my newborn while Edward still supported her there.**

'_**She is hot; as hot as Jacob. And she doesn't cry. Ahh, now I can see her finally. She looks so startled with her quick panting breathes and her shocked little expression. She's so cute! Oh, and her head is perfectly round and so much hair. It's beautiful even if it is all matted down and bloody. She has my eyes! And my ivory skin color too; her cheeks are flamed with color. I love her so much! She looks so much like her father. No, somehow, she is even more beautiful than her father. Unbelievable! I am stunned by her perfection; Impossible, but so true; my daughter!' **_**My tired thoughts were full of love and adoration. "Renes…mee. So beautiful." **

**Renesmee's thought humming picked up in its happy cadence and this time a word seemed to float out from it, **_**'Mommy!'**_** Her breathtaking face had suddenly smiled—a very deliberate wide smile that showed her full complement of snowy white teeth.**

**Renesmee then burrowed her head to my breast**_**. 'Her skin is warm and silky but it doesn't give the same way mine does…' **_**"Oohh," I'd gasped in pain. '**_**But where did my baby go? Where did my angel-faced daughter go? I can't see her anywhere. I want to tell them to give her back to me. But I can't talk anymore. Give her back to me! Please.' **_**Llasa gently released me and laid me back on the table. **_**'Now the weakness is too much for me. No! My arms can't hold my baby anymore. They're like rubber hoses and I can't feel them. I can't even feel me--No! The blackness is coming for me again; faster, thicker than before. It's like a blindfold…'**_

"**Bella, stay with me now dear," Mother said more urgent than before. "You need to stay with us. Your daughter and your husband need you to stay. Remember your promise. Fight against the darkness Bella, fight!"**

**Jacob's thoughts then kicked in**_**. 'What did that monster spawn do to Bella? I don't want to look. I have to look. I'm looking. Edward has already snatched the bloody thing out of her arms. Her skin is smeared in blood, from throwing it up, from the creature and there it is. Fresh blood is welling out of a tiny double crescent bite mark over her left breast. Yes, newborns like to suck, and in this case--bite to get its mother's 'milk'.'**_

"**No, Renesmee" Edward said with quiet authority. '**_**That's your mother and you must know this first of all. You can never hurt her. She is too precious to me--to us.'**_

'_**Great, can you play Daddy later, Edward? We're kind of busy here. Take her to monster charm school to learn manners later.'**_** Jacob thoughts were surly.**

**My drifting thoughts were growing fainter, 'This**_** blindfold feels like its covering more than just my face. More like it's covering my whole self with its crushing weight. It's exhausting for me to try to push against it. Maybe I should give in to it. Just let this crushing weight take me. It would be so much easier to follow that path. Just let the blackness push me down, down, down to a place where there is no more pain, no weariness, no worry, no fear.'**_

"**Bella dear," Mother had said loudly into my face. "She's leaving!" Elizabeth added panicking and looking at the Chandra with dread.**

"**Okay Jacob," Now you're up, Son, stay focused. Keep Bella alive. That is your main job now." Ephraim said intently.**

**Jacob returned his eyes to my face. So he noticed at once when my eyes rolled back into my head. There was one last heart beat from me and for the space of a half of a heartbeat, I was silent. Then Jacob began doing compressions.**

'_**Now it's time for that CPR training—unfortunately.'**_** Jacob had thought grimly. **_**'Keep a steady rhythm. One – two – three – four - breathe.' **_**Jacob moved to my head and blew a lungful of air into my lungs. The visual changed as a memory of Jacob's played out on the screen. He was dragging me unconscious onto the beach again blowing air into my lungs. **_**'Stay with me Bella. Come on Bells! Stay!'**_** He breathed oxygen into my lungs again. There were tears in his eyes. **_**'I can't see anymore. I've got to pump her heart still. It isn't going on its own.' **_

"**Keep it together Jacob! You're doing fine. Try not to cry. It will only make your control harder. Don't compress so hard. Breaking ribs right now will definitely NOT help." Ephraim instructed smoothly. I have to say. Ephraim Black was cool and collected under duress. He was determined and focused, yet full of faith and support. He was a great 'spirit guide' for his great grandson.**

'_**No, my Bella! I can't lose you now! I can't'**_** Edward had thought in shock. **_**'I can't do this alone—without you. I need you now more than ever! Our daughter needs you too. No one can ever replace you. What can I do?" **_**Then his thoughts shifted, became more resolved as he steeled himself for his next task**_**. "I've got my syringe but if Jacob is already keeping he heart beating. Will that be enough? Will it be enough to save her? What else can I do? I know exactly what I will do. I am strong enough. I just need to focus; split my head into two mind sets, but keep my memories of her firmly in the forethought of my mind to help me keep control. I am strong enough. Her blood does not tempt me anymore. I can do this. I must do this.'**_

"**Edward has a syringe full of venom he's been collecting for the last week while Bella's been sleeping, but that isn't all he's going do to attempt her to save her." Samon said apprehensively. The other supernaturals looked on wearily while still minding their charges. "He's going to go ahead and try for a partial blood lust to allow venom to pool in his mouth while remaining control to bite and seal the venom repeatedly throughout her system.**

**Edward had taken a final look at my operation site to make sure there was no new bleeding. He then started deliberately breathing deeply. Allowing the venom to collect and pool in his mouth.**

**Jacob moved back down to my chest and the compressions began again. We could all hear the glug-glug as he forced my heart to beat. 'I can hear her unwilling heartbeats as I force it to move, my own and another—fluttering beat--too fast--to light. What is Edward doing? Okay, time to breathe again.' He moved and blew air into my lungs again.**

"**What are you waiting for?" Jacob had choked out breathlessly as he moved back for more chest compressions. 'One – two – three - four."**

**Sammon and Edward seemed to become anxious in the same instance. It was Sammon that gave voice to the concern. "Edward needs to get the baby out of here--fast. With the venom pooling in his mouth, while holding her so close, he's having a harder time keeping his focus. Her heartbeat is thundering in his ear and her warm, pulsing blood is just about to become the straw that may break the camel's back so to speak." He added looking around at the bloody operating site. **

**Edward's words reflected the same concern. "Take the baby." Edward then commanded Jacob in a steely voice that was urgent.**

"**Throw it out the window." Jacob said churlish tone**_**. 'It will probably land unscathed and run off to kill half the town of Forks. Besides, **_**c**_**an't you see I'm kind of busy here to play monster nursemaid? One – two – three - four.'**_

"**NO!" Elizabeth and Ephraim said together in shock at Jacob's heartless outburst.**

'_**How could he speak of my daughter as though she were someone's dirty laundry water to be tossed outside?'**_** Edward thought in indignation.**

"**That's right!" Mother had added surly. "You never throw the baby out with the bathwater."**

**Edward's thoughts continued, **_**'And yet, I need him to help me save Bella. I cannot deal with this now. I need to find a way to keep Renesmee safe—away from me for now. Bella needs her safe. I need to keep her safe. And now that I've allowed it the venom is becoming more and more concentrated…'**_

"**Give her to me," Rosalie said entering the visual again. Her voice was low and repentant. Edward and Jacob both snarled at the same time.**

'_**Of course the biggest monster of them all would want to play monster mom.' **_**Jacob had thought as he blew air into my lungs again. Then he moved back for more compressions. **_**'One – two – three - four.'**_

**Rosalie then thought urgently, **_**'You can't save Bella like this Edward. You'll endanger your daughter and you know I love this baby. You know that. Please, so you can save your wife.'**_** "I've got it under control," Rosalie promised. "Give me the baby Edward. I'll take care of it until Bella…"**

**Edward gently handed Rosalie the baby and the fluttering thumpa-thumpa-thumpa faded out of the sound portion of the visual.**

"**Move your hands, Jacob." Edward then said. **_**'Now is the time to save Bella. I must stay focused--in control. I can't lose her. My life will stop without her here in it. Bella…Must live!'**_

**Jacob continued compressions, pumping my heart, but looked up to see Edward holding a solid stainless steel syringe.**

"**What's that?" Jacob asked. **_**'Just the scariest looking shot I've ever seen before. That needle is a good four inches long.'**_

**Edward knocked Jacob's hand out of the way. In response there was a small crunch of a broken finger which Jacob chose to ignore. Edward immediately drove the needle straight into my heart.**

"**My venom." Edward answered as he drove the plunger down. In reaction, my heart jolted as though it had been shocked with paddles. "Keep it moving." He then ordered Jacob. **_**'Now I can allow myself to focus on Bella and not allow myself to become overpowered by the bloodlust. It will help just knowing my venom is already spreading its healing directly into her circulatory system. I just need to focus on Bella and what she means to me.' **_**A picture of me sleeping in my old bed at Charlie's came into the visual. I'd said Edward's name in my sleep and asked him not to leave. Then Edward lifted my right arm in the visual and bit my wrist**_**. 'To think I never wanted to ever sink my teeth into her soft flesh. I never wanted to kill her or change her—take away her life. Now I will work relentlessly to meet that very objective, but I do it to save her life, not take it away. My perspective has completely changed. Now I must succeed. Or my life has no meaning. Bella is counting on me--and Renesmee is as well.'**_

"**Help is coming Bella. Edward is working to save you now. Stay with us. You can do this." Mother said with quiet urgings. "Fight against the darkness. You must fight. Think of our Edward. DO you have any idea what your dying would do to him? You are his heart, Bella. If you allow this darkness to overpower you, you'll take more than yourself into the darkness. And your beautiful daughter needs both of you here to guide her to her destiny. You must not allow this to happen. Be strong - stronger than ever!' Elizabeth held my 'already bitten' hand in hers.**

'_**He says that so cold—like ice. No, it sounds fierce and unthinking. It's like he is a machine.'**_** Jacob had thought as he blew two more breathes for me. Then back to his compressions**_**. 'Huh, it's a lot harder to pump now. It almost feels as though the blood has congealed there. It's thicker and slower moving. And to think a week ago, I was ready to kill the Cullens for doing what I am doing now--pumping Edward's venom throughout Bella's system. Huh, I just hope that she makes it so I can appreciate the irony of it later.' **_

"**I really want to know about that dark being." Llasa said again in consternation. "They can leave, but they don't just vaporize by themselves."**

"**No they don't." A new voice said. The supernaturals in the room turned towards the voice as another made his appearance known.**

"**Michael!" the four perfected beings shouted in happy surprise at once. "I remained invisible to allow you to remain focused on your tasks. But yes, I've been here for the entire birth. That was really something You did well, and let me be the first to give you my heart-felt congratulations.".**

"**We are delighted to see you again, but we didn't expect to see you." Samon said in amazement.**

"**I didn't expect to be here either," Michael added with a sigh and a gentle smile, "But when a prayer went out from a vampire… Well, it kind of got some attention. I pulled a few strings and I got sent."**

"**Who was praying?" Llasa asked in confusion. "We didn't pick up on anything like that."**

"**No, you were focused on the drama unfolding here. Jasper was in his room praying for strength for himself, for Edward, for Bella and to have everything work out. I arrived, stopped by Carlisle's office, gave Renesmee some additional oxygen to help her survive until she could be delivered. I saw the dark being; who had no leave to be here, and was egging Rosalie's blood lust on; so I took care of him immediately. Jasper continued to pray until he was interrupted by Alice dragged Rosalie in. When they realized what he was doing they joined him. **

'_**I can't let the darkness have me. No I must fight it. I know that Edward is doing everything he can to save me. I can't do the easy thing now. My life and his are twisted into a single strand. If I get cut, so does he. And I can't bear to think of Edward being gone. No! A world without Edward would have no meaning. It would be completely pointless. Edward has to survive!'**_** I'd thought trying to will myself to be strong.**

"**And now, I need to take care of what I was sent to do." Michael said. **

**The visual darkened again.**

…

[A/N: I gave Rosalie some spoken lines in this scene that are not in Breaking Dawn. They are spoken to Renesmee and I am going with the assumption that Jacob is so filled with his rage that he doesn't hear everything being said around him. Hope that works for y'all (Texan for all of you out there)…Thanks, Tami]

**As the scene came into view again; Chandra froze it. "I need to speak to Renesmee for a minute before we proceed any further." She said while gazing at my daughter who was then sitting with Jacob. Nessie looked up at her and smiled happily.**

"**It's hard for you to hear about the angry thoughts Jacob had for you before he actually met you. Isn't it?" She hesitated and walked to stand in front of her, kneeling down to be on eye level. "Can you imagine anyone loving your mother more than your father does?"**

**Nessie shook her head slowly, "No, they love each other no matter what. I always knew that, but now I especially understand that."**

"**Well remember the first day that they'd met?" Chandra reminded her. "In that first biology class?"**

**Renesmee thought and then gasped. "Daddy hated my Mom that day. He wanted to kill her." She'd realized in shock.**

"**Sometimes Nessie," Chandra said while thinking through her response. "The ones we love. The ones we are meant to be with have to BECOME the ones for us first. Sometimes it is a process to get us to the point of understanding the beauty held inside of our beloved one. Sometimes we fight against the very thing or person that can save us from ourselves. This was true of your Father and now his love for your mother is unbreakable. He completely understands how she has made him a better man; though at first he had to fight the raging demon inside of himself before he could see. Do you understand that?"**

"**Yes, I guess so." Renesmee replied slowly. "But my Daddy would not have hurt her. He is a very good man. He is the best man I know."**

**Chandra smiled tenderly at my daughter. So did her father. "Yes, he is--and so is Jacob." She added looking up at him and giving him a wink. "And just like your father—the best man you know—had to work out his feelings of undeserved hatred for your mother, so Jacob also had to work through his angry feelings for you before he could be free to love you. Remember, in the visuals, he still has yet to officially meet you. And when he does at the end of this scene, you will see how completely his attitude towards you changes. It was actually easier for him with imprinting to resolve his feelings of 'unjustified hate and anger' towards you than it was for your father. And also remember that Jacob's feelings were still confused. You love your mother; you can understand that he does too. And as he hadn't met you yet, he loved her in a way that was closer to the way he loves you now; which was differently than he does now. So bearing all of that in mind, do you want to watch the next part of the video or would you rather I stop it?"**

"**No, I want to see it." She said fervently as she grabbed Jacob's hand and held it tightly. She gave him a reassuring smile and he gulped in response before giving her a tentative one back in reply. "It will be okay. Don't worry." She said looking up at him.**

"**I hope so Ness," Jacob said with a nervous chuckle. "I was so very angry with you. I was so unfair to you. Please don't get too angry with me. I'll do anything to make it up to you. You mean everything to me."**

"**Good!" Renesmee said and she tapped her finger on the end of her nose. "I'll have to think about the making it up to me part. I'm kind of thinking something along the lines of 'servitude for life', or something of that nature." **

**I'd laughed out loud.**

**Jacob had looked over at me shook his head with a grin and said, "Like mother—like daughter. This kid is quick." **

"**Well, then lets restart our presentation." Chandra said quickly.**

**I was still on the table unconscious and unresponsive in the next scene. Jacob was still my 'life-support' system. Edward was still biting and sealing venom; sending it into my system in as many points as possible. The scene was accented by Jacob's heartbeats and breathing. Also by my forced heartbeat every time Jacob had compressed my heart with his demanding hands.**

'_**Am I doing this right? Her heart still hasn't started pumping on its own. Jacob still has to breathe for her.'**_** Edward thought in growing dismay. Then he tried to find comfort in his chances and his thoughts became more positive and resolute with each bite and each time his tongue had sealed the wound shut. **_**'I can maintain my focus easier that I ever thought I possibly could. Her blood is still so warm so succulent. Surely her essence wouldn't have such an appeal if her life's force were gone. And I can start to taste some of the venom coming through so it is permeating out from her heart to her extremities too. Just don't leave me Bella. Don't you dare go and leave me here alone without you. You promised. You know I'll go to hell and back to keep you alive; to keep you here with me and our daughter. Nessie needs her Mother damn it! Fight Bella--fight!'**_

"**I'm here to help keep Bella's soul here until her heart has repaired itself enough to begin pumping on its own." Michael then explained to the other supernaturals. "…that and one other thing." He'd added as a side line without further elaboration.**

**Jacob's thoughts came next as he'd worked doggedly over me. **_**'There is nothing here anymore. We can't bring her back this time. Even with Edward working manically over her. It's just him and me working over a corpse. That is all that's left of this girl that we both loved. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Bella is gone. I know it because I no longer 'feel' her here. The strange 'pull' is gone—vanished. There is no compelling reason to be here; that senseless need to be near her as evaporated into thin air.' **_

**Edward's thoughts continued as he bit into my legs and my feet. **_**'Jacob is wrong! Bella is alive. She is here. She will not give up. She is stronger, better than all of us. She will make it. Bella isn't afraid of anything. Not even me. Not in our meadow, not when I kissed her that first time, not when I had to suck James's venom out of her, Not when she came to rescue me from Volterra, not when she married me, not when she made love with me, not when she became pregnant with our daughter. No! Bella is not afraid of anything-- least of all death! She will not give up! She cannot ever give up. She is still here fighting! And so I will not ever give up either. I will stay and fight for her! We stick together—no matter what!'**_

"**Elizabeth," Michael said calmly. Mother looked up at him, her face still full of worry and pain. "I'm sorry to do this to you, but we need you to go downstairs to be with Nessie when Jacob gets down there. It is very important that she is in the correct position and looking directly at him at precisely the right moment, or he will kill her."**

**There was a gasp from the perfected beings. Ephraim started to protest, then considering whom he was addressing thought better of it and bit his lip instead. **

**Jacob's thoughts continued, **_**'Or maybe it hasn't vanished or evaporated. No, maybe 'moved' is a better word. Yes, it's moved. I feel it coming from the opposite direction now. Why is that? Am I imagining it? Maybe, but the 'pull' is compelling me to go downstairs. Yes, probably so I can leave. Leave this hellish place and NEVER, ever return.'**_

"**Can't someone else do it?" Elizabeth asked him, clearly more than a little reluctant to leave my side. **

**Michael looked at her with so much love and compassion that it was truly a sight to behold. "She needs you now. As you are both so attuned to Bella, she'll readily listen to your instructions. As you know, the veil is thin with infants. It will be easy. Don't worry; I'll be here minding Bella and watching out for Edward, while you're downstairs. As soon as Jacob has imprinted and Renesmee is out of danger, you can come right back. Please Elizabeth; it won't be for very long at all."**

**Mother lowered her head and nodded. "Alright, I will go and keep my granddaughter safe." She slowly stood up and was gone.**

"**Go then," Edward snapped hearing Jacob's remarks. He'd knocked Jacob's hands out of the way and took his place. There was another snap at the contact as more fingers broke in Jacob's hand. The accented forced drum beats of my heart increased in tempo as Edward pushed the venom-filled blood faster through my system**_**. 'I've done all I can do now except take over for Jacob and be her heart for her. I'll pump it for the entire three days if necessary. I don't even have to worry about the venom getting into her mouth from mine as I breathe for her anymore. It might even help now. I'm right here, sweetheart. I'm right here and I love you so much. I love you more than my own life.'**_

**Jacob had straightened. He looked numb and uncomprehending. He shook his hand out. **_**'So this is it then,' **_**He said in disbelief--his voice a blank monotone**_**. 'My ocean of pain; the other shore so far away across the boiling water that I can't even imagine it much less see it. I feel empty, I've lost my purpose. Saving Bella has been my fight for so long now--and she won't be saved. She willingly sacrificed herself to be torn apart…'**_

"**She's not dead!" Edward growled at him with a fanatical glint in his eyes. "She's going to be fine." '**_**I can feel her right here. I don't have any idea what he's talking about, 'the pull is gone'. She is alive and right here in this room--with me. Don't listen to him love! Stay with me; don't go. Don't do this. Do you remember saying those very words to me? Yes, of course you do. So, you know how I feel then. Stay, stay and let me love you. Let me love you every single day of forever. You are my life. Stay and fight!'**_

**Jacob then turned and started to leave the room. **_**'I'm not even sure that guy is even talking to me anymore. I have to get away from here--leave him with his dead. Bella gone—forever.' **_

**Jacob started taking the stairs, Ephraim, Samon and Llasa followed him down. His thoughts continued and the visual followed his movements. **_**'I need bleach to pour into my head and let it fry my brain. Let it burn away the images of Bella's last minutes. I'd gladly take the burn—and the brain damage if I could get rid of the screaming, the bleeding, the unbearable crunching and snapping as the newborn monster tore through her from the inside out--Aghhh, I want to sprint down these stairs. Get away from here. Take them ten at a time. But I feel like a crippled old man. My feet feel as heavy as iron and my body is more tired than I can ever remember before.' **_**Jacob had finally made it to the bottom landing of the stairs where he stopped.**

"**It's not that bad boy. Snap out of it. This will be your finest moment. This will make sense out of all the confusion. This will put everything back in its proper place for you." Ephraim said patting him on the back as if willing him to be happy.**

"**I'm not sure you can reason with him right now." Samon said resigned.**

"**No, you're right." Llasa agreed. "We can be on hand to hold his shaking together until he imprints."**

"**That is a really good idea Llasa." Samon said with an approving nod. "Yes, let's do that."**

**Jacob took in the room around him. The forced beatings of my heart were still heard throughout the visual, though somewhat muted. They broke off every few moments while Edward breathed for me and then they resumed. There were two blood stains on the ivory colored carpet –both markers from the onset of the traumatic entrance of Renesmee into the world; the large one where I had vomited blood. For as much as had gotten on Rosalie, I was surprised so much had made it to the floor. The second smaller blood stain, from the spilled cup of blood, encompassed not just a small puddle on the floor but a part of the couch as well. On the other side of the couch sat Rosalie, now cleaned up and beaming happily, despite the paleness of her countenance and the dark bruises under her pitch black eyes. Renesmee had also been cleaned up and was wrapped in a warm blanket. She held my newborn baby lovingly and fed her from her stainless steel bottle. I realized suddenly that I had no idea where they had gotten it from. Then remembering how handy Rosalie had been at turning a mixing bowl into a decorated doggy dish, I figured she'd probably whipped up the baby bottle in no time flat. **

'_**This is the most incredible feeling I have ever experienced in my life.' **_**Rosalie had thought in total astonishment. **_**'So much greater than anything I could have imagined. Oh thank you, Bella! Thank you for sharing this miracle with me! All this time I've thought I would never feel such tiny little hands and toes; And her curls. This child is exquisite! It was so fun bathing her and she has such a wonderful baby scent to her. Sure I can smell her blood, but not in a food sort of way and not in a repulsive sort of way— like the dog—ugh! No, she is so perfect. And Edward's face does look so much prettier on a girl; especially with Bella's eyes and fair skin. Ohh, these curls, so delicate like spun copper. We are going to have so much fun, little one! Finally, I can feel what it is like to be a mother like Vera and her little Henry. It is beyond words!'**_

**Jacob's thoughts drowned Rosalie's out. **_**'I know Rosalie had to hear me--nothing silent about me today. But it's not like she would concern herself with me when she is all caught up in her moment of 'stolen motherhood'. Well, at least she'll be happy. Rosalie has what she wants and that's all that matters right? Bella will never come to take the creature from her. Probably what that poisonous blonde has been hoping for all along.'**_** Jacob thought bitterly. His thoughts were becoming more focused and with greater intensity.**

"**This is not a good idea Son." Ephraim warned, trying to sway Jacob's thoughts even though he knew it would not help.**

**Jacob zeroed in on Rosalie's back and her ministrations. **_**'She's feeding the thing. And the scent of human blood is so strong in the air—that's got to be what she's feeding it. Of course it wants blood. What else would you feed the kind of monster who would brutally mutilate its own mother? Hell, it's probably drinking Bella's blood right now. I am so furious--no, not a strong enough word for the wrath I feel coursing through my entire being just thinking about that little executioner—and listening to the sounds of its feeding.'**_

"**Are you hungry?" Rosalie cooed at my baby daughter from the visual. She was almost completely turned away from Jacob as she cradled Renesmee gently in her arms. Renesmee sucked on her stainless steel bottle. '**_**Look at how peaceful and content she is. She looks like an angel. Those curls, they must come from Bella. She's got some spring in her hair. Her dad has even more. She is just so… so perfect.'**_

**Jacob was beyond fury. He was practically purple with the rage that was boiling out of him. He shook violently from head to toe with its force.**

'_**I will not stop these tremors; no, not this time. Because Sam was right! This thing is an aberration—its existence goes against nature. This monster is a black soulless demon; something that has no right to exist; something that has to be destroyed. Rosalie is sitting there so distracted she won't be quick enough to distract me.'**_** Jacob had thought menacingly. **

**Renesmee put her palm up to Rosalie's cheek. The humming was back, happy and content, but this time it held a question. The first one had a picture attached to it. The picture was of Rosalie herself.**

"**Oh, I'm your Auntie Rose." Rosalie said with her face holding more animation in it than I'd ever seen before. "I am your daddy's sister. And I am so very excited that you are here. I love you so much, Renesmee!" **_**'More than I ever dreamed that I would ever love another person; such a tiny little person. I can't imagine how complete I feel in this moment. It's as though some deep fissure has been closed inside of me—in effect, re-knitting parts of myself back together--another miracle!'**_

**Jacob was slightly distracted for a half a second when he thought, **_**'There is the feel of that pull again. I thought it was pulling me to the door, but it hasn't been. No, the pull is right towards the creature. It is encouraging me to end this now; to cleanse the world of this abomination. Of course I will. I will do as the pull bids me. Rosalie will try to kill me if I kill the thing. I might be able to take her out before the others come to help her. I really don't care either way. I also don't care if any of the wolves avenge me or call the Cullen's justice fair. I only want MY revenge. That thing that killed Bella will not live another minute.'**_

"**Nessie can you hear me?" Elizabeth said carefully. Nessie turned to the sound of her voice and her humming turned curious again. "Good, I know that you can't see me but I need you to listen to me very carefully." Renesmee turned her face completely in the direction of Mother's voice. I had no idea whether she'd seen her or not. "When I say to, I am going to need you to look where I tell you too. I will help point your head in the right direction, but there will be a very special man that I need you to look at. You will need to look him directly in the eye. He will be very angry when you see him. So angry that it might frighten you, but you must look him directly in the eyes and be as calm as possible. Can you do that for me?" The humming became more positive, louder. "Very good. You are a good girl Renesmee--just like your Mother."**

"**She got that very well," Samon said approvingly from where he stood to the left of Jacob.**

'_**If Bella had lived she would hate me for doing this. Heck, she'd want to kill me personally. But why should I care about that now? When she didn't care about what she's done to me by letting herself be slaughtered like an animal. Why should I take her feelings into account? And then there's Edward. Probably too far gone in his insane denial, trying to reanimate a corpse—to listen to my plan. So, I'd be dead from retribution before I can keep my promise to him. Well, that's the breaks, Edward; Too bad, so sad. Because even if by some crazy twist of fate I am able to actually win a fight against Rosalie, Alice and Jasper—I just don't have it in me to kill Edward. I mean, this is all his fault. So why should I let him get away from the pain? It would be fairer to force him to live—live with nothing. That is justice. I'm fresh out of compassion right now. Sorry about that, Edward. That thought almost makes me want to smile. No Bella, no killer spawn, and taking as many of his family members down as possible--temporarily anyway.'**_** Jacob thought through his own venomous plan.**

**Nessie put her palm back up to Rosalie's face and with the humming came a picture of my face as it appeared from the bloody scene upstairs and then Edward's face as well. Nessie's mental picture of him also showed a spot of blood on it—probably from when he'd had to use his teeth to open the vampiric amniotic sac.**

"**Oh, well your mommy and your daddy are upstairs now." Rosalie began slowly. "See Renesmee, your mommy is very, very sick and your daddy is trying very hard to make sure she will be alright. He wants to make sure that she'll live to see you again. So I'm going to take good care of you until that gets resolved. Okay?" She said pleasantly, though worry lined her eyes.**

**Jacob had taken another two steps towards Rosalie and Renesmee. **_**'I wonder if that creature can be put back together. I doubt it. I can hear its heartbeat—so it must have inherited Bella's vulnerability. Its heart is beating and Bella's isn't.' **_**His thoughts and his eyes were crazed with his growing madness. Jacob's trembling was getting tighter and faster.**

"**Okay now, Rosalie, the baby is all done eating." Elizabeth said. "Why don't you lift her up for some love now. That's it right over your shoulder. Good!"**

**Rosalie cooed at Renesmee again. She set the empty bottle down and lifted my baby into the air to nuzzle her face against Nessie's cheek. Elizabeth angled Nessie's face so that she was able to look directly at Jacob.**

**Samon, Llasa and Ephraim all surrounded Jacob as he coiled to strike. He was only a few feet away from his target now. His thoughts were dark and vehement. **_**'Perfect, thank you Psycho, you have the little monster perfectly positioned for my attack. I can feel the pull towards the killer grow stronger and stronger. In fact, I'd say stronger than I've ever felt before. So strong a pull it reminds me of an Alpha's command. Kind of like, it would crush me if I didn't obey. No problem—this time I WANT to obey.'**_

**Nessie stared past Rosalie's shoulder at Jacob. The humming became more anxious. There was an undertone of fear to it, but still she looked on.**

"**That is exactly right, Nessie. Keep looking." Mother encouraged her.**

"**Look into the baby's eyes Jacob." Llasa commanded him.**

'**Huh, she looks more focused than a newborn creature's should be. And her eyes--they're the same warm milk chocolate color that Bella's were.' Jacob's shaking jerked to a stop. His thoughts became at first confused and then understanding. It was as if instantly the dementia had left him along with its corresponding rage.**

"**This little girl is your destiny Jacob. She is the reason you exist. She is your home." Ephraim said fervently.**

**Jacob pondered the differences, **_**'the heat burning through me is stronger than before—but it's a new kind of heat—not a burning really. It is a glowing.'**_

**The three supernaturals backed up away from Jacob as the imprinting magic freed him of his fury.**

**Jacob's thoughts became clearer, happier and filled with wonder. He stood up out of his crouch and stood awed into stillness**_**. 'I am looking at the most beautiful creature in the world right now. I feel myself disconnecting from everything and everyone that I have ever loved or cared about in this moment. It is as if all of the lines that held me bound to my life are being sliced apart in swift cuts; kind of like clipping the strings to a bunch of balloons. Everything that defined who I was: my love for the dead girl upstairs, my love for my father, my loyalty to my new pack, the love for my other brothers, my hatred for my enemies, my home, my name, my self—they are all just disconnecting from me just now. In this mere second in time, and I'm floating up and into space. But as I drift, I realize that I am not floating off. No, because there is a new string holding me—grounding me to my place on the planet. No, I am not drifting. I am held in place by not just one string, but a million strings. No not strings. Strings can break or tear. These lines are unbreakable. They are more like steel cables. A million steel cables all holding me to the very center of the universe. Yes, I can see that now. How did I miss it before? The universe swirls around this one point--this one focal point. I've never seen the symmetry of the universe before. But now it is so clear—crystal clear. The gravity of the earth no longer holds me to the place I stand. No, it is the little half vampire girl in Rosalie's arms that holds me here now. Renesmee.'**_

"**You did it, Renesmee!" Mother had approved confidently. "Now you can look wherever you wish too." She reached down and kissed my daughter on the top of her head. Nessie raised her head as if to trace the feel of it. It seemed as though what Michael had said was true about the 'veil' being thin for infants. Huh?**

"**Come on Bella love!" Edward's frantic voice came from upstairs. "Stay with me. Please! Stay--don't leave. Dear God, Please, please let her stay!" His voice broke into a sob and with it my heart started beating of its own accord. "Bella! Bella can you hear me!" His voice, though stressed beyond anything I had ever heard, had a deep flood of relief wash through it. "I'm here sweetheart. I'm right here. That's it, keep your heart beating. That's right. You're doing well! I love you, Bella. You are my life—my 'whole' life now."**

**Elizabeth immediately winked out--presumably to return to my side.**

**Llasa, looking at Samon in his ever off-handed manner said, "I wonder what Edward will think about imprinting now?"**

***

A/N:

I have a shout out to give here! It is for Pauline and her story about the birth of Renesmee. It is called, "A Father's Love". I got the finger curling comments from her story. She also has some interesting conversations between Edward and Bella after Leah's tirade. It's not too long and really nice. I have a link to her story on my profile page under Chapter 34.

**Also, the translation to the poem Edward remembered as Renesmee grasped his finger is here: -**I've learned that, when your new born has your finger in his tiny fist, you are hooked for live**-

There is one more part to this chapter and that will conclude Part IV: The Edward and Bella Story. Not to worry though, LOTS of excitement and suspense inside the last main part of the story, Part V: Return to Forks. Then there is the Epilogue: The Battle for Akakor too!

So, thanks for sticking with me and reading my story!

Tami


	39. Chapter 34 Part Four

Some of my scenes in this last section came directly from: 'My Renesmee/The Choice' Written by 'Dazzled By Jacob'

If you haven't taken the time to check out this great work of Fan Fiction I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed. It is written as a letter from Edward to his daughter Renesmee, and it is best read in its original letter form. As it goes on it is interlaced with Renesmee's story with Jacob told by her. Trust me! You really need to read this!

Dazzled by Jacob has links to her profile page and her above mentioned story on my profile page under notes for Chapter 34.

**Chapter Thirty Four  
The Birth of Hope****—Part IV **

**Bella's POV**

**The plane hit a pocket of turbulence. Our flight was half way over with and I could already feel the slight drop in altitude as we began our gradual descent. With the slight change in cabin pressure, Nessie stirred in our laps. I watched as Edward gently ****turned**** his face so it was resting on the top of my head and with his free arm reached over and stroked her bronze curls until she dozed off again.**

"**Please continue sharing your memories with me, Bella love," Edward said in a voice low and husky. "Only be warned, we might not make it all the way home before I'll be requiring your, umm…private apology"**

**I raised my eyebrows at him. Honestly it was to keep my face from reflecting how his tone made my stomach twist up with anticipation. As soon as I'd caught my breath, I teased him back, "Why Mr. Cullen, What exactly are you suggesting here, in the presence of our young, impressionable daughter?"**

"**Make that our young, impressionable, sleeping daughter; the same daughter who will be picked up by her Grandpa Charlie at the airport." Edward said before kissing me deeply. Then he added in an even lower and huskier voice, "Now, either you can continue sharing your memories for the next hour or we can spend it going over in detail how I'm thinking I'd like my apology to work."**

"**Ahh, I see how it is." I replied, my voice a mixture of anticipation and embarrassment. Carlisle and Esme were sitting a row ahead of us and of course they'd heard every word.**

**So quietly and quickly that no human would have heard it, Carlisle said, "You'd better choose the first option Bella. Edward's self control where you are concerned has been somewhat lacking of late."**

**It was really too bad that certain 'other' vampire ears couldn't heard Carlisle's comment. There were snickers from across the aisle and three seats down. "That's an understatement." Emmett said just as low and quick.**

**Before I died of embarrassment, figuratively of course, I opened my shield to restart my final memories of our time with Chandra as she showed us, well, me especially, what had transpired in the Cullen home with the emergence of new life while I'd been busily…transforming.**

'_**I was going to let you in any way!'**_** I thought at Edward**_**. 'You can tell me what you have in mind for your apology in the car. If you were to tell me now, we'd be in danger of joining a new club. You're not the only one with trouble resisting, you know!' **_** It was fun to see his eyes get wide as plate saucers at my admission. I sighed and started concentrating on the rest of what we'd learned from Chandra.**

…

**The lights of the new scene came into play again. This time Edward was upstairs with me as I'd fought against the blackness in Carlisle's study. He'd sat holding my hand to his face which was he'd hung almost to his lap. He was choking with silent, tearless sobs. He just sat there by my side shaking from the trauma that had played out. There were no thoughts in his head. It was as if everything had left him momentarily numb—void of processing anything coherent. My heartbeat thudded loudly and fast throughout the room and I took in shallow gasping breathes. Mother was standing beside Edward. Her hand around his shoulder and she soothed him with gentle pats and hummed a melody that was unfamiliar to me. Chandra and Dagda were there as well, standing next to Michael in the corner.**

"**I think we should give Bella one last dream as a warning of what danger will be coming for her, her daughter and her family. This way she will have the clue of how her 'bloodlust' will help her strengthen her shield for protection against the clutches of Aro and his cohorts." Chandra said quietly. They had clearly been affected by the violent birth and the completion of their assignment as well.**

"**That is an excellent idea." Dagda responded and then he sighed. "Even making her last dream a nightmare, it will be better than what she will feel when she awakens from it."**

"**True," Michael said as he nodded in approval.**

**In the corner of the visual, my nightmare began and continued simultaneously while the rest of the scene unfolded. The Volturi army ghosted closer in a line, an icy mist stirred up by their feet. 'We are going to die!' my thought voice said in panic. **_**'I must protect my precious little one--but I can't even think of that! It is a lapse in attention that I can't afford. We're outnumbered. It's over!'**_

**Alice walked into the visual carrying wash clothes, folded silk and a bucket of cleaning supplies. She put her hand on Edward's back. Where he had not felt his Mother's touch, he did respond to Alice's. He slightly lifted his head in acknowledgement, as if strength had mysteriously left him. Alice set her supplies down and wetting her washcloth, began cleaning the blood and fluids off of my body. It was easy to see how difficult it had been for her to have gone through the last few weeks as well.**

"**Oh Bella,"**** Alice said sadly and quietly as she ministered to me at vampire speed. ****"I hope you will be okay; my best friend, my sister. I miss you and I want you back. We all need you back. Be strong now. Don't give up. There is a tiny little baby girl downstairs that needs her mother to be around. There is a husband sitting here beside you that will quite literally give up his hold on sanity if you let go now, and I ****don't know how I would survive**** if I lose you again. My vision is still so unclear for you. It scares me to death. Do you have any idea what you have come to mean to this family? How you have completed this family? Please, just hold on. I have so many more things I want to experience with you, my dearest of sisters and truest of friends."**

**Then my thoughts from my Volturi nightmare continued. **_**'What was that? It was like a burst of light and the whole scene looks different somehow. Well, it's different, but still the same. The Volturi are still stalking us, coming closer and closer, poised to kill. No the scene hasn't changed. Somehow…I have changed…'**_

**Elizabeth sighed and stroked my cheek. "Poor dear," She said apprehensively. "It's too bad she has to go from a nightmare into hell itself."**

**Alice finished cleaning and dressing me in the tight-fitted silk dress that I had later destroyed on my first hunting expedition. The dress was left unzipped in back to allow room for my still swollen stomach to heal. She turned to a stainless steel sink there in Carlisle's study and wrung the blood out of the white wash clothes. "Edward, I've gotten Bella cleaned up here and well, Jasper is having a little difficulty with the smell even though he did just hunt. So I'm going to clean the rest of this up. I think it would be best if you left for a bit. I'll be with her. She'll be alright." Edward looked up as if really seeing the room for the first time since the scene began.**

'_**Alice has already cleaned Bella and dressed her up. Why does she look more like she's dressed for her funeral? She's so still--unconscious. But she's breathing and her heart is beating of its own accord.' **_**"Bella," He'd said in a whisper. "Can you hear me, love**_**?" 'Was I too late? Did I give her too much venom? Did it overload her system? Maybe I shouldn't have put it directly into her heart. What if it changes before it finishes circulating?'**_** I shook my head at Alice. "I'm not leaving her. I'll help you clean this up."**

**Alice looked at him dubiously. "No, Edward you won't." She said firmly.**

**He looked at her like a lost man dying of thirst in the desert looking for directions to the oasis through his delirium. "Why?" He asked in pained confusion.**

"**Because you are going to collect yourself, march down those stairs and meet your little girl properly. That's why. Bella needs you to be the parent of Renesmee for both of you until she wakes up; and probably for some time afterwards as well." Alice said as she pushed him towards the front door. "I'll be here with Bella. Anyway, after I get this cleaned up, you can bring the baby up here for a while. She'll want to be close to her mother and there's room for everyone. I'll even bring in the sofa from my room. If you think I need help, send Jacob back up. The smell of the blood won't bother him and you know he's still here. His heart is beating away and his scent is just as strong as ever."**

**Edward nodded stiffly and started down the stairs. Alice began in earnest scrubbing the blood from the floor and my thoughts were also of blood. **

**My thoughts from the dream continued. **_**'The scene is different because now I'm hungry for it! I'm not panicked anymore. No it is replaced by a hunger--a bloodlust.'**_** As my thoughts played out the nightmare from my mind in the corner of the screen showed me as I crouched forward with a smile on my face and a growl ripped through my clenched teeth. **

"**You know for such a sweet girl, Bella sure will make a scary monster." Llasa said watching my dream crouch.**

**The scene went black**

…

**The visual started again. This time it followed Edward as he walked down the stairs at a slow human speed, in a very similar fashion to the way Jacob had a few hours earlier**_**. 'What will I do if I lose Bella? How will I raise this sweet little girl without her mother, so full of goodness herself? How can I? I can't. But I will meet my daughter again. She needs me now as much as I need her. We both need Bella to make it.'**_

**Jacob's thoughts came through the visual next as he'd met Edward at the bottom of the stairs and clasped him on the back. **_**'Everything has changed. But it is still so overwhelming to me. I can't even begin to fathom its depth or meaning. But how is Bella? How can I help Edward now?'**_** "Is everything okay?" **_**'Are you okay?'**_

**Edward looked up at him as though trying to comprehend the simple sentence**_**. 'IS everything okay? AM I okay? Those are really good questions.'**_** Edward looked Jacob in the eye and said, "I think it might be. It is too soon to tell." **_**'He is actually concerned about my feelings? That is shocking. It feels as though he is the brother I mentioned earlier. But where is the anger and betrayal that were his earlier? The ocean of grief? NO! I must not think on that. Focus--my daughter; I have to be composed for Bella and Renesmee now. I couldn't have delivered her and worked on Bella, without this boy. He helped me save Bella--well, hopefully save Bella anyway.' **_**Edward shook his head once and stammered. "Thank you for everything Jacob. Alice was wondering, if you'd get a couch for her while she cleans up the study."**

"**Of course," **_**'I need to focus on Bella and helping Edward right now. Maybe I should help Alice clean up all that blood too.' **_**He'd shuddered at the thought of how that blood got there.**_** 'That can't be easy for Alice either.'**_** Jacob thought, eager to leave the room and he darted up the stairs taking them five at a time. Ephraim left silently by his side.**

**Edward took in the living room then and the visual followed his gaze. Llasa and Samon were there as was Rosalie, who gently rocked Renesmee on the clean end of the large sofa. Renesmee's thoughts hummed happily as Rosalie held her all swaddled in a soft blanket. Edward's breath caught. **_**'My daughter is here! She is as beautiful as her mother. As if such a thing was possible. And in this moment I am reminded of this surreal fact: I am a father; to think that somehow, as incomprehensible as it may be, I have taken a part in creating--life.'**_

**Rosalie looked up to Edward and her face was so full of joy that it seemed as though she couldn't speak. After a minute a single thought came from her, **_**'Edward, she's…'**_

**Edward was similarly stunned, **_**'This is the first time in the many years I've known my sister that Rosalie is for a loss of words. Of course, I'm not speaking either here. I can't seem to take my eyes off the tiny bundle in her arms.'**_

**Llasa was crying, visibly moved and as he did so, the rain picked up outside as well.**_**  
**_

**After a few seconds Rosalie collected herself and said tenderly, "Do you want to hold your daughter?"**

_** 'My daughter, Ohh,**__**How my heart thrills at these two words—my daughter!'**_** Edward had thought elated.**

'_**Look at Edward's face! He is so excited! I have never seen him so amazed in all of these years that I have known him. It is incredible to watch!'**_** Rosalie said. She looked down at the tiny bundle and said, "Your daddy is here now. Do you want to see him?" In response the humming became more excited and almost demanding.**

Edward cautiously walked over to the sofa. _**'I don't seem to be able to take my eyes off her—My daughter! I can hear the loud thrumming of her heart and smell the sweetest scent, both human and immortal, as it penetrates every fiber of my being. And her thoughts are becoming even stronger to discern. She understood Rosalie's words. She knows I'm here for her, and she has missed me.'**_

**Rosalie gracefully stood up and placed the wrapped bundle into Edward's hands**_**. **_

'_**This is incredible. It's as before, the emotions race through me as this soft little baby is placed into my cold, stone arms. The warmth of her tiny body is…exhilarating!'**_** Edward's thought voice was stilled into silence as he noticed Renesmee turn her head searching for him and then looked him in the face. The humming of Renesmee's thoughts were happier than before. They almost jumped and danced. Edward heard that while he looked into her eyes again**_**. 'My baby's eye's, the same haunting, angelic brown eyes—her mother's eyes—peering up at me in wonder, and this new little creature is the most beautiful being I have ever beheld.'**_

**Edward continues his awe-filled thoughts, **_**'An unbidden memory comes to my mind of Jacob telling Bella that it wasn't a pretty baby in there and Bella's reply of 'we'll see'. Bella was right again! Of course Bella was right! I'm slow, but I'm learning now. Bella is always right. And now I am overcome by a sudden surge of emotions as they flood through my immortal being—a mixture of love, joy, hope, fear, and most of all completeness. I have become a father, and I know now that I will never be the same again.'**_** "Hello Renesmee," Edward said softly. "Do you remember me? I'm your daddy."**_**  
**_**  
Suddenly, Renesmee raised her palm to Edward's cheek and with it came a flash of pictures on the screen to accent the humming. Included were pictures of Edward bringing her into the light of day and her first view of him. Of Jacob in passing, of me and my words crooned to her from my hideous state; Rosalie giving her a bath and dinner, and Jacob looking at her in wonder. Finally her memory vision replayed the previous moments as Edward's own face came into view again and the love and joy that spread over his features as their eyes met. The love that colored the memories was intense. **

'_**All of her thoughts and memories are filled with love and now I realize that what she is saying to me is that she feels the same way about me too.' **_** "I love you Renesmee." I said as I leaned in and kissed her cheek. **_**'How could I do otherwise? How could I ever have imagined doing otherwise? This is a miracle of unfathomable proportions.'**_

**Samon wiped tears from the corner of his eyes.**

**  
Rosalie gently put her arm about Edward's shoulders and gave him a light squeeze**_**. 'Edward is blown away. It's nice to see him so—stunned. And for once, I was right and he wasn't. But if he hadn't married Bella and fought for her humanity, I wouldn't have this beautiful moment with my sweet little niece.' **_

'_**That is the most affection she has ever shown me.'**_** He'd thought with a start.**

_** 'Thank you, Edward.' **_** Rosalie thought directly at Edward as she gave both he and Renesmee a smile. Her pale visage looked as if it could have been filled with tears as she turned and swiftly exited the room.**

Edward looked back down and smiled at Renesmee with his crooked grin. **"My**** daughter, my beautiful ****daughter"**_** 'The creature I had loathed and did not want to ever see the light of day—is now in my arms.**_**' "****You are perfect, pure, and ****true."**** Edward closed his eyes, inhaling the clean scent of her. **_**'I'm going to savor this life-changing moment--sealing it within the chambers of my mind. So many things I didn't understand before that are now so clear.'**_** Edward had thought fervently as he opened his eyes and gazed into the beautiful face of his very-aware daughter. Then he added softly to her, "God is real. I've been a skeptic until this moment. I have always believed myself to be a monster, who did not deserve to exist, who did not deserve anything but eternal damnation. But God is real. He has given me your mother, my Bella, the one thing I have never deserved, and now you. You are worth everything we have endured." He paused to collect himself, "…my beautiful, sweet one, my Renesmee."**_**  
**_**  
Jacob then re-entered the room hesitantly. His stance was nervous and unsure. "It's all cleaned up in Carlisle's study now. Alice is with Bella…" **_**'How am I supposed to explain this **__**to**__** him?'**_

'_**Jacob is here. What does he think of my baby girl now that he's met her?'**_** Edward thought quietly still full of awed wonder. His face was euphoric making him look even more god-like than ever before. **_**'Regardless, he will be someone to whom I will ever be grateful. He is here—even now; he never gave up on Bella. I need to thank him somehow. Find a way to convey to him how very much his sacrifice for my family means to me.'**_

"**Uh oh," Llasa said wearily. "I guess Edward will be finding out exactly how Jacob feels about his daughter sooner rather than later."**

**Edward turned towards Jacob but as he did, he heard the next thoughts Jacob had and his smile slowly faded.  
**

'_**How exactly do I explain that I was going to kill his daughter but he doesn't need to worry about that anymore because I'll wait until she grows up and marry her instead. It sounds ludicrous to even me. And yet it still makes perfect sense. How do I tell a man that I just imprinted on his three hour old baby girl? I have no idea. I'll just need to tell him. Suck it up and let him know.' **_**Jacob thought slightly concerned but growing in resolve. Jacob took a deep breath. "Edward," Jacob said firmly. "We need to talk."**

**  
The expression on Edward's face was such an abrupt change for the worse that it was hard to follow. It took on a ferocity that made him look more like a dangerous vampire than any I had ever seen. **_**'Talk? I don't think so. I already know what he's about to confess. It makes my entire being shake as I feel this sudden overwhelming anger boil up inside of me. I feel the venom as it begins to overflow my mouth.' **_**His euphoric mood now obliterated, Edward growled with the rage of a protective lioness for her cub.**

"**Edward, you need to calm down!" Samon said sharply.  
"I don't think he's listening so well right now." Llasa added dryly like he'd seen too much of this sort of behavior between the two of them.**

_**'Dang it! I forgot that he could hear me.' **_**Jacob had thought in a panic. "Edward! Let me explain!" **_**'Please! You owe me that much. This is a good thing, not a bad. Nessie likes me too.'**_

"**Remember Jacob." Ephraim cautioned. "This man--well, vampire is your future father-in-law. You want to make a good impression here."**_**  
**_

'_**Have you men gone completely mad? You can't rip each other apart with a baby in between you!'**_** Rosalie thought as she'd quickly entered the room and, in a blur of movement, stripped Renesmee from Edward's arms.**

**"Oh,**** please do not tell me that you have nick-named my daughter after a sea serpent monster, you low-life, flea infested, mangy ****mutt?" Edward barked out.**

"**See," Ephraim said sadly. "What did I say? I tried to warn you about calling this young lady after monsters, but do you ever listen to me? No, you never do. And now look at where it's gotten you!"**

"**How could you, mongrel?" I crouched down a few feet from him about to pounce, forgetting the world around me. "How could **_**you**_** imprint on **_**my**_** daughter**_**?" 'Of all the nerve! Can't have Bella, who can make a good choice, so you'll settle for someone too small to chose for themselves?'  
**_**  
"Edward! You know what Bella told you! I couldn't help it! It just happened!" Jacob said trying desperately to defend himself. **_**'Argggh, this is not working.'  
**_**  
**_** 'Good, they're finally going to fight**_**,' Rosalie's thoughts were almost shouting. '**_**Damn, Emmett's going to miss it!'**_

**Llasa looked bright and excited as Samon said to Rosalie, "No, this is not 'good' this is bad." He added smacking Llasa upside his head.**

"**What was that for?" Llasa asked in mock indignation.**

"**You know what," was all that Samon said in response.**

"First, you make a play for MY wife and now--" Edward growled at him with **a**** savagery to revel his bone chilling roar for James in the baseball clearing. **_**'I would like to burn you to hell with the blazing heat of a thousand suns, you mangy gigolo.'**_

"**You have to admit Samon that one was a long time coming. It is probably healthy for Edward to get this all out. Don't you think?"**_**  
**_**  
"I wasn't the one who practically threw her into my bed a few days ago!" Jacob retorted right back. '**_**This isn't going as well as I had planned. And yet somehow, I can't seem to stop myself. He is just so self-righteous and condescending. Mr. Know-it-all. He is such a hypocrite!'**_

"**No boy!" Ephraim said as though telling an out-of-control dog to behave. "You are doing some serious damage here. Think!"**

"**Still think this is going in a 'healthy' direction Llasa?" Samon asked him pointedly.**

'_**Jacob's repulsive stench is getting stronger. He's about to phase any minute now.'**_** Edward spat the next words at him. "You dog! After all we've been through today, how **_**dare**_** you bring that up?" Edward lunged at him with all the strength he possessed.**

"**Hey," Llasa said sheepishly. "I never said that relationships ****were**** my forte; talk to Chandra and Dagda about that department."**

It took Jacob only that split second to phase, his sharpened claws ripped and shredded through Edward's clothes like they were made of tissue paper. 

'_**I want to sink my teeth into his flesh and rip out his still-beating heart. I have never felt so much rage in my entire existence. Not even when James and Victoria had threatened to murder my Bella.' **_**Edward had Jacob pinned on the floor.**_**  
**_**  
**_** 'Filthy bloodsucker!'**_** Jacob mind was screaming back at him, **_**'What happened to being a brother? Sound familiar? You know, a comrade at arms, and all of that? If this is how you treat your family, well…'**_

**Then, Renesmee's ****frantic****filled**** humming had taken on a new definition, a new quality as another soft, musical voice echoed from across the room. A still, sweet voice was pleading with Edward. '**_**Daddy**_**,' it called. '**_**Please don't hurt Jacob'.**_****

_**'Renesmee?**_**' Edward thought startled. He looked up from Jacob and saw Nessie's heartbroken face as it peered at him from behind Rosalie's embrace. **_**'My daughter has already mastered language into her thoughts?'**_** He'd thought incredulously.**

_**'Don't hurt him, please' **_**Renesmee's thoughts gently spoke again.**

Edward released Jacob at once, stood up, and gazed at Renesmee in awe and shock. '_**A few minutes ago I was willing to give her anything and everything she desired. Now, here I am preparing to defend her against the world, against anyone I feel would bring her harm. And yet, she tells me to stop? Yes, she tells me to stop and I find that I am at the mercy of her desperate pleas.'  
**_**  
**_** 'Jacob has told me he loves me too, Daddy.**__**He won't hurt me.' **_**As Renesmee explained with her thoughts, her humming of emotional thoughts continued with a tone of hope and trust. **

"**Do you see Renesmee's gift—reaching out to her father and changing his course of action?" Samon said triumphantly.**

'_**My daughter's thoughts have melted my heart and with it my blazing fury has left. I'm staggered at how quickly she has tamed the beast within me.'**_** Edward thought with a dumb struck expression as he turned back to Jacob, now human, naked and exhausted as he lay on the floor.**

"**That was absolutely magical." Llasa said stunned.**

"Why'd you stop, leech?" Jacob glared up at Edward. "I was just gettin' started!" 

**Luckily Chandra had blurred certain areas of Jacob's anatomy from the visual. Leah may have seen him naked but that was an experience I was happy to forego. Not to mention my innocent daughter who was already looking forward to the day she would marry Jacob Black, though she was not even two yet! **

'_**I could have taken you. Not that I was planning on it.'**_** Jacob added grudgingly.**

"**Get over yourself," Ephraim scolded Jacob. "Act like a man—and put some clothes on! There are ladies in the room!"**

Rosalie's thoughts wondered the same thing as Jacob's. '_**Yes, why did you stop? Have you forgotten that he threw his dog bowl at my head? That he insulted me with his infantile blonde jokes? That he sucker punched me upstairs just a bit ago?'**_** Rosalie's face matched her mental tone. She was clearly disappointed.**

"Let's just say 'someone', told me to stop." Edward said glancing at the baby in Rosalie's arms. _**'My daughter expects me to behave like a man she can look up to. I need to do it too. She's inviting me to become a better man. I need to be that better man too; a man who is worthy to be her Father. There now…,'**_** He'd thought as he listened to Nessie's heart-rate return to normal. **_**'…her anxiety over my rude behavior has abated. She has changed me even more. I gave up so easily with just her tiny little request.' **_**Edward shook his head and said quietly to his opponent, "I can't fight you, Jacob."**

No one spoke for what seemed like hours_**. 'Well, neither of us is dressed appropriately now for mixed company. Perhaps with a change of clothes for the both of us I will find a way to fill this new role of father, to a daughter. A role that is still so new to me I cannot come to terms with my responsibilities as such; or how to behave as a new father, especially when it seems to be so quickly being snatched away from me.'**_** Then, Edward sighed and turned to Jacob and ordered, "Let's get some clothes on and **_**then**_**, we'll talk."**

"**Well, I'd say everything considered, Edward took the idea of imprinting better than I'd expected he would." Llasa said in amusement.**

**The visual faded to black again.**

…

**When the lights returned to the visual again, both Edward and Jacob, in fresh clothes, were back in Carlisle's study. Alice, Rosalie and Renesmee were there as well. Of course, Elizabeth, Ephraim, Chandra, Samon, Llasa, and Dagda were there too. While I was still lying on my operating table, I was dressed in my silk, tight fitting cocktail dress, there was no other evidence of the bloody nightmare that had just taken place here. Thankfully, Chandra had muted my thoughts during this scene, as it would have not only been difficult to hear anything else with my mental screaming, but also difficult to explain since everyone but Carlisle still believed me to be 'unaware'. Turned out the only thing I was unaware of, due to the fact I was completely lost in my burning at the beginning, was the beautiful scene that surrounded me the next day when the rest of the family had shown up.**

"**Bella, love?" Edward said humbly from the visual as he knelt beside the now-clean operating table, clutching my pale, right hand. "I love you. I hope you can hear me. We're all right here: Me, Alice, Rosalie, Jacob, and our daughter, Renesmee. She is so beautiful Bella. Just like you. I can't wait for you to meet her again. She is the most amazing little girl in the whole world!" Edward sighed and thought anxiously, **_**'She hasn't moved since she lost consciousness after meeting her daughter. Her vitals are good though. I don't want her to hurt, but I need to know that she is with us. I need to know that the venom is doing its job. No! I need to focus on the things that are going right. Her heart is beating nice and strong in a regular, albeit somewhat faster than normal, rhythm. She is also breathing on her own. Her color is pale, but not so pale as to be lifeless. No, she will make it. She must make it. I'll will it to be so!'**_

"**Of course she will be alright Son," Mother said quietly trying to ease his pain with her arm around him. "She has too much to live for to do otherwise. That and Michael's on the job now." **

**Michael, who was standing behind them keeping an eye on me, nodded wryly to Elizabeth.**

_** 'Carlisle and the others are almost here.' **_**Edward peered up from my face to acknowledge Alice's thoughts. She was standing completely motionless as stone, peering out the window towards the driveway. **_**'This will be a beautiful family moment.'**_** She'd thought as a vision of the entire family surrounding Renesmee came into her 'view'.**

**Rosalie sat across from her, carefully supervising Jacob as he held Renesmee for the first time. She was sleeping peacefully in his arms. The four 'perfected being' siblings looked on in satisfaction at the napping baby and her healthy vital signs, pleased things had worked out so well in the end.**

"**Be very careful Jacob" Ephraim hissed frantically. "She's a little tough one but still just hours old—and you don't know your own strength!"**

"**Make sure you hold her head up and always support the back of her neck." Rosalie instructed Jacob carefully. **_**'He could drop her in those big hands of his. Did she just burp? Does she need to again? Maybe we should wake her up for a little bit. I don't think he'd react to well if she were to spit up blood on him, even if it is just Emmett's old shirt.'**_

**Ephraim looked at Rosalie annoyed and said, "Hey, give it a rest Blondie! Jacob's not an idiot--well, at least not all the time. You're making me nervous here."**

"**It's okay Rosalie, I've got this. I mean it isn't like I've never held a baby before." Jacob had said quietly, so as not awaken Renesmee. He was slightly put-out and he rolled his eyes. Then he'd thought, **_**'Have I held a baby before? I actually can't remember. I think Claire once but she was over two, so maybe I haven't. But that doesn't mean I can't do this right. I would never hurt this little girl--absolutely not ever. I think I'd just about go crazy if anyone ever did try to hurt her. She is so tiny and adorable and so completely defenseless. Not to worry, my little Nessie. You've got me to keep you safe now. You are the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. Even in magazines and movies. But it's so much more than your looks, it's your spirit. You are so pure and good and vital. I can't believe how much I love you, just watching you sleep so peacefully. It's hard to believe that someone so small can make me feel so much purpose and hope.'**_

"**She is something isn't she?" Ephraim sighed in agreement. "You guys are going to make a gene pool for some pretty powerful pups someday!"**

**Chandra had rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the smile off her face.**

"**I just hope Edward doesn't spend too much time putting the pieces together over how short a time he'll have his little girl before she's going to grow up." Llasa said worriedly.**

"**Why is that?" Samon asked perplexed.**

"**Well, after what already happened downstairs, I'd hate to think of how he'd react to that piece of news. I mean, he really seems to be enjoying being a new father."**

"**He's not the only one enjoying having a baby in the house." Dagda added as he looked at Rosalie hovering at Jacob's side, just waiting for him to make a false move so she could use it as an excuse to take over.**

****

"I'll go tell Jasper," Alice said, and with that, breezily exited the room. _**'He won't want to miss the feelings that will be in this room. Not after everything he has suffered through with the raw emotions of the entire family for the last two and a half weeks.'  
**_**  
Edward said nothing in response to the thoughts around him. His thoughts indicated that he had tuned them out completely. I had his full, undivided attention. **_**'I know she's burning. She has to be. I gave her too much venom for it to be otherwise. She's enduring the three-day, terrifying sleep that will transform her into an immortal. I know she is experiencing painful, ever-growing agony. I know she feels as though she is being consumed by fire, tortured beyond mercy, and suffering the horrifying sensation of dying over and over again. Somehow even though I know it was a necessary act—one she wanted even, I can't bear that I have done this to her. It rocks me violently straight down to the core of my being.'**_

** "Bella, I'm so sorry." Edward said with his musical voice dripping with remorse. **_**'If a vampire could cry, I would be weeping at this very moment. Her rigid body lays here so utterly still—I keep agonizing over whether I have done the job correctly.' **_**"I know you're in **_**so**_** much pain right now. I wish I could take your place. Now that the rest of the family is nearly here, I will not leave your side for anything. I'm right here, love."**

**Elizabeth then said in wonder. "Oh, Bella is remembering her baby! She is remembering Renesmee's warmth and smile as she was brought into her embrace and it is giving her strength to hold on!" She looked satisfied. "That's right Bella sweetie, think about your beautiful baby girl. She is waiting for you to love her. She needs you and you can do this!"**

Edward leaned over me and placed a tender kiss on my forehead. _**'Even after everything she has suffered and endured, she is still so beautiful. My angel—Bella.'**_** He grasped my palm tightly once more and laid his head down on the makeshift bed beside mine and gently whispered into my ear, "Bella, we have a daughter," He started, seeming to shut out the world. "She's ****perfect**** and she has your lovely eyes." **_**'It almost looked as though my Bella stirred, but that is only my wishful thinking. She is so absolutely still. I wonder if she can hear my calming words. I hope so and that they can bring her some **__**solace**__** amongst the consuming fire raging within.' **_**He'd thought before adding in a whisper of wonder,**__**"I never thought I'd be a father, even when I was human. But now, when I look into Renesmee's eyes, I know this was meant to be—the three of us, a ****family****. Bella, we're a family. How could I ask for more?" His voice was soft and low. **_**'I wish I could read her thoughts more than ever at this moment. But, then again, maybe I don't.'  
**_**  
"Edward!" Carlisle said urgently, as he'd suddenly burst through the wooden door, startling Rosalie, Jacob, and Edward, with his haste. **

"**Carlisle!" Edward practically leapt from his chair, throwing his arms around him. "It's over. Bella's—sleeping." **_**'I hope Bella's only sleeping anyway.'  
**_**  
Carlisle returned Edward's embrace and then hurriedly ventured to my side, **_**'Her color looks good, although a little paler than usual. Let me lift her eyelid and see how her pupil reacts to the light—good. Her body temperature appears normal as does her pulse and blood pressure; so there must be enough blood in her system to carry the venom throughout her body. Her incision seems to be healing nicely…'**_** Esme, Emmett, Alice and Jasper, entered the room together right behind him.**

_** 'You're a father, Edward.' **_** Esme's mind was filled with elation and she looked up at Edward with her motherly eyes. She hugged him more resolutely than I had ever seen her do before. "How's Bella?" **_**'She is so utterly quiet, but for her heart beats. Is she changing or not?'  
**_**  
"Bella looks fine. I think everything is going as it should." Carlisle lightly patted my back and squeezed Edward's shoulders in an attempt to ease his obvious tension. Then, they both relented and turned to Rosalie and Jacob. **_**'I'm so sorry that I wasn't here Edward. The timing of this was terrible but you did very well. I couldn't have done it better myself. Really, you had perfect control here of yourself and the situation. I'm very proud of you.'**_

"**Well, I beg to differ." Llasa said shaking his head with his expression incredulous. "Carlisle is just saying that because he wasn't here watching Edward's little performance."**

"**Oh, give it a rest, Llasa." Dagda said with a grin. "That was Edward's first surgical procedure and it was an emergency. Nothing is ever text book in such cases. You know that."**

"**True, but I'm just saying that Carlisle would have handled it better." Llasa defended himself.**

_** 'Is that her?' **_** Carlisle had turned back to Edward, his eyebrows lifted.**

"Yes, Renesmee," Edward confirmed. His face turned up in excitement. _**'I get to introduce my daughter to my family! Could this moment get any more surreal? It sends me reeling inside every time I think about being a father. It still seems so incredible and unbelievable and so very amazing!'**_

**Elizabeth held her hand to her chest as silent tears ran down her cheeks, as she listened to her son's thoughts and saw his exuberant expression.**

Jacob had stood up and reluctantly handed Renesmee over to her grandfather. It was easy to see that he wasn't happy to have his time with her cut so short. _**'Rosalie just gave her to me like ten minutes ago and only then because she was already asleep. I am going to have to demand more time. I have rights too, you know. I have a claim here also.'**_

"**True," Ephraim told him. "But I wouldn't push that fact just now. You saw how fast you set Edward off before. I think you'd better not chance it."**

"Wow, she's _**gorgeous**_**! Look at those curls." Carlisle exclaimed, glancing up from my daughter to Esme. "She looks like Bella, but more like Edward. What do you think?" **_**'I've seen newborns with a healthy shock of hair, but never this much before and with such spring to it!' **_** He then offered her to Esme.**

"There are just no words for this." Esme's glee was radiating from her face. _**'I'm a grandmother! There is this tiny little new life in this home. And with her comes such a beautiful accompanying spirit; a new generation--a true miracle!'**_

"**And finally I am a grandmother as well!" Elizabeth said going over to stand by Esme's side, sharing the moment with her.**

**Edward thought's came in next as he looked at his mother, Esme, **_**'I've never seen her more jubilant, not even on her wedding day those many years ago. Her mind is lost to joyfully pondering the notion of being a grandmother.' **_

**Esme looked over at Jacob. "Thank you, Jacob. We'll ever be grateful to you for helping Edward **_**and**_** Bella." **_**'We could never have done this without your protection and helping in the delivery of course.'**_** Someone must have filled them in on their return trip.**

"Aw, it was nothing," Jacob said. He shot a glaring smirk at Edward and added, "Nessie is worth it." _**'I dare you to try to fight me again, Edward. I like the name Nessie. Maybe I can get someone else on my side so it can stick.'**_

"**What did I tell you about calling her a monster Jacob?" Ephraim said with a pained expression.**_**  
**_**  
"Nessie?" Esme questioned, turning her attention to Edward. **_**'What is that short for? I don't think I've heard it before. It sounds kind of Scottish.'  
**_**  
"It's **_**Renesmee**_**, Jacob!" Edward had retorted, clearly struggling to fight back his frustration. **_**'I must control my annoyance and be a good father now.'**_** Well, at least Edward's reaction was no worse than mine had been later.**

'**That's right son, you have to behave." Mother said indignantly. "I, on the other hand, don't and…"**

**Chandra put her hand over Elizabeth's. "Not right now. It will be alright."**_**  
**_**  
"Nessie . . . I like it." Esme admiringly peered down at Renesmee's face once more. **_**'I wonder what it means? I'll bet it's something beautiful and mysterious.'**_

**At Esme's pronouncement, the new nickname seemed to be clarifying in everyone's mind. It repeated from everyone's thoughts as though trying it on for size.**

**Llasa added dryly in a Scottish accent, "Well, this is just Bonnie good. We put in a good spot of work here and our Lass gets stuck with the monster from Lochness."**

**In response, Edward had sighed and thought, **_**'I guess this nickname is going to stick. I may as well get used to it.'**_

"**Hey, now," Emmett said pointedly. "Don't I get to hold her? You two are hogging her!" **_**'I want a turn--NOW! Come on, it's no surprise to any of you that I am not a man of patience!'  
**_**  
"Sorry, Emmett," Esme said, placing her into Emmett's strong arms, and then said excitedly, "Look, she's awake now." **_**'Oh she's got our Bella's eyes. They are so beautiful!'**_** As Renesmee woke up, her mental humming began and continued throughout the visual. It kept a nice melody to my heartbeats that kept a steady fast tempo.**_**  
**_**  
"Hi, Nessie," Emmett deeply inhaled your scent. **_**'She smells kind of like a tasty human and a beautiful flower and she smells sweet like us. But somehow it doesn't set my throat to burning. That's good--especially since I have big plans for this kid. Too bad she ain't a boy, but I ain't complaining. I'll just make sure she's wearing shoulder pads and a helmet before we play sports.'**_** "I'm your Uncle Emmett. We're going to have **_**so**_** much fun together—hunting grizzly bears and playing catch."**

"Grizzly bears?" Jacob snapped at Emmett. "You are not taking her on one of your hunts!" '_**She could get killed for goodness sake. Some Uncle you are. You'd probably go all-barbaric just rough housing and actually tickle her to death.'**_

"**No Jacob, Emmett's right. She's tough as a Tonka Truck." Chandra said smiling.**

"**Actually she's stronger than a Tonka truck." Samon added. "And any bear stupid enough to tangle with her, would get the bad end of an encounter with this special little girl!"**

"**True." Ephraim said conceding the point.**

**Carlisle was looking intently into his granddaughters face during the exchange. **_**'Newborns don't focus that well. Their eyes are not developed enough. Nor do they follow voices as well as this baby does. It's not just their ears, but the muscle strength in their neck. And Renesmee's expression is one of happiness as Emmett speaks with her, but becomes startled with Jacob's retort. What else is different about this newborn?'  
**_**  
"Geez, Jacob!" Emmett was apparently addled, releasing my baby to Rosalie. "What's gotten into you? I thought you wanted the baby dead—at all costs!" **_**'Huh? Talk about your 180's.'  
**_**  
"It's complicated," Jacob frowned, "I think, um, I'll go downstairs. Don't want to ruin the little 'Hallmark moment' you've got going on here!" And with that last line, he had backed his way out the doorway. **_**'**__**Why**__** explain about my imprinting experience and risking another 'Edward' outburst by anyone.'**_

"**That's thinking with your head now Jacob." Ephraim replied as he followed him out the door. "Now that you've got your special someone, you need to make things cordial with her family more than ever."**_**  
**_**  
Emmett confusedly shook his head and our family quickly focused their complete attention back to Renesmee.**

Then Edward had thought with elation, _**'This is another perfect moment to experience and treasure. Here we all are—Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and I—huddled around the new little person and dazzled beyond comprehension. No one speaks aloud but each with our own thoughts separately buzzing with adoration for this wondrous baby among us.'**_

**It was true. Although the visual didn't focus on any one thought of the rest of the Cullens for that moment, it picked out random words thought in the minds of my new family**_**. 'Tiny…curls…little fingers…face of an angel…long eyelashes…miracle…lucky…family.'  
**_**  
"I've never seen **_**that**_** before." Carlisle stared in wonder as did the other members of our family. "What's she doing?" **_**'Newborns don't have that kind of motor control and dexterity.'**_

**  
"She's showing Rosalie that someone's missing," Edward then replied, his smile turning to a frown, as he gestured toward the operating table across the room. Everyone turned. "Her mother."**

**The lights blacked out again.**

…

**This time when the lights returned, Edward sat beside my 'too still' body. In his arms was our new baby. All of the supernaturals were in the room with the exception of Ephraim who must have been elsewhere with Jacob. From the light coming through the window I could tell it was approximately late afternoon of the next day. "Do you see your Mommy, Renesmee?" He held her up so she could get a clearer look at me.**

'_**Is Mommy asleep?'**_** She'd thought to him as she pushed her tiny palm into his face. Her emotion thoughts hummed with her thoughts were colored confused and worried.**

"**Something like that, sweetie." He'd answered her in a sad little coo. **_**'If we're lucky she is burning in torment, as this means she will return to us. If we're not so lucky… No, I have to be strong for our little daughter.' **_

'_**Then I'll sleep too, but only if you sing to me first.'**_** Renesmee had thought back at Edward, though her humming emotional thoughts colored her words with disappointment. **_**'Maybe when I wake up she will be awake too.'**_

'_**Renesmee brings another dilemma to mind now though. What am I to do about when Bella does wake up?' **_**Edward had thought sadly**_**. 'We didn't know about the baby's physical make-up until she was born, but she has a beating heart and blood in her veins. Though it's tempered and not a temptation to me and the others of my family—but Bella will be a newborn vampire. Will this be too much for her? After she has given up so much to give this precious little girl a life, how can I possibly keep her away until she can handle being around her daughter? And how long will that be?'**_

"**I'll sing you to sleep, my sweet little one, but you'll wake up from your nap long before your Mother does." **_**'And this will probably be the last time I dare bring you up here for quite some time because you won't be the only newborn around here my sweet little girl--just the most fragile.'**_

"**That's true. Edward does make a good point." Llasa said matter-of –factly. None of the other supernaturals in the room commented on his statement or Edward's thoughts.**

**Edward held her in his lap as he sat there in a chair he'd brought to keep close by my side. He'd crooned a beautiful melody that I had since heard through Renesmee's memories. As he softly sang he played with her bronze curls and her eyes slowly closed. "I have here my two sleeping beauties." **_**'Wish that it would be so simple to awaken my Bella with true loves kiss. To have her awaken from her burning transformation and have her torture end. But even then, how can I possibly stop her from seeing her daughter? How will I deny her the one thing she will desire the most?'**_

**Edward shook his head and said aloud, "Bella love, I'm here with you. Now that everyone is back, I swear I will not leave your side until you awaken. If you need anything at all I am right here." He said the last part in a whisper as Nessie started to stir in his arms.**__

**Edward sat in his 'sentry' chair as he kept his vigil there by my side, his black eyes unwaveringly focused on my face as though waiting to detect any hint of a change. He was sitting right up to the bed by my chest and he brought our sleeping daughter up to my still beating heart, and took my arms and held them in place as though I were cradling my daughter. He leaned in and kissed me tenderly on the lips and Renesmee on the forehead. "Bella sweetheart, we have a daughter. I don't know if you can feel her here in your arms, but she is resting, just as I fervently hope you are as well. I know she is as excited to see you again, as I know you are to be with her too. Part of me wanted to wait and meet her with you, but Alice said 'no' and as you know, she always gets her way. Alice insisted that Renesmee needs me with her for both of us. And I know this is what you would wish too. And I will always honor your wishes from now on, if you will please just…" **_**'I must not beg Bella to stay while our daughter is here. She is too perceptive and I don't wish to alarm her. I must protect her as Bella would wish me too. She must not be burdened with what her birth has caused her mother to suffer. She is too precious, too pure, too much like my beautiful wife.' **_** "Bella you should have seen her when she wrapped her little hand around my finger and called to me. It was just…the most glorious moment of my existence." He leaned over and kissed me again. "I love you Bella and thank you, thank you for everything sweetheart."**

"**I'm going to cry again." Elizabeth said in a slightly choking gasp.**

"**But how can you start crying again, when you never stopped crying from the last time yet?" Llasa said with a tiny chuckle.**

**Elizabeth was too emotional to honor him with a reply.**

**Rosalie entered the visual and put her hand softly on Edward's arm. "Edward, I'm sorry to interrupt you." **_**'But it is almost time for Renesmee's measuring and she'll be hungry and need a bath. Do you mind if I take her for a bit?'**_

**Edward turned slowly to face his sister. His face wore a strange expression that was a mixture of pain and joy. "Of course," He said as he lifted our daughter up from my makeshift arm cradle and into Rosalie's waiting embrace. **_**'I may need her even more than I thought I would when Bella is a newborn. And she has been a good sister. She has always had my best interest at heart even when it has been misguided. And she does love my daughter. There is no question about that. She is also whom Bella chose to assist her in bringing my little angel into the world when no one else would.' **_**"And Rosalie," He added tenderly. "Thank you for everything. Truly, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I am eternally grateful for your doggedly persistence in getting my daughter here. I am in your debt."**

**Rosalie smiled brilliantly at him and as she turned to leave she said, "You are welcome Edward. And don't worry too much about Bella. I know she will be fine. Alice and I prayed with Jasper about it you know." And with that she left the study while Edward stood flabbergasted, watching the back of her retreating form.**

'_**They…prayed?'**_** Edward had thought in disbelief.**

"**Yep," Samon said confidently. "…works every time!"**

**The visual faded to black**

…**.**

**When the presentation restarted, the sun was beginning to fade through the light of the window, signaling the end of the second day of my transformation. The unknown guests at that time were Mother, Chandra, Llasa, Samon and Michael, who'd stood a little more apart and further back than the rest. He seemed to be concentrating on something. Apparently Dagda and Ephraim were out with Jacob, Renesmee and the others.**

**Edward was lying sideways on the edge of the operating table with me and had a blanket draped over both of us. He held my limp body to his chest. My ear rested on his chin and he whispered into it. I couldn't believe that as I was being charred alive, I'd somehow missed all of this at all.**

"**Bella love," He'd gently whispered. "I've been watching you and remembering everything about you that I love so much. I've been reliving every moment I've shared with you in my mind. They're so sharp and vivid, I swear it feels as though I'm living them a second time." As he spoke the same little corner that had played my Volturi nightmare for everyone began to show images as Edward remembered them. **

"**I am amazed at the level of control Bella is displaying." Samon said in astonishment. "I must admit I never thought she'd pull it off. But I am impressed." The others nodded their approval while continuing to hover around the two of us.**

"**I remember the first time I beheld your beautiful face across our crowded high school lunch room; the first moment your intoxicating scent ignited my desire to drain your body of blood; the electrifying, pulsating current that raced through my being when your hand first grazed mine; the rush I'd felt positioning myself between you and Tyler Crowley's out-of-control van; the combined sensation of anxiety, nervousness, and exhilarating relief when you revealed your conclusion that I was a vampire; the incredible warmth of your mortal body as I held you in our meadow; the moment your lips first touched mine; the moment I realized that I unconditionally and irrevocably loved you..." His voice broke and he paused to kiss the top of my hair.**

"**I wonder if this level of self-control during the transformation process will translate into a definable characteristic besides strengthening her shield." Llasa said to the others. Everyone seemed to ponder his suggestion--everyone that was except for Elizabeth. She was lost in thought as she listened to her son's memories as he spoke them aloud.**

"And I remember the day I left you" He said hesitantly in a bare whisper. ". . . and on the day you found me, I remember how your arms wrapped around me as I was about to openly expose my kind to the world . . ." He stopped his monologue and kissed my lips. Though I was unresponsive, his lips lingered on me for a good five minutes. _**'Would it be that my Bella could be as easily aroused as before, that she would immerge from this nightmare and return to me from true love's kiss.'**_****

"I remember the night I proposed and you accepted. One of my top ten nights." He said with a small chuckle. 

"**I remember that night as well!" Mother said lovingly. "It was the night you gave her my ring. You were so happy—as was I."**

"**But no memory is more alive than that of our wedding day. It was such a glorious day for me. Bella, you were everything I had ever wanted and never thought I would ever find. It was a day I had only dared to dream of. Even though you had taken some convincing, there you stood at the top of the staircase arm-in-arm with your Father, Charlie. The air was fragrant with the overwhelming perfume of orange blossoms, and there you were, a stunning vision in your shimmering white gown. You held your head--filled with braids and a traditional veil--down to aid in your descent down the stairs. Then, suddenly, when our eyes met, it felt as though my lips smiled wider than my pale visage would allow. I remember how your cheeks immediately flushed. The sight of you there Bella, my radiant, blushing bride made me forget the scene around me--the throng of our relatives, the bountiful array of flowers, the swirling thoughts of admiration about the room—there was only you. The world could have come to an end, and I wouldn't have flinched. Your father placed your tender hand in mine, and the warm touch of your palm filled me with elation. You would soon be mine--Forever. I was marrying you, Bella, the woman of my dreams. I could not believe how the event transcended my every expectation." As I listened to his words I was so relieved Alice had talked me out of the quick trip to Vegas once more. I had no idea how VERY much the wedding had meant to my Edward. **

**Back in the visual he'd smoothed my hair with his hand for a few minutes before continuing as he spoke with tenderness in my ear. "I cannot tell you just how elated I felt as my golden eyes stayed steadily transfixed on your chocolate brown ones and we recited our vows. Despite your prior objections to marrying me, the moment you said "I do," I knew you meant it with all of your heart and soul. I could hardly contain the thrill that coursed through me as I triumphantly echoed your vow, "I do". I couldn't keep the grin off of my face. I was euphoric as I anticipated the minister's next statement declaring us husband and wife."**

"**I was too, Son." Elizabeth said sniffling. She was clearly reliving the event with Edward.**

I remember how ecstatic I was when Mr. Weber's final words, "you may kiss your bride," reverberated in my ears and I cupped your face of cream and roses into both palms and kissed you as my wife for the first time. In response, you threw your arms desperately around my neck, returning my affection. Our kiss lasted so much longer than I had expected; I almost had to pry your unyielding hands off my shoulders. But then it finally ended, and I gave you a smirk of obvious satisfaction." He stopped and suddenly kissed me again. He brought his free hand up to cup my unmoving face and he moved his lips against mine. I noticed that mine didn't give as much when he kissed me that time. The change was already starting to work its fiery magic.

"**That's an interesting thought, Llasa." Chandra said slowly. "Could this self-restraint affect her experience as a newborn?"**

"**I think it might." Samon said excitedly. "And if it did, it would mean that she could be around her daughter and perhaps we could arrange things so Charlie could still be a part of her life as well."**

"**Hmm, interesting." Llasa added thoughtfully.**

Edward finally broke away from his one-sided kiss but continued to hold me close and said, "I remember thinking as we exited the house toward the reception, that it was twilight. And that once I had told you that it was the safest time of day for us, the easiest time . . ."

_**'Edward, any change?'**_** Carlisle thought as he, in the visual, entered his office only fleetingly surprised to see Edward's new location as he held me on my pyre. Edward turned to give his father his assessment by shaking his head. **

**  
"Good. We need you, Son. Sam's here to give us news from the pack. However, he's still phased and we need a translator," Carlisle explained quickly.**

'_**I already have heard his request and it is not important right now.'**_** "No!" Edward angrily hissed at him. "I'm not leaving her **_**now**_**, Carlisle!"**

_** 'I'm sorry'.**_** Carlisle's face and mind were full of shock at Edward's sudden outburst.  
**

"**Edward, calm down Son. Of course you're beside yourself, but no need to become snappish with Carlisle." Mother gently chided him.**

**  
**_**'Carlisle didn't deserve that from me. I must be more stressed out than I realized.'**_** Regaining his composure, Edward apologized as well and continued, "I just need to stay with her, Carlisle. I can't risk not being here if she regains consciousness on any level. If she stirred and I wasn't here, it might cause her distress. Please understand Carlisle, I just can't leave her no matter what—**_**she's**_** my priority right now." **_**'Please let it be soon.'  
**_**  
"Of course," Carlisle's hand rested on my shoulder. "I shouldn't have even suggested it. We'll manage without you. Let me know if there's any change." '**_**There is hardly any scent of the morphine left in her system now. Where is the screaming?'  
**_**  
"You know I will." Edward replied quietly.**

Carlisle lingered in the room briefly, and then left.

**Edward immediately began his reminiscence right where he had left off before Sam's arrival down stairs. "Sorry about that Bella love. I remember feeling like I owned the world that night, kissing you--my newly-wed bride as we glided effortlessly across the dance floor under a canopy of twinkling white lights. Bella sweetheart, you have no idea how happy you made me that day. You made me happier than I had ever thought I would be. I could not imagine anything that could compare to how happy you made me that day. Until now; until you made me a father. You have given me an honor I never expected to be granted. Bella, you've changed me in profound wonderful ways with your love and now our beautiful daughter is doing the same thing again. I am a new man--again! I can never repay you for this gift you have shared with me. Thank you so much my Bella. Please be strong, and please find a way to let me know you are still here with me."**

"**What do you think Michael?" Chandra asked as the four of them turned their heads in his direction.**

"**I think she probably will have great control as a newborn. But perhaps a test would be in order before she is near the baby.**

"**What kind of a test did you have in mind?" Llasa said intrigued.**

**Michael pursed his lips in thought and then said, "Newborn vampires are awfully thirsty. Perhaps give her a little exposure to a certain delectable scent to gauge her reaction."**

"**You don't mean throw some humans deliberately in her path?" Llasa asked shocked.**

**Michael looked at him dubiously. "Most certainly not! But you of all people should be able to know how to carry a scent across an immense distance. Right, Mr. Thunder God?" He added with an easy going smile.**

"**Well, when you put it that way," Llasa said, appeased. "I guess I could see what I can whip up." He grinned back at Michael, then added under his breath, "And now to get my ocean frontal storm boundaries working."**

**Edward held me tightly for a while. The visual took on a time lapse quality to it; the passage of time being marked by the light fading and retuning through the window. Edward finally got up and took the blanket with him. '**_**If she is burning, the last thing she'll need is to have a blanket to reinforce it.'**_

**The visual faded to black again.**

…

**When it started back up again, Edward was back in his sentry seat by my side, holding my hand. By the lack of light coming through the window I knew it was nighttime, marking the start of my third day. I would be awake in a few short hours. Hours that seemed like an eternity at the time. Edward brought his other hand up to the hand he held already and put his fingertips to the inside of my ****wrist**** as if feeling my pulse beneath his fingers would accentuate the thudding of my heart that was audible in the room. **

"**Still no change?" Carlisle said as he entered the room. **_**'It won't be longer now Son. Just hold in there.'**_

"**None," Edward replied morosely. **_**'Why is she so still? The morphine has faded from her system entirely. She should be screaming in pain now. How can she hold them inside of herself? What did I do wrong? What if she never wakes up?**_

**Carlisle leaned in close to my ****jugular**** vein and placed his hand against the skin of my neck while he inhaled the scent of my blood beneath the thin membrane of skin there.**

"**There's no scent of the morphine left." Carlisle said as he made his doctor's examination. **_**'I can even start to smell the sweet vampire fragrance emanating from her.'**_

"**I know," Edward said. **_**What if she does wake up to her new life of need and scorching thirst, she discovers truly what it means to be a Cullen? To be a true part of me--and she despises me for it? I have tried so hard to prepare her, to give her reasons to **__**choose**__** life, to keep her from despising me--from hating me for committing her to a life of eternal night.**_

**Carlisle moved his hand to the side of my face. He said very clearly, "Bella? Can you hear me?" '**_**Surely she must. So, why doesn't she acknowledge us?'**_

"**Bella? Bella love? Can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?" Edward then said with even more despair. He held my hand even tighter, as if willing a squeeze in response**_**. 'Maybe she doesn't want to squeeze my hand. Maybe she's already made her choice to despise me now.'**_

'_**No! I mustn't mock Bella's love for me in such a manner. But if it's not that, then what?'**_** "Maybe Carlisle, maybe I was too late." Edward said in a muffled voice that became more choked at the end. **

"**Listen to her heart, Edward. It's stronger than even Emmett's was. I've never heard anything so **_**vital**_**. She'll be perfect." Carlisle affirmed. **_**'Truly Son, you're over thinking this one. I admit I don't understand her silence or her stillness, but it may be a **__**side**____**effect**__** of the morphine. Truly we have no reference of how it works within the transformation process. I am so looking forward to questioning Bella about this. It could be the key to a less painful experience.'**_

"**And her—her spine?" Edward asked in a whisper. **_**'You didn't hear the awful snap. What if it can't be repaired and she is immortal and crippled--unable to even move? That could explain the stillness.'**_

"**Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme." Carlisle said gently but in a voice full of optimism. **_**'And she had so much venom on top of that. I am quite impressed with your innovative idea of the venom injection to her heart.'**_

"**But she's so still. I must have done something wrong." Edward's self-doubt came spilling out of him.**_** 'I can't seem to ever keep my Bella safe no matter what I do.'**_

"**Or something right, Edward. Son, you did everything I could have done and more. I'm not sure I would have had the persistence, the faith it took to save her. Stop berating yourself. Bella is going to be fine." **_**'And you know I really, truly mean that.'**_

**Voices flitted up from the first floor. Faint enough to miss my still transforming hearing, but plainly audible to Carlisle and Edward.**

"**What?!" Jacob said in annoyance.**

"**You know what!" Rosalie snapped back. "You've hogged up the baby for the last three hours--taking her outside to watch butterflies and birds. She's two days old Jacob. You're not supposed to take newborns outside like that, they might catch a chill."**

"**Ha!" Jacob spat back. "I took her out there to prevent her from catching a chill—from your cold skin."**

"**Aaarrgggh! You are one uppity insolent little pup aren't you?" Rosalie said indignantly.**

"**And what were you going to do with her? Brush her hair again? You're going to brush those curly locks right out of her head. Besides, you and Alice have already taken six sets of pictures with her today. What do you want to do with her now? Accessorize?" Jacob said in a scathing tone. **

**Edward's reply was a broken whisper. "She must be in agony." **_**'…burning in endless torment, maybe even worse because I gave her so much venom.'**_

"**We don't know that." Carlisle said to countermand Edward's grief. "She had so much morphine in her system. We don't know the effect that will have on her experience." **_**'She could be sleeping peacefully and completely unaware of the changes occurring in her body.'**_

**Edward moved his hands up my arm to my elbow, bending it there to bring my whole forearm next to him. He kissed the back of my hand before whispering again, "Bella, I love you. Bella, I'm sorry."**

**My thoughts kicked in at this point. The sound of my thought voice playing out in the visual froze me into silence. I let out a silent sigh of relief when I realized that not all of my thoughts were presented**_**. 'Wait, wait, wait. Where is my baby? Why isn't she here? Why aren't they talking about her?'**_

"**For your information, you big oaffing flea bag, I was going to feed her and give her a bath." Rosalie said, continuing her conversation with Jacob in a deadly tone.**

"**A bath? She's had three already today. Get a better excuse, Blondie!" Jacob's voice shot up in irritation.**

"**Of course she's had three baths already today. She reeks every time I get her back from you."**

"**That is enough." Esme said firmly in a tone that said no nonsense. "You must not behave in such a vulgar fashion in front of this special young lady. I'll take her and the two of you can come up with a workable solution or neither of you will get time with her for the rest of the day."**

'_**Jacob and Rosalie fighting over the baby; now that has to be the last thing I expected to happen in all of this.'**_** Carlisle thought. **_**'Esme needs a hand you know. You're the best one to have the final say you know Edward. She is your daughter. Perhaps you should go down there and set them straight.'**_

"**No, I'm staying right here," Edward whispered back. "They'll sort it out." **_**'Why should I leave Bella's side now to get caught in between their petty arguments? Bella is here.'**_

'_**Who's sorting what out—Edward? Do you have to be so cryptic?'**_** I'd thought searching for a distraction from…**

"**An interesting situation," Carlisle responded. "And I'd thought I'd seen just about everything." **_**'But now I can say that I actually have.'**_

"**I'll deal with it later. We'll deal with it." Edward then brought my palm to his face and inhaled deeply. He kissed it there in his hands. **_**'That is what I must concentrate on--Bella waking up to help me deal with this mess. We made the baby together—we'll raise her together. I'll concentrate on Bella waking up and helping me with our daughter.'**_

"**I'm sure between the five of us, we can keep it from turning into bloodshed." Carlisle said with humor.**

'_**Bloodshed?'**_** I'd thought panicked. **_**'Why are there only five of them? Did the pack come and hurt my family? If so, then why is Carlisle so jovial about it?' **_

**Edward sighed. "I don't know which side to take. I'd love to flog them both." **_**'…just for behaving so juvenile around my daughter who acts more mature than the two of them put together. That thought is somehow strangely comforting. But I'll have to think about it after Bella…' **_**"Well, later." **

"**I wonder what Bella will think—whose side she'll take." Carlisle speculated. **_**'She's always been friends with Jacob but she has become rather close to Rosalie through all of this…'**_

**Edward let out a low strained chuckle. "I'm sure she'll surprise me. She always does**_**." 'Just please Bella! Live—live so you can be here to surprise me--please!'**_

**Carlisle shook his head, smiling gently as he left the room.**

'_**Well, he's gone now so I guess I'll go back to counting Edward's breaths again.'**_** I'd thought anxiously.**

**Then Edward's thoughts of self-recrimination started in earnest again. '**_**What will I do if she wakes up only to despise me; to hate me and curse me to the fiery pits of hell? Fiery pits like she must be roasting in right now. Just the memory of that flaming torture has me burning again with my Bella."**_

_**Perhaps if I remind Bella of what she means to me and our beautiful little girl, it will help her pull through the lake of brimstone. Perhaps it might even earn me her mercy for my selfishness in keeping her for myself and ruining her life. But has her life been ruined? When I look at our beautiful daughter, it doesn't feel like a mistake. It feels right. Bella did choose life in the end. A new life--a pure, innocent, new life. And she chose it with me.'**_

**The visual once again, faded to black**

…

**The lights reappeared in the visual. The sunlight cast through the window shone brilliantly in the mid-morning sun. I knew that it would be just under seven more hours before my transformation was to be completed. Alice came breezing in the door. Edward did not turn at her approach. Elizabeth was beside Edward and me while Michael still hung out in the background. The four 'perfected being' siblings were not in the room at all.**

'_**Hello my brother dearest. I come bearing good news.'**_** Alice said cheerily.**

"**How much longer?" Edward asked. '**_**That is the only good news I want to hear about right now.'**_

"**It won't be long now." Alice told him. "See how clear she's becoming? I can see her so much better." She sighed.**

**In the corner of the visual, a vision lit up. It was a vision Alice had of me first opening my crimson red eyes to my new life as a vampire. I gazed around in wonder and then inhaled in shock. Edward still sat at my side and I suddenly hissed at him, the sound rasping out of my throat like that of a swarm of bees. In the same instant, I back flipped off my table with blinding speed and landed in a crouch in the far corner defensively. Edward anxiously leaned across the table towards me with his hand extended. My eyes darted around searching for danger and noticing the rest of the family by the door but focused back on Edward. I quickly stood from my defensive crouch as he very slowly and with great caution began to walk around the table--coming closer to me. "Bella?" he said in a low calming tone. "Bella love? I'm sorry, I know it's disorienting. But you're alright. Everything is fine." I looked confused by his words; Anxious. He came right next to me and tentatively stroked his fingertips across my cheek. My expression changed to longing at his touch. Alice's vision faded.**

"**See Edward, Bella is going to be fine." Mother said to him with loving gentle pats on his back. "Just like I've been saying; she's doing fine…and she won't need…me anymore." Her expression changed at the end, became not as sure.**

"**Still feeling a little bitter?" Edward asked. **_**'About having to give up your best friend to Rosalie for a few weeks? Or maybe about not being able to see what was going to happen to Bella until now?'**_

"**Yes, thanks so much for bringing that up." She said piquet. "You would be mortified too; if you realized that you were handcuffed by your own nature. I see vampires best, because I am one; I see humans okay, because I was one. But I can't see these odd half-breeds at all because they're nothing I've ever experienced. Bah!" **_**'My 'sight' is such a part of me that I feel as though I'm completely lost without it at all.'**_

"**Focus, Alice," was Edward's urgent reply. **_**'I need to see what else happens in your vision. How does Bella respond to me? This is the most important thing to me—now that I know she is going to wake up.'**_

"**Right, Bella's almost too easy to see now." She said breezily. **_**'I don't know why you're always gloom and doom Edward. Alright, here's some more.'**_

**As Alice's eyes went out of focus the little 'vision' screen came back into existence in the corner of the visual. Edward's hand was still on my face, his eyebrow raised. Suddenly I put my arms around him and caught him up in a vise grip, pressing my face into his chest and inhaling. "Um, carefully Bella--Ow." I yanked my arms away from him and folded them behind my back in another blinding movement. "Oops," I mouthed though no sound came with it. Edward's smile became wide and bright. "Don't panic love, you're just a bit stronger than me at the moment." He said bringing his finger to touch mine that were parted in horror. He caressed my cheek again and my expression changed back to longing again. After a moment of hesitation I brought my hand slowly out from behind my back to cradle his cheek. As I stared into his eyes I said in my new ringing voice. "I love you." The vision faded away. **

**Edward sighed, **_**'Oh, how all of my angst has fled from me in this moment. I have never been more grateful for my sister. I've never been more filled with hope. My soul feels renewed, my faith restored, and now I understand that Bella will never give up on life, on our daughter, or on me. Bella isn't a quitter. Besides, she cares **__**to**__** deeply and loves **__**to**__** intensely to leave me--leave us here without her. Because everything will be as it should be and…'**_** She's really going to be fine." He said aloud in giddy relief.**

"**See Edward, you'll get your Bella and you'll be even happier than you were before. You'll have your wife, strong and lovingly in your corner and your new little girl to love. I just won't be here anymore." It seemed as though the more Elizabeth tried to reassure her son, the sadder she became, as the realization that with my heart stopping, so would end my human existence, and with it my right to a guardian angel.**

"**Of course she is." Alice responded easily. **_**'Just like I've been saying all along. Right?'**_

"**You weren't so sanguine two days ago." Edward pointed out. '**_**In fact, you had me scared to death. All you saw for Bella was her drowning in a dark pool of black water or something strange like that.'**_

"**I couldn't see right two days ago. But now that she's free of all the blind spots, it's a piece of cake." Alice had explained. **_**'Blind spots like half-vampire babies and werewolves all over the place…'**_

"**Could you concentrate for me? On the clock—give me an estimate." Edward pled**_**. '…before I die from the stress of not knowing. Are all psychics so smug?'**_

**Alice sighed dramatically. "Fine. Give me a sec--" Her vision picked up and played out in the upper right hand corner of the screen. It focused on Carlisle's clock that sat on his desk across from my burning body. Its hour hand spun around in six complete rotations before stopping with the accompanying middle hand set into place at eight minutes past. At that moment I leapt from the table and landed in a crouch and the vision faded. **

'_**Six hours and eight minutes! And then my Bella will be with me again!'**_** "Thank you Alice." Edward said exuberantly. **_**'That is an entire twelve hours earlier than normal! Maybe the venom injection was a good idea after all!'**_

'_**Wait! Why can't they say it aloud for me? Is that too much to ask? How many more seconds will I… Will it be ten thousand, four hundred? Another day? More than that? This is so unfair. Now I understand Emmett's irritation at these private little conversations these guys have.'**_** I'd thought with a hint of pain that hopefully would be chalked up to not knowing when I would 'awaken'.**

"**Don't worry Bella dear. It will only be six more hours and then all of this unpleasantness will be over and behind you, as will I. Do you have any idea how much I'm going to miss you? Of course I'll miss my beautiful son, and being around my glorious granddaughter. But Bella, I feel as though you are a part of me now too. You truly are the heart and soul of your little family. Your courage and strength and determination have been tried and tested in the refiner's fire. No pun intended. You are someone I have loved since you were born. And you are a woman I have grown to admire and respect. I would say that you're about the finest woman I have ever met. How could my son help but fall in love with you? I can't blame any of the boys around here for doing the same. And I don't care how many pheromones Chandra gave you. Edward fell in love with you because of your strength of character and your selfless soul. That is what has made you so desirable, so appealing. Yes, you are beautiful but your beauty isn't only skin deep. No Bella, your beauty shines from the inside so brightly that it accentuates your outer beauty turning you from what you see as ordinary, into a truly mesmerizing young woman. So yes, I will miss you my sweet Bella. It has been an honor and a privilege to call you 'daughter'.' She was choking back tears at the end. If I could cry I would have been too. As it was I could hardly breathe and I'd reached across Edward's lap in Chandra's home room and gave her such a big hug that it was a good thing angels didn't need to breathe. At least, I certainly hoped they didn't.**

"**She's going to be dazzling." Alice said gleefully. **_**'And I am going to have so much fun dressing her to reflect her new body Oh, she'll put up a fuss, there's no denying that fact. But I have all eternity to indoctrinate her in the nuances of fashion. With forever on my side, she won't be able to help but have some of it filter through eventually, it might not happen for thirty or fifty years, but it will happen.'**_

**Edward growled quietly. **_**'Bella's fashion sense is fine. Wrapped in a potato sack she'd still be the most exquisite piece of art or the most vibrant of paintings.'**_** "She always has been." **

**Alice snorted**_**. 'Beauty and fashion go hand in hand, Edward. You are such a 'mal- type' person or you'd know this simple fact already. Besides, you're missing my whole point. Do you see her cheekbones becoming more defined? Her hair thicker—more lustrous—a more defined curl in the ends? Do you see her eyelashes thickening up? Look at her lips, they're firmer and fuller too. How about all of the bruises that have disappeared, leaving behind smooth hard flawless skin? Do you notice that her stomach is flatter now--taut? Her dress doesn't want to ride up because of the leftover swelling in her stomach from before. In fact, I can zip up the back of her dress, now that all of her abdominal swelling has healed.' **_**Alice reached her arm behind me and the sound of a zipper followed her hand up my back as she closed my dress bringing it tightly to my womanly form.**** "You know what I mean. Look at her."**

'_**Oh please let what Alice says be true!'**_** My thoughts sang through the visual. Interesting how my 'thought' voice was changing to reflect the changes occurring in my actual voice. **_**'Her words give me my first hope that maybe, just maybe I don't resemble…'**_** There was a pause while other thoughts I'd had about 'charcoal briquettes' were erased. Then it picked up again as Alice left the room. **_**'Wow, it is amazing that I could hear Alice leave the room. I can hear the wind brushing against the house, a ballgame from downstairs…'**_

"**It's my turn." Rosalie's voice came from the first floor.**

**Jacob snarled low in response.**

"**Hey now," Emmett cautioned while Rosalie hissed in reply to Jacob's growl.**

**The visual time-lapsed again this time following Alice's vision of Carlisle's clock until it rested with ten minutes to spare. My heartbeats, still keeping pace with the visuals sped up.**

'_**My throat, it's burning—but different because now I'm parched too. Dry as bone--so thirsty. Ohh, what is my heart doing now? No, I don't like this at all.'**_** I'd thought, alarmed now.**

"**Carlisle," Edward called low and clear. **_**'It's time. Well, in five minutes and three seconds…two…one'**_

**Elizabeth had leaned over and kissed my cheek. Her tears were flowing freely and she looked to be in as much pain as I had been in. The four perfected beings were suddenly in the room with her--lending her support in her distress. Chandra put her arms around her in comfort from behind.**

"**I'm…just being (sob) so silly (sob)…I know." She'd said uselessly, dabbing her eyes as more tears came to take their place instantly. "Of course…this…is …what I…what I--what I wanted. I wanted my Edward to have true (sob) happiness. And I am so very…happy (sob) for…him."**

**Carlisle entered the room with Alice. **_**'Wow!' I can tell who is who just by their footsteps.'**_** I'd thought marveling through the scorching fiery race.**

"**I'm just being selfish." Elisabeth said ruefully to the others. "I am sorry. I can't seem to help myself." As she tried to contain her emotions they choked out of her in gasps.**

"**Listen," Edward instructed them. **_**'It's almost time, love! Almost time to open your eyes to your new existence. I can't believe how overjoyed I feel. It's as though I could burst out singing and force the sun to shine everyday here in Forks by the sheer force of my song alone.'**_

"**Now, that would be impressive." Llasa said. Then he smugly added. "I'd like to see you try that one out." **

"**Ah," Carlisle said. "It's almost over." **_**'And then I can get the details of her transformation experience.'**_

"**It's almost over." Elizabeth echoed Carlisle's words in a low moan of dismay. She bit back another round of sobs.**

"**I know how hard this must be for you Elizabeth." Samon said adding his hand on Mother's shoulder next to Chandra's. "But try to be strong. And know that you have been a model guardian angel. You performed your duties above and beyond our wildest expectations. There is a great strength in you and you have grown in this experience. You are a credit to guardian angels, and to Bella, and your son and granddaughter as well. Don't forget, as Edward Senior comes around to check on them from time to time, you will be able to as well." He added in a comforting tone.**

'_**Yeah! But, oh my heart is beating at such an increasing rate. It's becoming frenzied and it feels as though a battle is being waged in my chest. Well, on a more positive note, my arms and ankles are free now.'**_** I'd thought intensely.**

"**Perhaps Elizabeth," Dagda said coming up to Chandra's other side. "If you thought about your next assignment it would help."**

"**I don't have a 'next assignment'." Mother stammered.**

"**Soon," Alice agreed. "I'll get the others. Should I have Rosalie…?" **_**'Keep your warm blooded daughter away?'**_

"**You don't?" Llasa had asked surprised. "I can't imagine they would let someone of your caliber go. You should have been snatched up instantly. There should have been fighting for your level of skill and finesse."**

"**Yes—keep the baby away." Edward confirmed. **_**'I don't need one of your visions to tell me what the outcome of that would be.'**_

'_**What? No. No! What does he mean, 'keep my baby away?' What is he thinking? Oh great, now my finger is twitching. I lost my focus there.' **_**I'd thought in irritation.**

**Elizabeth shook off her grief to help me through my darkest hour and apparently hers as well. "Stay focused now, Bella. You're doing great. I know that you are scared and worried about the baby. But your baby is fine. This is just a precaution. Concentrate on the pain leaving. That's it. You're doing well, very, very well."**

**Edward then noticed my fingers move and he grasped them into his own and squeezed**_**. 'There it is, my first sign that she is coming back. Finally!'**_** "Bella? Bella love?"**

'_**Can I answer him? Better not chance it.'**_** I'd thought.**

"**That's a good idea, sweetie." Mother said stroking my forehead and the top of my head as a mother caring for a sick child would.**

"**I'll bring them right up," Alice said as she darted from the room at vampire speed. **_**'One and a half minutes and counting.'**_

"**Hold it together now, Bella. You are strong. You can do this." Elizabeth said urgently, her own pain pushed to the back as she committed herself to my final human moment.**

**Almost simultaneously with her words, the audible of my heart beats became almost a single sustained note.**

'_**Ohh,'**_** I thought in shock. **_**'My heart is beating like helicopter blades. It feels like it could grind its way right through my ribs.'**_

"**If you don't want to lose control, then concentrate on not allowing any other part of your body to break rank. It will also keep your mind off your heart attack." Elizabeth said briskly.**

"**Heart attack?" Llasa questioned. "More like her heart is metamorphosing into igneous rock from a molten lava state."**

**In the visual my back arched off the table. My heartbeats sprinted towards their last beats.**

"**This is it, Bella dear," Mother said with new intensity. If she had to leave she would leave me with what I needed—even though I was completely unaware of her assistance at the time. "Just five more seconds to go. You're almost there! You've done it!"**

**My heart beat two more times in the visual. Paused and then finally beat once more and was silent. As it stopped Elizabeth crumbled to the floor. Her task completed, and started to cry; while I opened my new crimson eyes in wonder at the dust motes dancing around in the light of the window.**

"**Elizabeth," Michael said as he walked forward to her and the others made room at his approach. "Stand please." She lifted her head to see him offer her his hand. When she was upright and reasonably composed, his ever gentle smile spread across his face and he held both of her hands in his.**

"**This is the other reason I came to the Cullen home. The first as you all know was to answer Jasper's prayer. The second reason was to personally welcome Elizabeth Masen to the ranks of perfected beings."**

**While Michael spoke, the vision that Alice showed to Edward played out for real in the background.**

**There was a gasp from the other supernaturals in the room. Elizabeth was shocked. "Now, as you know this is a process and will take some time to complete. And in the meantime, we have a new assignment for you as well. A very special and delicate one, I might add. One that will take every ounce of skill you have acquired in completing your latest assignment with Bella here." **

**Elizabeth was still trying to catch her breath--still grieving over losing her 'family' and now to hear her new assignment. **

"**You see, Elizabeth, there is a very special little girl downstairs right now. One who is half human—with a beating human heart carrying warm human blood throughout her system. One who is a very special little lady with a very special destiny to fulfill. She needs to have a guardian angel who isn't just an ordinary 'run-of-the-mill' kind of guardian angel. No, she needs someone who can pulverize dark beings and match wits with demons. Someone who has spunk and fortitude, who can tell it like it is and yet be gentle and kind enough to cry when needed."**

**Elizabeth's tears stopped and she looked as though there was a sudden glorious light in her eye.**

"**I love you" I'd said to Edward in my new singing voice in the visual. **

"**As I love you." Edward answered back as he brought me into his 'warm' embrace and first hesitantly, then more forcefully kissed me like I had never been kissed before in my life, which coupled with my newly heightened senses had me about ready to jump out of my new skin with ferocious longing.**

"**Elizabeth Masen, will you accept the charge as a new fledgling perfected being, and to become the guardian angel to Renesmee Carlie Cullen? It will be a strenuous and very, very long office ,and you will be a full-fledged perfected being before it is completed. Will you accept this calling and office?" Michael said formally. He held out a flask of some kind of potion to her.**

"**Yes, yes I will" Elizabeth said. And she sighed happily. Her entire face radiated her newfound joy as she took the potion from Michael and drank it quickly, giving him back the empty bottle. Her joy was reflected in Edward's face as he stepped away from our kiss. Both of their faces were glowing as though a white flame burned beneath their skin. It made them look even more like mother and son.**

"**You've been holding out on me." I'd teased Edward.**

"**It was sort of necessary at the time." He then reminded me. "Now it's your turn to not break me."**

**As the visual began to fade to black for the last time Ephraim's voice boomed from downstairs, "Whoa Doggie! Now I'm going to get some quality time with Mrs. Masen. Maybe I'll get some pointers on being culturally refined!"**

…

**We were on our final approach when my memories finished playing out. Renesmee had just awoken and scurried back to her seat by Jacob under the careful eye of the airline attendant. It took me a moment before I realized Edward was too still beside me. Just before our plane's wheels hit the tarmac, I looked up to see his facial expression pained. His eyes guarded. It shocked me. The last time I had checked he was so happy reliving the memories with me. What had changed? "What is it?" I asked him in a quiet hiss. **

**In response Edward shook his head and carefully put his face back together before flashing me his crooked smile. Ha! Nice try. I opened up my shield again to ask him more privately again. '**_**You don't fool me one little bit. What has you so sad? What?'**_** He shook his head once**_**. 'If you don't tell me now, I'll go mad and take back my apology. Now, spill it Edward. What?'**_

**Finally he put his lips right into my ear and whispered rapidly though the pain was in his quiet whisper. "Bella, why didn't you ever tell me? I heard in your thoughts words like: 'charred alive', fiery magic, pyre, burning body, charcoal briquette'. How about the hint of pain in your thought voice that you hoped I wouldn't pick up on. Or about your worry when your thoughts picked up again in the visual and you were relieved that all of them didn't play out. What about your thought about your throat burning differently than before and the scorching fiery race between, what I assume, was your heart and the burning. Bella, whatever in the world made you keep this from me?"**

**His voice held all the pain in it that I had wanted to keep him from. Wasn't the tone of his voice answer enough as to 'why' I didn't tell him? **_**'Because,'**_** I thought back at him through my lifted shield. **_**'You had already suffered too much and I didn't want you to suffer any more on my account. I had that in my power to do—barely, but I did. Don't you know how much I love you Edward? I would do anything to keep you from pain--anything at all.'**_

"**But we're a team, Bella." He hissed back quietly into my ear. "I was there to try and help you. You shut me out. It might have helped. I would have done anything to help."**

'**But there wasn't anything you could've done to help. So you're right I did shut you out and I am sorry about that. On the good side though, it helped my shield get stronger and gave me great self-control as a newborn. So, get over your little pity ****party**** because we're here and I want you to just be quiet and listen as I tell you with my mind, exactly what I had in mind for your 'apology'.' I mentally told him.**

**The plane came to a complete stop and the 'fasten seatbelt' light went off as Edward smirked back at me and kissed me on the mouth before responding, "Yes ma'am." **

****

Some of my scenes in this last section came directly from: 'My Renesmee/The Choice' Written by 'Dazzled By Jacob'

If you haven't taken the time to check out this great work of Fan Fiction I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed. It is written as a letter from Edward to his daughter Renesmee, and it is best read in its original letter form. As it goes on it is interlaced with Renesmee's story with Jacob told by her. Trust me! You really need to read this!

I have links to 'Dazzled by Jacob's' profile page and story: 'My Renesmee/The Choice' on my profile page under chapter 34 notes.

The next chapter starts Part V: Return to Forks. I hope you will enjoy it :D Thank you for reading. I really appreciate your comments too!


	40. Chapter 35

[A/N: Okay, I had entered a one-shot competition last year on 'The Twilight Saga' website about the Volturi. As with everything I wrote last year, it in some way played into 'Indian Summer'. The piece I wrote was about Felix's transformation and I was fortunate enough to place third in the competition. I hope that you take a minute to read it. It isn't very long and it does work for background information as we get further into Part V of 'Indian Summer', so if you don't read it now, you may want to later. It is listed on my profile page under 'my stories'. And now, back to our story!]

**Part V: Return to Forks**

**Chapter Thirty Five  
The Hope of Seattle-Part I**

**Renesmee's POV**

"**Oh come on, land already plane!" I grumbled. Well, it wasn't really a grumble. But I was kind of, I don't know—antsy. The more I thought about seeing Grandpa again, the more excited I got! He was so much fun to be around. I could hardly sit in my seat.**

"**Can you say, 'impatient', Nessie?" Jacob muttered under his breath. Then he nudged me in the ribs. "I mean Charlie isn't THAT exciting."**

"**He is to a two-year old. Maybe you're just too old to appreciate my perspective of Grandpa." I teased him back.**

"**You don't look like any two-year old I've ever known." Jacob said wryly. "Do you want to know what I think? I think he and Sue just are just very good at playing the 'chocolate chip cookie' card." Jacob said with a smirk. "I have to say those cookies are tempting."**

**I hadn't thought of that; another thing I loved about Grandpa Charlie, his cookies. Now I've called them his, but in all honesty they're really Sue's. One time Grandpa tried to make them without Sue's assistance and they came out of the oven melted all over the cookie sheet in a disgusting blob of goo. Alice told me the other day that she 'saw' me calling Grandpa's girlfriend 'Grandma Sue' very soon. In fact, she said I would have grandmas coming out the wazoo (a word I have not been able to find the meaning of in any dictionary). So I was counting. Of course I had Grandma Esme, if I helped Grandpa out I'd have Grandma Sue too. Maybe Alice was counting Grandmother Elizabeth in there as well—since I now knew her. "Do you think they made me some cookies?" I asked hopefully.**

"**That has to be your favorite human food, isn't it." Jacob said. He shook his head with his grin still in place.**

"**Hey, do I look stupid to you? You put things like 'chocolate' and 'cookies' in the same bite and it is kind of like a little piece of heaven. It's almost as tasty as grizzly bear blood." I told him matter-of-factly. "Although that jaguar was something else," I sighed. "Too bad they're endangered."**

"**Nothing is even close to grizzly bear blood, little missy." Uncle Emmett said quietly enough to not startle the other passengers. "It's not humanly possible. And I should know—as I am the Chief of the Bear Warrior Clan." **

**The airplane's wheels then hit the tarmac and the engines rumbled. Loud as they were, they had nothing on my Uncle Emmett's growl. Somehow, even airplane rumble was exciting to me because it meant that I would be in my handsome Grandpa's arms that much sooner. I really didn't know what I was going to do without him in six weeks when we moved to New Hampshire for a few years. I guessed that meant I'd have to make each day I have with him count for extra. Perhaps I should make an itinerary of all of the exciting things I wanted to do with him. Of course we could always fish, and collect shells at the beach. Oh, and one of my favorite things, going to the tide pools with Grandpa Charlie. Maybe I could talk him into taking me to the library before we left Seattle. They ought to have a great one here! Of course, Grandpa was always fun to go to the movies with, and the playground. Maybe he'd take me back to the 'Olympic Game Farm' down in Sequim. I think I would do better now at restraining myself from growling back at the tiger there. That seemed to upset Grandpa last time. Probably because he knew mine was more impressive, or maybe because he'd felt bad that his wasn't. I knew what I wanted to do first with him though. I was going to have Grandpa take me to get my photos one-hour developed so I could show him my picture journal of the trip. Just thinking about all of my plans with Grandpa was making my head spin. When the 'fasten seat belt' light went off, I bolted for the front door. Unfortunately, my Mother was faster than me.**

"**Where exactly do you think you are rushing off to?" She asked pointedly. She had hooked my arm as I was scurrying past her seat. **

**My Daddy sat beside her with an amused expression on his face. **_**'What?'**_** I thought to him. **_**'Aren't you guys excited to see Grandpa too?'**_** Honestly the more I thought about him being in the same airport that I was now in made me crazy in anticipation. That, of course got Jasper all worked up as well. "Mom," I whined. "I'm going to find Grandpa." I rolled my eyes at her. I mean wasn't it obvious? It had been six weeks since I'd seen him after all.**

"**You are going to find your Grandpa in a crowded airport, by yourself?" Mother asked me incredulously. "Nessie…"**

"**Mother," I sounded exasperated. It surprised me but not enough to dissuade me from my mission. "You know I can track his scent (I was careful to say that vocabulary word in a whisper) anywhere. Come on, we could make it a game. See who can find him first. Please!"**

**People were starting to gather their belongings and form a line to exit the plane, and we were in the way. Before I knew it Jake was at my side.**

"**I can take her to find Charlie if you want." He said. Jake was grinning at my enthusiasm. "I mean, if you guys were wanting to, oh, I don't know, get lost or something."**

"**Thank you Jacob, that sounds like a good idea. We won't see Charlie until we're on the other side of security anyway. We'll keep a hold of her until then. " My Father said eyeing me carefully. "And you Nessie, when did you become so cheeky with your Mother?"**

"**Oops," I said as I tried to look abashed. I turned to my Mommy and added, "Sorry Mom. Maybe it's just the terrible twos." **

"**No," Mother said; her eyes got wide. Then she practically hissed a whisper to me. "That isn't for another week yet. Don't even go there. I want one last week with my one year old. I want you to slow down a bit, not push it early."**

**Finally the door was opened and we disembarked from the plane. I was impatient as we walked at a human speed towards the security checkpoint. There had been eleven of us when we'd left for our Amazonian adventure and now we were a perfect dozen. I glanced back at Leah and Nahuel. Luckily for us, they had stopped smooching and were now bringing up the rear of our company with their arms around each other. Someday, that would be me and Jake. I sighed and was lost for a moment in a crazy daydream.**

"**Nessie!" My Father said. He looked down at me. I was walking between him and Mom, swinging my arms with both of them. Jacob was right behind us. "Can you please think of something else? Please? Anything else will do." **

**How embarrassing. **

**I was as surprised as the rest of my family, when we suddenly heard someone say behind us, "Edward? Bella? Is that you?" We turned as a couple approached us quickly from behind. The woman was tall and skinny. She had shoulder length light brown hair and she looked very excited about something. The man was a little shorter than the lady. He had black hair and was being pulled along by the woman who had apparently seen my Dad's profile when he turned to speak to me. Everyone turned to watch the couple approach.**

"**Oh," Dad said surprised and I couldn't tell if it was a good surprise or not. Then he seemed to compose himself and a broad smile spread across his face. "Angela Weber and Ben Chaney! What a surprise. How are you two?" He gave them both a hug. Aunt Alice sauntered over and got hugs next. Everyone else kind of hung back. Glances went around quickly. Angela and Ben seemed surprised to see Jacob with the family in the airport's 'passenger only' section. It was clear that he had traveled with us. They were even more surprised to see me. Their eyes got huge and then confused.**

"**Hello," The lady Angela said to me. She had a nice smile and her eyes sparkled with excitement and kindness. **

"**Hi Angela," I said smiling up at her. Her answering smile became even bigger. Then she looked up at my dad and said, "Is this your niece I heard came to live with you and Bella after your honeymoon?" **

**My dad smiled hugely, "Yes, this is our little Renesmee."**

"**You sure are a beautiful young lady," She said to me. "Are you eight years old? Or maybe nine?"**

"**I'm turning nine next week." I answered quickly. Heck, if my age was relative I might as well have it stretched as far as I could.**

"**Dang Edward," The man named Ben said putting his hand on my father's arm for a pat. "She looks just like you. The resemblance is remarkable. So I guess that makes you a Dad now. Wow, how is that?"**

**My Father looked down at me with so much love that it was all I could do to keep from jumping in his arms and kissing his cheeks. I settled for letting go of his and Mom's hands and then wrapped my arms around him and squeezed as hard as I could. "It's the best," He pretended to choke out. He took his free hand and mussed my hair.**

"**Bella, how does it feel to be a Mother for almost two years now?" Angela asked my mommy with some affection. She put her arm around Mom's shoulder. **

**Now I was surprised but not nearly as much as Angela and Ben were. Mommy had only partly turned around at Angela and Ben's approached and when Angela put her arm around my Mother she turned to really look at Angela and Ben for the first time. Angela looked shocked and Ben actually gasped. His mouth hung open like a gaping fish. His eyes confused. Okay, I could tell from all of the visuals Chandra showed us that Mom looked a little different from when she was human. But they looked so dumbfounded they were temporarily at a loss for words. **

**Finally after a good two minutes of stunned silence, Angela recovered herself. "Bella, is that you?"**

"**Yep, it's really me. Hi Angela, Ben." Mom sounded a little nervous. I wasn't sure exactly why that would be. These people seemed very nice and they were clearly friends. She hugged Angela back lightly and then stepped back. "Well, you guys look great. What brings you to the airport? Are you leaving or returning?"**

**Angela took the palm of her hand and closed Ben's mouth by moving his chin up. She turned to Bella and said, "We're coming home. I'm sorry Bella, but I didn't recognize you at first. But you really look amazing. I had heard that you had gotten sick on your honeymoon and were quarantined. Are you alright now?"**

"**Yes," Mom said as she smiled back at them. "I was and it kind of messed with my system a little bit. But I'm great now--as healthy as a horse. In fact, we all just got back from six weeks in the Amazon Rainforest."**

**Now Angela had a small burst of laughter. "Bella, if you went on an excursion into an actual jungle then you have REALLY changed. Honestly, I don't even see a single bug bite on you—and not a hair out of place. Sorry, I don't mean to laugh. It's just that was the last thing I expected to hear you say!"**

**Mother's grin grew wider. "Yes, well I guess that was par for the course for becoming a Cullen. You know, 'when in Rome'."**

"**I suppose so." She said as she shook her head in gentle amusement. "So if you've been gone for six weeks then you probably were already gone when our announcements were sent out."**

"**Announcements?" Edward asked as his eyebrows rose. My Dad is really good. If these two were getting married or whatever else someone might send announcements out for, he would have read that in their minds right away. His look of surprise was masterfully done. Of course, after remembering my Grandmother Elizabeth's performance in Volterra, I realized it was probably genetic. "For what? Are you two getting married?" He looked between Angela and Ben with a look that was almost smug.**

"**Yep!" Angela said showing Mom, Dad and Aunt Alice her ring. "The wedding is this Saturday and you are invited. Can you make it?" She and Ben looked expectantly at Mom and Dad.**

"**Of course Bella and I will be there." Father said happily. "Not sure about our daughter Renesmee, she will be at her Grandpa Charlie's and I'm not sure when they will get back. She might be able to come."**

"**That's wonderful!" Angela said gleefully. "I hope your daughter can make it too. And of course, the whole family is invited so anyone else that wants to come is welcome." She added taking in Grandfather and Grandma's gaze. **

"**But you guys are just getting back from a trip. You probably need to check your schedules first." Ben cut in smiling. "So you can let us know."**

"**Except Alice," Angela said almost demandingly. "You have to say you'll come with Edward and Bella. Please!"**

"**Yes!" Aunt Alice said. "Of course I'll come! This is excellent."**

"**That's wonderful Angela, Ben! I am so excited for you guys!" Mom said hugging Angela again. Aunt Alice joined in and they jumped in and down in excitement. It was possible that Aunt Alice was the main one jumping up and down and the others were in the way.**

**Aunt Alice's eyes became blank for five seconds. "You're having a large wedding--my favorite kind!" **

**Angela laughed touching her finger to her temple. "I forgot how perceptive you were Alice. But once again, you're right!" Then she looked at Mom, rolled her eyes and grinned. She still stood between them, with one arm around my Mother and her other arm around Aunt Alice. "Mom said we had to hurry and get back to help her with all of the wedding arrangements. You remember all of those graduation announcements we addressed before Bella?" My mother nodded with a sly smile, "Well, think of that and then triple the number. Apparently she's swamped."**

"**That's wonderful!" Alice said with even more enthusiasm.**

"**How is that wonderful?" Angela asked. Honestly, it sounded like Aunt Alice was more excited by the prospect of someone needing help with wedding arrangements than for seeing Angela and Ben; although she did seem genuinely happy to see them.**

"**It's wonderful, of course, because now I'm back and I can help your poor swamped mother. You were at Edward and Bella's wedding. You know that weddings are my thing." Alice said as though her assistance was a foregone conclusion. When Angela's gaze remained confused Alice continued. "Your mother needs help and I am available. So of course I'll be right over as soon as I get things unpacked at home. Tell her to expect me at your house by 5pm."**

"**Okay," Angela said pleasantly surprised. "Thank you Alice. You're right of course; my mother is at her wits end and does need help."**

"**Yeah!" Leah said sarcastically under her breath, from the back of the group. "A two-day break from wedding planning!"**

"**Well, congratulations" Emmett said in his booming voice that made Ben almost cower. "Sounds like you guys have a match made in heaven. Right Edward?" Dad just grinned up at him. His expression looked somewhat self-congratulatory. I wondered what that was about.**

**Ben seemed to have just shaken off a bad thought, he reached down and grabbed Angela's hand and said very confidently, "Well, we need to get going. We still have to stop for my tux fitting on the way home. Bye!"**

"**Oh, that's true." Angela said looking at her watch. "Bella, Edward, Alice, It was so nice to see you guys again. Nice to meet you Renesmee and I can't wait to see you Saturday!" Ben led her away as she waved. I was impressed that she got my name right first try.**

"**Wait!" Alice said suddenly. "You're going for your tux fitting? Let me walk you down to the luggage carousals." They stood surprised as Alice scampered to their side and then questioned them as they walked hurriedly towards the exit. "Now, where exactly are you having your Tux fitting Ben?"**

"**Umm, I don't really know." He added with a confused look at Angela.**

"**Oh, I have it written down somewhere. It's at 'The Tux Shop'. She said after fumbling around in her purse.**

"**Okay," Aunt Alice said happily. "There are several in the state. Is it the one here in Seattle, or Redmond, or Olympia or Tacoma…"**

'**Umm, it's the one in Olympia." Angela responded quickly.**

"**Excellent," Aunt Alice said with approval. "Mr. McGovern works there. He is very good. What color is the tux?"**

**Before I knew it they were around the corner and gone. Jasper sighed and shook his head. A tiny amused smile was on his face. There was a bigger smile on my mother's face. She looked at my dad and I once again felt as though I had missed something.**

"**That makes me very happy." Mom said to him. She seemed very emotional. Daddy took her into his arms and hugged her gently.**

"**I know. It makes me very happy as well." He said.**

"**Okay, well let's get going and be happy while we're walking out to where Grandpa is." I said. I had become impatient. I once again had started to think of Grandpa's face and the twinkle he always got in his eyes whenever he saw me. It was just so exciting to watch. He had told me once that I was the apple of his eye. I couldn't imagine what he had meant by that. Who would have wanted an apple in their eye anyway? I told him that I was the twinkle in his eye and that's stuck ever since.**

**We went through the secure area and lots of people were there on the other side to meet incoming passengers. But there was no Grandpa. I was sorely disappointed. Just then Mother's phone rang.**

"**Hello, Dad?" She had said answering it quickly. Apparently, Grandpa was stuck in traffic due to an accident and would be another ten minutes. He was going to drop off everyone at the front and then go park. I let out a big sigh. Jacob thought I was hilarious. I rolled my eyes at him while my foot continued to tap. I was surprised to see there was some kind of commotion at the airport. There were at least three different news reporters and even a few news cameramen. Some bigwig must have just arrived in town or something. Huh?**

**We made it down to the luggage carousels where a man at the side by the Delta counter said in a big voice, "Excuse me, is there a Mr. Cullen here?" My grandfather, Uncle Emmett and my Daddy all looked over to the man. When he realized there was more than one he looked down at his paper again and said, "A Mr. Emmett Cullen?" Uncle Emmett raised his hand in acknowledgement and went over to see what the man wanted. Through the noise of the gathering passengers I heard just a word here and there. Words like 'quarantine', 'two weeks', 'agitated'. It made me very curious about what Uncle Emmett was working through with the man. Clearly it had something to do with my new 'Amazon Petting Zoo'. Dad was quietly shaking his head with an amused expression on his face.**

"**Umm, Nessie," Dad said quietly. He bent down to be at my level. "Your Uncle Emmett may need you to go with him to the cargo area for a few minutes to help him 'calm down' his, ummm, packages." He gave me a knowing look. Sure enough, next thing I knew Uncle Emmett was at my side.**

"**Listen you guys," Uncle Emmett said to my parents. "Charlie still has at least seven more minutes before he shows up here so, if you need to leave, I'll make sure she hooks up with him. I just really need her help for a minute." He looked worriedly over to Rosalie who was becoming suspicious. He then mouthed the word, 'Please!' with a desperate look in his eyes.**

"**Fine!" Mother said. Then she looked back at me and started in on her 'Mother routine'. I could almost quote it. "Make sure you're good for Grandpa. Don't make a mess. Be careful using your 'gift' around him—even though he does know about it. Don't scare him and don't hurt him. Keep Grandpa safe!"**

**I rolled my eyes at her. But I had to love her. She was just so funny. Did she really think I would ever be bad for Grandpa or make a mess? And Grandpa loved for me to use my gifts around him. But I was not scary and I would never dream of hurting Grandpa. Surely she didn't forget I'd even attacked a grizzly bear to keep him safe. **

"**Mom," I whined. "Don't be such a worry wart. Grandpa Charlie is awesome and he's cool with everything."**

"**Worry wart? Cool?" Mother said in a pained expression. She finally pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my hair. "Okay, maybe I'm being a little overprotective. Just be good. Tell Grandpa I said 'hi' and call me if you need me."**

"**Yes Ma'am." I said standing straight and saluting her. **

**Both she and Dad messed up my hair and Mom said, "You nut!" **

"**I don't know what you're up to Emmett." Rosalie said in mild exasperation. "I'm not even sure that I want to know. But I'm not hanging out waiting for you. I'm riding home with Carlisle and Esme. I'll see you back at the house."**

**Then the next thing I knew I was whisked away by Uncle Emmett and a waiting attendant who took us in through a door that read 'authorized personnel only'.**

**I found out there's a lot of area in an airport that we don't usually see. That's all I was going to say. Thankfully Uncle Emmett was quick and before I knew it, I was looking at a bunch of animal crates and carriers. Many of which were having a variety of sounds emitting from them and a few were even moving. I knew what my job was immediately. I settled myself into a calm state and sent out a broadcast of peaceful feelings. The boxes immediately quieted. The attendant looked shocked but quickly recovered.**

"**Well, they were moving around quite a bit a minute ago." He said scratching his head. Uncle Emmett carried on a hushed conversation with the man that involved papers and money. I felt a little sorry for the man. My Uncle Emmett could be quite intimidating when he set his mind to it. Before I knew it a sum of cash changed hands and my uncle was a happy man.**

**He turned to me as we made our way back to the terminal and said, "That went well. He's going to take care of the animals here for the next day or two so that I can build their new home and then come and pick them up." **

**I was hardly listening to him. It had taken fifteen minutes to deal with Emmett's animal issue and I was sure my Grandpa waited for me on the other side of the airport. With each step taken, I'd become more excited. Okay, maybe I had worked myself up a little but too much, but really, the more I thought about my Grandpa Charlie and how much I had missed him the greater my anticipation grew. By the time we'd made it back out to the luggage carousels, my family had already departed. Everyone that was, except for Leah, Nahuel and Jacob, who were talking animatedly with some of our Quileute buddies from LaPush. And if they were there than I knew what that meant; it meant that my Grandpa Charlie was around…somewhere. I scanned the area and breathed deeply smelling the rich wolfy scent of the 'packs' and Emmett's sweet musky scent. But nothing was there that smelled like my Grandpa's special human scent—all wrapped up with a kind of pine and spring-fed river smell.**

**Jacob looked over at me and started laughing again. "He's parking the car, Nessie!" Uncle Emmett hung back a bit while Jacob brought me front and center to greet everyone. They were all impressed at my growth over the last six weeks.**

"**Geez, Nessie," Seth said with a laugh. "You look like you're at least eight years old. You looked barely seven when you left. What were they feeding you down there in the Amazon?"**

"**Piranhas," I said back innocently. They all found that amusing.**

"**Ha! Those Piranhas were more like mild-mannered guppies." Jacob replied, acting all macho. **

**Okay Mr. Black, if you want to play it that way.**

"**Of course it was pretty funny to see Jake jump out of the water with a few still attached to his leg with their jaws clamped down hard."**

**My turning the tables on Jake seemed too worked pretty well. What was mild amusement turned into a roar of laughter. **

**The conversation quickly returned to Leah and Nahuel. Apparently there was some apprehension about her imprinting on Nahuel by some members of the tribe. Not sure if it was some--or maybe just one. I didn't know why. Jacob had imprinted on me and they were alright with that. Maybe it was because they didn't know what a great guy Nahuel was yet? Sam acted kind of strange. It almost seemed to me as though he was trying to be 'protective' of Leah while sizing Nahuel up. Nahuel was also being 'protective' of Leah as he sized Sam up; interesting. Of course, what do I know? I wasn't even two until next week!**

**And then suddenly, Grandpa walked through the door and everything else faded into the background. The minute I saw him I let go of Jacob's hand, hopped out of the circle of friends and ran to him. It was hard to keep my run at a human speed. Slowing down took all of my concentration. It felt like the more I slowed down, the more I anticipated our embrace. Already I heard his heartbeat pounding its steady rhythm separate from everyone else's and I started to smell his perfect scent of pine and spring water. He saw my approach and a huge grin spread across his face. Sue was by his side and she smiled as she saw me. I barely registered her amused admonition to be gentle as I jumped carefully into his arms.**

"**Grandpa!" I sang enthusiastically. He spun me around in his arms. I cried in delight. I couldn't help it. There was just something extra special about Grandpa Charlie. I couldn't put my finger on it. But it was there.**

"**Oh, my Nessie I have missed you so much! How is my special little princess?" He asked me as tears came into his eyes.**

"**Fine! And I have missed you so much too!" I said before I realized that Grandpa had stopped spinning me and we were suddenly surrounded by a large group of people. And that large group of people was not our friends from the reservation.**

Chapter Thirty Five-Part II  
The Hope of Seattle

Charlie's POV

**I'd finally arrived at the airport, thirty minutes late, after waiting in traffic due to a motorcycle accident on the freeway. Thanks to my police scanner I knew that the driver, an eighteen year old male, had been weaving in and out of traffic during a downpour. Honestly, what was he thinking? If there was anything I knew about motorcyclists it was that they usually behaved as though they didn't think clearly and they drove recklessly. This boy was lucky. He was still alive, but just like Jacob a few years back, this kid would wish that he were dead for a while. Of course, Jacob had bounced right back. No one had been more surprised than me to see that. Hmmm, I wondered if that was one of those werewolf things? I'd thought as I scanned my passengers in the rear view mirror. Just thinking about motorcycles had me seeing red. Red-- as in a certain red motorcycle that had been Bella's foray into the dangerous world of the Suicycles. I started getting a little irate as I watched all of the personnel called out for this young man's carelessness with such a deadly vehicle. It left me itching to get up on my soap box. I looked around at my captive audience for the most receptive fellow to bestow my wisdom on. There he was, sitting directly behind me--Seth Clearwater. I owed it to Harry to take him under my wing and look out for him. Plus if things went as well with Sue as I hoped they would, I might have an even bigger role with him very soon. My mother's ring was already locked up in my glove compartment just waiting for me to get up the nerve to ask her.**

"**Seth," I'd said in a tone that I hoped was casual but with a hint of authority. As an officer of the law, I'd gotten that one down. "You don't have one of those crazy motorcycles do you?"**

"**Ummm, No sir I don't" He said back in a friendly way.**

"**Now Seth, you know what I told you about calling me 'sir', Charlie is fine." I reminded him.**

"**Yes sir…Charlie." He said correcting himself. "No, I don't own a motorcycle, and I don't plan to either. Not after what happened to Jake. No, I learned a lesson from his accident."**

"**Good because if I …"I looked in my rear view mirror and could have sworn that I saw Seth's eyes rolling but he stopped so soon I couldn't be sure. **

**Hmmm, well maybe I didn't want to be the 'long arm of the law' just then. Maybe I was just so anxious to see Nessie again and Sue was so nervous about meeting this Nahuel fellow that I was stressed and overdoing things. Personally I was a little worried about Leah getting hurt again myself. I mean, Renee and I weren't that well acquainted and things didn't go so well for us. Leah had just met this guy. If I knew anything, it was that 'true love at first sight' was a fairytale. And yet, Leah was so very sad when Sam married her cousin Emily. I wanted her to be happy. Sue seemed very confident that Leah and Nahuel would be happy but she still worried over the kind of man Nahuel was. Somehow, I got the feeling she didn't mean the 'type' of man but something else. I wondered what he would think about all of the crazy monster wolf stuff. In my opinion, if he could deal with that, then the type of man he was would be: brave, grounded and tolerant; the kind of man I was trying to be. If he could deal with all of the wolf stuff then he'd be a keeper. I just hoped things work out for them. The Amazon was such a long way away. Sue had already been missing Leah quite a bit these last six weeks.**

**Of course I had been missing my kids too. I laughed to realize that I really thought of Bella and Edward both as my kids now. Funny, I never really thought of Edward as a son before this summer. Maybe I was a little blinded by how Bella had become when his family left a while back. But that wasn't his fault. I mean how could a teenage boy influence his father's career opportunities? I really wasn't being fair to him at all. Maybe I was just a little prejudice but now I could see how he really was and he has been very good for my Bella. And I have missed him too. But Nessie, well, I can't even put into words how much I've missed her. When I heard her voice on the phone an hour ago I about went through the roof with happiness. She's really brought some sunshine into my world. She's so smart and yet so child-like at the same time and always full of surprises. I just never knew what she was going to come up with. I was a lucky man to be a part of her world. Who ever thought being a Grandpa would be so much fun? The more I thought about getting that little girl for a good three days, the more excited I got. It was more than a little frustrating to realize that we were a mere ten minutes drive from the airport but stuck in back-to-back traffic until they finally hauled the motorcycle wreckage off the road and let us slowly pass; which led me to thinking about how much I hated motorcycles again.**

**Finally I got everyone unloaded and Sue had promised to keep an eye out for Nessie. I left them at the front of the airport and left to park the Escalade. I had barely gotten out and hit the lock button when I was startled to find Edward and Bella standing directly behind me.**

"**Hi Dad!" Bella said happily as she gave me a hug. She was cold again. Here I'd thought going down there in the jungle heat would have helped to thaw her out somewhat. Still…**

"**There's my girl!" I breathed in her wonderful scent. I'm not sure what kind of soap she'd been using lately but it smelled wonderful--very girly. Maybe Edward had bought her some fancy perfume. "I've really missed you kiddo." I looked up to see Edward smiling hugely. What the heck, I grabbed him with my free arm and drew him to me to include him as well. He was kind of cold too. Maybe they had the air conditioner turned up to high on the airplane or something. "You two about scared me to death. How did you find me?" Honestly I was in a covered parking lot on the second level looking out over a sea of cars.**

"**We were watching for you to arrive." Edward said casually. "So when you passed by we just followed your SUV." **

**Well, I guessed that sounded reasonable enough. Only I didn't see them anywhere waiting or following. Oh well, maybe my powers of observation were slipping. Speaking of being observant, "Where's my granddaughter?" I said suddenly in confusion. Surely they hadn't send her home with someone else?**

"**No Charlie, we didn't send her home with anyone else. She's inside helping with something. She should be done by now." Edward said to quickly assure me. I'd forgotten about the mind reading thing. Well, I mean temporarily forgotten. How could I ever really forget something like that!**

"**It's okay Dad," Bella said sweetly. "She's inside with Emmett. She is so excited to see you again that we had a hard time keeping her in her seat!"**

"**Okay then, I'd better not keep my little princess waiting. Are you two coming back in?" I asked as I took a step towards the terminal.**

"**Actually no," Bella said quickly. "That is why we were waiting for you to say 'hi'. We're kind of in a hurry and headed out already."**

"**Oh, got some errands to run?" I asked surprised at their quick departure.**

"**Yah, something like that," Bella said. Now why did I get the feeling that there was more not being said here? Oh well, none of my business.**

"**Okay well , drive carefully…" I started to turn away from them towards the airport and called to them over my shoulder, "And Bella, save your old man a heart attack and stay off of motorcycles from now on." I mean, I knew she was fast and strong now, but she was still my little girl.**

"**Sure thing Dad," She said with amusement. "See ya, and call me if you need anything for Nessie."**

**I waved them off and started at a trot to the airport terminal. Sue was looking for me outside the door to the luggage area and when she saw me she waved me over to her.**

"**I've found them," She said excitedly. "I just wanted to make sure that you knew where everyone was."**

"**Well," I asked her as I drew her into my arms for support. "What's he like?" She knew who I meant.**

**Sue raised her eyebrows and her face took on a knowing look. "I think he is a perfect match for my Leah. That's what I think. I have never seen her so happy—ever. He's very confident; A little quiet; A little mysterious; very mature for a young fellow; very intelligent and quite handsome."**

"**You got all of that from a five minute introduction?" I said suspiciously. I was delighted to see how excited she was. Her whole face just shone with happiness making her even more beautiful. I couldn't help it, I kissed her right there to make all of the cab drivers jealous. The problem was that I had to make it short. We were loitering in a public place and my granddaughter was still waiting for me.**

"**Well Mr. Swan, aren't you the prince charming?" She said back and her brown face barely concealed her blush. I kind of liked that. I leaned in and got a second one to make it a set. When she leaned away she was smiling broadly. "Are you trying to distract me? Or is this a special occasion?"**

"**It is always a special occasion with you Sue." I told her truthfully. "And I'm going to miss you when you go home with all of your kids today. Maybe we can do something about those 'home' arrangements." That last comment kind of slipped out on accident. My heart was suddenly hammering in my throat. I'd been building up to a proposal for the last six weeks but I wasn't planning on it happening at such an anti-romantic location as the airport overhang. I was as nervous as a suspect without an alibi.**

"**Hmmm," Sue said coyly. "Maybe we should talk about that; but not right now--later, when we don't have everyone waiting on us." She said slowly before reaching up for one last quick kiss. I grabbed her hand as we entered the airport doors.**

**I heard a high squeal of delight that I at first mistook for a sliding door malfunction. Then I followed the sound that was not to my back where the door was but rather from the group huddled in front of me, that included all of my passengers. My little Nessie was running straight towards me. My heart leapt for joy at the sight of her. I could tell she was putting all of her concentration into keeping her speed down. Her movements, though still somewhat fast and graceful, somehow also looked like a slow motion run you might see in a movie. I could feel a huge grin plant itself on my face. I didn't think anyone had ever been THAT happy to see me ever before. I couldn't help it. I suddenly realized why I had missed that sweet little girl so much! She was just full of pure happiness. I was sure someday if you looked under 'happiness' in the dictionary, it would say, 'see Renesmee Cullen'. My granddaughter! **

"**Not too fast," Sue said laughing at Nessie's graceful run. "Be gentle with your Grandpa. I love him too!" She added as Nessie launched herself into my waiting arms; thankfully not as forcefully as I had seen her do with her uncle Emmett on previous occasions. As soon as she landed in my arms, I spun her around to help diffuse some of the power of her leap. A little trick I had learned very recently to keep her from dislocating my back; speaking of which, she'd gotten taller and put on a little more weight****. ****We might have to put an end to those leaping hugs. I wasn't as young as her Uncle Emmett.**

"**Grandpa!" She said enthusiastically as she breathed in deeply.**

**Now why were there suddenly tears in my eyes? I couldn't explain it but in that moment I felt as though I had died and gone to heaven. I couldn't help it. There was just something extra special about my Granddaughter, Nessie. I couldn't put my finger on it. But it was there. There was nothing in the world to compare with the love this little creature made me feel. I could have shouted it out to everyone in the airport! 'Do you see my wonderful Granddaughter? Isn't she so sweet and innocent and perfect?'**

"**Oh, my Nessie I have missed you so much! How is my special little princess?"**

"**Fine! And I have missed you so much too!" She said with her delightful laughter that sounded like tiny wind chimes.**

**I suddenly became aware of being surrounded by about twelve people with equipment. Were we in someone's way? Oh, maybe we should move out of the way. I looked up to see three TV news reporters from some of the local television stations there in Seattle. They each had a cameraman and their cameras were trained on me and Nessie. Already flash bulbs had gone off as two other people, a woman and a man took pictures. What in the world was going on here? Were we somehow being confused with someone else? Perhaps I was being mistaken for someone important? I didn't get it. I looked behind me to see if there was someone else there that they were trying to interview. That move earned me another flash as a third picture was taken by a third camera man.**

"**Excuse me," A reporter said as a bright light came on and cameras remained trained on Nessie and me. "I'm Bob Makichuk from KING 5 News. May I ask your name sir?"**

**There was a second microphone put in front of my face. "Well, my name is Charlie Swan and you may have me confused with someone else. I'm just the Police Chief out in Forks." I stammered with a chuckle. It was hard to seem casual. I hoped that my shirt was buttoned right; just in case this blunder of theirs made it in a television broadcast.**

"**And Chief Swan, is this your Granddaughter?" Mr. Makichuk asked pointedly. What an unusual question. Maybe they were asking families about air travel.**

"**Yes," I said hugging her to me again. Maybe they would leave now. Nessie giggled and kissed my cheek. The reporters 'ooohed' and 'ahhhed' at the display of affection between us. Now normally I would have tried for a more official demeanor for a reporter, but this had nothing to do with police business and I was still so excited about being with my little angel that it colored my normally reserved nature.**

"**Chief Swan," Another man asked as yet another microphone was pushed into my face. "Don Springer from KOMO News 4. How long has it been since you've seen your granddaughter?"**

"**Six weeks," I told him. There were some warning bells going off in the back of my head trying to tell me I was missing the big picture here but I was still caught up in the feel of my little angel in my arms and more than a little perplexed as to why I was still the center of all of this hoopla. Surely after they got my name they should all have realized that this was simply a case of mistaken identity. And yet they continued to interview me.**

"**And what is your Granddaughter's name?" Mr. Springer asked smiling encouragingly.**

"**Renesmee Cullen," I said back but looked into my little angel's eyes as I said it. She nuzzled noses with me. The reporters seemed to eat that up. It almost seemed as though she was playing it up for them.**

"**Sorry Chief Swan—I'm Kevin Halkett with the Seattle Post," A man who was speaking into a small hand-held device said. "That is certainly a beautiful name, but so unusual. Would you mind spelling it for us?" Now his device was held out in front of me along with the two microphones still competing for the same spot.**

**I was more than confused now. Was everyone in local television and newspaper writing the same human interest piece? "Sure." I said as my confident, authoritative tone faltered somewhat. "R-e-n-e-s-m-e-e, for the first name; C-u-l-l-e-n, for the last." Another cameraman with a gadget that had at least five flash bulbs attached to it chose that moment to take his shot. The blast of wattage gave me an instant retina burn that had my vision alternating between points of bright light and a nice view of the inside veins of my eyelids for at least two minutes. As I blinked and tried to regain my visual focus, the reporters went on oblivious to my discomfort.**

"**Chief Swan, I'm Serena Mah from KIRO TV Channel 7 News," A female voice said. I couldn't see her to confirm this one way or another. "Do you mind if we speak to your Granddaughter Rene…smee?" She had a little trouble over Nessie's name. She must have thought that I had nodded as I was still trying to clear the spots in my vision.**

"**Hi, you sure are beautiful." She continued. It sounded as though she had moved on to addressing Nessie directly. I couldn't imagine that she would be calling me beautiful.**

"**Hello Serena." Nessie said in her clear soprano voice. "You are very pretty too. Is it fun running around asking people questions?" Her voice was innocent and curious. The crowd was delighted by her poise. I was very proud of how she handled herself.**

"**Yes it is fun and thank you for your compliment." Ms. Mah said pleasantly in response before going on to her question. "So how old are you Renesmee?" She pressed. She got the name better this time. Unfortunately, the last thing I needed was for my granddaughter to say she was almost two.**

"**Well, it's my birthday next week you know." Nessie responded coyly. "I'll be nine." She said smiling hugely. Well, that could have gone worse. Huh, now that I looked at her again she did almost look nine.**

"**And where have you been for the last six weeks?" The lady asked. Finally I was able to see again.**

**Nessie got a conspiratorial look to her expression and said somewhat softer as if telling a big secret, "Exploring ancient ruins in the Amazon Rainforest."**

"**That sounds very exciting!" Serena said in surprise. "Did you find anything interesting?"**

"**I'll say!" She said with pep. "In fact, we even brought s…" She was cut off as Emmett came through the crown on one side of her and Jacob on the other. I caught just a glimpse of them folding their hands as they blocked us from view of the ever ready cameras.**

"**Excuse me." Emmett said. "Miss Cullen is on a tight schedule and so I'm afraid this interview will have to be cut short."**

**The reporters reacted with a moan of protest. Some begged for one or two more questions. Jacob cut them off, "Nessie has important business to take care of at home so I'm afraid that will be all." His tone was firm. That was the first time I had ever heard him sound so…no nonsense. **

"**Besides," Emmett continued. He unfolded his arms and raising one finger pointed off to his left. "Isn't that man over there tet you came to interview in the first place?" I could just make out over Emmett's shoulder a large entourage of men in black suits. Some were clearly body guards. They looked very important and official. The crowd of reporters grudgingly relented and went in pursuit of their original prey.**

**I was still confused about what in the world that had all been about when Emmett and Jacob looked mildly amused at Nessie. **

"**What?" She said in exasperation to them. My thoughts were in sync with hers on this point. What was that all about?**

**Finally the only person from the group I didn't know, a young man with brown skin, teak brown eyes and shoulder length black hair came up to Nessie and grinned at her. He shook his head and said very calmly and in a soft melodic voice. "Did you not realize, Nessie? You were broadcasting." She shook her head. She looked stunned. "You were broadcasting your thoughts and feelings out so strongly that it may have exceeded the airport perimeter." **

**Nessie looked as though she were about to get scolded. "Sorry," She said sheepishly looking down.**

"**I wouldn't worry too much about it Renesmee," The young man said comfortingly. He did seem to have an empathetic nature. "This may be the sort of thing that you're supposed to be doing." **

**I had no idea what he was talking about but I knew that we were trying to get her broadcasting more controlled before she left in the fall. Two things I had notice at his words though: One-he did make my granddaughter feel better and Two-he was apparently 'okay' with all of the craziness that surrounded the Cullens and the Quileutes. **

**I glanced around and saw happy faces on the strangers in our area of the airport. Many gave us little waves as they passed. I kissed Nessie on the forehead and put her down. My back had started protesting from the strain. I took hold of her hand firmly. I looked at the young man and asked him, "Is she still broadcasting? I don't feel anything different?" Honestly, I'd thought it was just my own feelings the entire time.**

"**No," He said as his eyes settling on mine. There was a confidence there--a self-assurance. Maybe Sue was right on target with her five minute assessment. "She contained her thoughts after mentioning the ruins." He said raising an eyebrow and looking down at her.**

**She looked shocked and whispered back, "Oh, was that supposed to be a secret too?"**

**He looked down at her with amusement and started to grin. Emmett and Jacob gave a nervous chuckle. The young man said, "Let's just keep the ancient ruin comments confined to Chan Chan and you should be okay." Nessie nodded fervently to him. Then the young man looked back at me and extended his hand. "Hello, you must be Charlie. You're Bella's father right?" He shook my hand. His grasp was firm and warm. There was an intensity in his gaze. It felt as though he was looking into my inner person. Of course I was probably just spooked from all of those half-crazed reporters. But I did find myself liking this fellow from South America quite a bit.**

"**Yes, I am. And you must be Leah's intended." I answered back with a smile. At the mention of Leah, she appeared suddenly under his free arm and encircled him in an embrace. Her face was shining so brightly, I almost hadn't recognized her. She was truly a beautiful young woman. It looked as though she had blossomed overnight.**

"**Hi Charlie," She said happily. "This is Nahuel, my fiancée." She looked as though she would explode with glee.**

"**I am glad to meet you." I found myself saying. "And I'm really glad that Leah here found you." I discovered that I really meant it. That earned me a look of affection from Leah. Huh? That was a first. And here I had her pegged for being the hard one to win over if things went well with Sue.**

"**Well, I'd say we'd better get a move on." I commented looking around. I was worried about how in the world I was going to squeeze Emmett and Jacob both in my SUV along with everyone who came with us. I had already planned for Leah, Nahuel and Nessie. And I sort of figured Jacob would want to ride with us as well. I eyed Emmett briefly. He wasn't as tall as Jacob, but he was a little bigger around and solid muscle. "Emmett, did you need a ride as well?" I asked. I didn't want to leave him stranded.**

"**Uh uh," Emmett said with a deep booming chuckle. I could practically feel it rumble my rib cage; he was standing so close to me. "I'm renting a U-haul and heading over to 'The Home Depot' to get my supplies for Nessie's new pet project." He looked at Nessie and shared a loaded glance. "Besides, I don't want to have to sit on Jacob's lap. He's just not my type."**

**For half a second it looked as though Jacob leaned over and tried to kiss Emmett but he got smacked upside the head so fast that I could have been mistaken. Nessie stomped her foot.**

"**That was not an invitation, Jacob." Emmett said in mock alarm. Clearly they had become chummier on their vacation.**

"**Hmmm," Jacob said back sarcastically. "I must have got my signals crossed when I saw your pretty nails."**

**I caught a fleeting glance of pink and white as Emmett's hands flew into his jean's pockets. He looked embarrassed as everyone laughed at him. "Okay, I'll forgive you for that remark, if you agree to help me build Nessie's pet project." He said in a calculating manner to Jake.**

"**I might be able to when I'm free." Jacob said dangling the offer on a string.**

"**What do you mean 'when you're free' exactly?" Emmett said suspiciously.**

"**I have to help Rosalie build a second garage out of that old outbuilding southeast of the house."**

"**NO!" Emmett said in alarm. "I was going to use that for Nessie's project. Okay we have to get our story straight here. I've got to keep this from Rose. You've got to help a brother out here, Jake." He said worriedly.**

**I didn't get it. What in the world was he going on about? And what in the world was he building for Nessie that would upset Rosalie? Apparently, there were a lot of new developments that came out of the rainforest besides Leah and Nahuel.**

"**I could probably be bought off." Jacob said sarcastically.**

"**Thank heaven." Emmett said in relief. That brought about another round of laughter. "Okay, you'd better say goodbye to everyone and come to the store with me. We'll have to buy things to build a better garage than Rose was planning. That will be the only way to placate her." Emmett said and sighed sadly.**

"**Deal," Jacob said while pounding fists with the adult version of Bam-Bam. **

**We said our goodbyes to the two and headed out to my Escalade. There was plenty of room without Jacob. Renesmee sat up front with Sue and me in a little jump seat I'd added just for today. As we exited the parking toll booth the attendant, a young lady, smiled and before raising the gate said to me, "Enjoy your granddaughter, Chief Swan. I love you guys!"**

"**Thank you very much," I said back weakly. That was just plain odd. I didn't think a total stranger had ever said they loved me before." I was shaking my head trying to clear it as we drove out of the airport and onto highway 5.**

"**Charlie Swan was that young lady trying to make a move on you or do you have that effect on all of the girls?" Sue said with mild amusement.**

**I was still at a loss for words. Nessie took that moment to 'help me out'. "The question isn't whether he has that effect on them." She said matter-of-factly.**

"**No?" Sue asked turning to see her innocent child-like face. "What would the question be then?"**

"**The important question is whether they have that affect on him." She answered back. "And the only girl who has that affect on him is you." **

**Once again I was taken aback by the words coming out of Nessie's mouth. She was of course right. But I wasn't expecting such a grasp from someone so very young. Sue's expression became thoughtful and then she grinned over at me.**

"**You know Charlie, I really like this one. I think I might just have to steal her from you." She said teasing Nessie.**

"**Oh, you don't have to do that. As soon as you marry Grandpa, you can share me with him." Nessie said very innocently.**

**Did the SUV suddenly get quiet or was it just my heart pounding in my ears blocking out all other noise. I'd danced around the 'M' word with Sue but not actually come right out and said it yet.**

"**So, when is the big day? It better be before we leave. I want to be the flower girl." She continued. I was frantic trying to figure out how to stop her from digging me in an ever growing hole.**

"**There isn't any 'big day' in the works Nessie." Sue sighed and then shook her head as she continued. "So, you see I will have to steal you away."**

**Nessie turned to her with a look of sheer horror on her face. "You didn't turn him down did you? You just have to marry Grandpa! He needs you so much! And he loves you too. You do know that right? You couldn't find anyone more handsome, or nice or special than him. Sue, how could you have said 'no'?" She sounded as though her heart was breaking at the end. On the other hand I felt as though I was having a heart attack; so much so that I was unable to interrupt her assumption.**

"**Oh no, Nessie," Sue said reassuringly to her. "I can assure you that I have most definitely not turned your Grandpa down. I know that he is the most handsome, the kindest and most special man around. I'm just waiting for him to work up his nerve to ask me in the first place."**

**There were a few snickers behind me. Well, I was so happy that everyone found humor at my expense.**

"**I'm glad I don't have to worry about who I'm going to marry when I grow up." Nessie said with relief.**

"**What in the world are you talking about?" I asked her, relieved that the focus was taken off me and Sue.**

"**Oh, I'm marrying my Jacob when I grow up--which will probably be in another five to seven years."**

"**Uh, Nessie," I said trying to sound reasonable. "Jacob Black is too old for you."**

"**No he's not. I'm growing up fast and he's holding still." Whatever that was supposed to mean. "Besides Grandpa, He's closer to my age than my daddy is to my mommy."**

"**Now you're talking nonsense Kiddo." I told her as I patted her head. "Your parents are the same age. Besides you're too young to be even thinking of marriage. You're not even two yet!"**

"**Grandpa, maybe I'm too young but you're not." Nessie said to me in exasperation. Whoops, we were back to me again. "What is the hold up? Aunt Alice told me she's already seen the two of you married and that it wasn't too far off. And you've had six weeks already. Haven't you heard of Carpe Diem?" She looked at me expectantly.**

**I was mortified. I tried to swallow.**

"**You know Grandpa. 'Seize the day?' You aren't getting any younger you know."**

**I finally found my voice. "When did you get so…direct?" I sputtered out. This was not the way I had planned for this to go. I wanted it to go more smooth like.**

"**I believe the word you are looking for Charlie is 'precocious'." Sue said while biting back a laugh.**

"**Precocious or not," Renesmee went on indignantly. "I want to be the flower girl before we leave for New Hampshire and Aunt Alice needs time to plan it, and…"**

"**Nessie," I said firmly. "You're getting ahead of yourself now. We'll talk about this when we get home." Maybe if I fill her in on my plans she'll be patient with me.**

"**But Grandpa, Sue has already said 'yes'. If you don't ask her then you're just going to hurt her feelings." Nessie said in a small voice.**

**Well she had a point there. She'd forced my hand and now there I sat in a crowded SUV and I thought that--well, maybe Nessie was right after all. Maybe I should seize the day. I took a deep breath and saw a sign for an entrance into the Olympic National Park. If I was going to do this, I would at least make sure that it wasn't in a moving vehicle with an audience. I pulled in and after paying our entrance fee, left everyone at the visitor's center and towed Sue back towards the SUV. I unlocked and reached into my glove compartment, took out the ring box and tucked it away quickly in my jacket pocket so she wouldn't see it and then I locked the car and scanned the area. Sure enough, there was a nature trail to the west of the parking lot--just what I was looking for.**

"**Where in the world are you taking me, Charlie?" Sue asked in mild amusement.**

**I was starting to get nervous again. But by golly, I was going to do this. Nessie was right. I'd been trying to build up my nerve for six weeks and I wasn't getting any younger. Plus, she really had pretty much said 'yes' just now. So what was there for me to stress over, right? **

"**I'm choosing my spot." I said back to her as I looked around the trail. No one was out here at the moment but that could change. We were quickly surrounded by trees and there was a bench handy just up the way from where we were. **

"**You're spot?" She asked me back. "I'm sure you tell that to all the girls." She said playfully as I led her to the bench. When we reached it I sat with her and looked into her gentle eyes. Damn, I loved this woman.**

"**You know Sue; it has been a very long time since I have felt for a woman what I feel for you. I thought my chance for love was over. I had pretty much closed off my heart to keep from being hurt again. But lately, I've come to realize that was wrong of me. If I don't open my heart, I can't be happy. It's a risk, but one that I am finally ready to take. It is a risk I would be willing to take with you. I love you Sue and every time I take you to your home it feels as though I'm tearing myself in half. When I'm at my house it comes alive when you're there. I think it is because my home is where my heart is, and my heart is with you." I stopped and looked down at Sue's hand in mine. I knew I should have practiced this instead of just saying what was in my heart. Looking at her hand reminded me of my purpose before I chickened out. I dropped from the bench to my knee and with my free hand drew out the ring box.**

**Sue gasped and I looked up to see tears in her eyes. "You already had this on you?" She whispered.**

"**Yes I did. I was just working up the nerve to ask you." I replied, gazing up into her beautiful face. She encouraged me with her expression. I opened the box to show her the ring that was left to me in my Mother's will. "Would you consider being my wife, Sue? I know I'm not rich or famous, well, except for today. But I promise to love you with my whole heart. You would make me a very happy man if you would marry me." **

**Sue's eyes were suddenly glistening with unshed tears. "Yes, My sweet Charlie. I will marry you." She whispered so affectionately to me. Somehow I found myself melting in her warm embrace. And I had thought that it had been perfect holding Nessie earlier today. Well, I guessed it couldn't be helped. I was now crying as well. "I'm sorry, but I'm just so happy." Sue said wiping tears out of her eyes. "I thought you might ask me when you pulled off the road but I wasn't going to take you seriously, since Nessie had put you up to it, but then when I saw that you already had a ring for me with you. I knew it was what you wanted too." She sniveled.**

"**Nessie just gave me the nudge I needed. I've been trying to figure out how to ask you for weeks now." It was a relief to say all of this to Sue--my fiancée! "We're getting married!" I said, suddenly excited. I stood up and spun her around as she laughed and we sealed our commitment with a kiss of promise.**

**Sue and I made our way back to the Escalade shortly thereafter where everyone else was milling around waiting to leave. **

"**Where have you guys been?" Embry asked when we reached them. I looked at my watch. We had been gone fifteen minutes. To hear him talk you'd have thought we had been out backpacking across the entire Cascade Mountains.**

**I looked at Sue and she was smiling hugely. Then I realized that I was too. "We were off getting ourselves engaged, of course." I said trying to suppress my grin to no avail.**

"**I knew it!" Embry piped up. "Charlie's the man."**

**Nessie was jumping up and down. "I have a new Grandma! I have a new Grandma!"**

**Seth and Leah both hugged their Mother who was showing them her ring. Nahuel shook my hand again grinning from ear to ear.**

**While we were driving, Leah suggested that perhaps she and Sue could share their wedding experience. I thought that was awfully nice of her but Sue and I had already talked about giving Leah a nice wedding as it was her first. Sue and I probably would be fine with a quiet affair. Sue tried to decline but the more Leah thought about it the more excited she became. Apparently she and Alice Cullen had an Amazon jungle theme idea they were working on. In the end Leah won and Sue and I would be joining Leah and Nahuel at the alter.**

**By the time we got to Port Angeles, it was almost dinner time so we stopped at a MacDonald's drive thru and grabbed a bite to eat while continuing down to LaPush to drop everyone off at Sue's place. It was then that Nessie noticed I had a missed call on my cell phone that I'd left on the SUV's dashboard. I looked at the number it was Renee's and she'd left a message.**

"**Huh, I wonder what Renee wants?" I said aloud. Sue shrugged her shoulders.**

"**Maybe it's something about the kids. They probably forgot to call her and tell her they were back." She'd left me a message so I called my messages and hit speaker. That way I wouldn't have to repeat it for anyone.**

'_**Hi Charlie, This is Renee. Say have you heard from the kids? They were supposed to get back today and I've been trying to reach both Bella and Edward without any luck. Anyway, in case you see them before I get a hold of them, would you please let them know that Phil is out for an away game next week and I've decided I'm going to come up for Bella's birthday next week. I haven't seen the kids since the wedding and Bella got sick. I'm so excited. Could you please tell them to call me? Okay, thanks Bye!**_

**The message ended.**

"**This should be interesting." I muttered as I glanced over at Sue. She nodded in understanding.**

"**Is Renee my other Grandma?" Nessie asked me quietly. "I mean, Mommy's mom?"**

"**Yes, she is." I told her hesitantly. "Only she hasn't seen your mother since before you were born and she doesn't know about you at all." I had learned that it was best to get all of the facts out on the table.**

"**Is that because I'm growing too fast?" Renesmee asked me sadly.**

"**Yes, but also because Renee thinks she is too." I looked down at her glum expression. "Don't you worry about it, Nessie. We'll figure something out." I told her trying to mask my own concern.**

**It was nearly six o'clock when Nessie and I finally made it back to the house, after dropping off everyone at Sue's. I turned on the television to see if the new cast would shed some light on 'who' the dignitary was that had all of those reporters at the airport in the first place.**

**There were some commercials on so I went to hang up my jacket. After a few minutes I heard Nessie clap her hands in delight.**

"**Grandpa, we're on the television." She said happily.**

"**What?" I asked as I darted back to the front room. Sure enough, there I was holding Nessie. The newscaster's voice was giving the leading stories that were about to start.**

"_**Coming up in just a few minutes the Police Chief from Forks, Washington goes to the airport to pick up his granddaughter. We have reactions from across town. This story, coming up after a word from our sponsors."**_

"**Holy Toledo" Was my brilliant reply. My phone was in my hand and I called Bella's cell immediately. It rang and rang and I was thinking I would have about as much luck as Renee did to reach Bella, when she finally picked up. She sounded kind of winded.**

"**Hi Dad, is Nessie alright?"**

"**Yes," I said carefully. Maybe this had something to do with the errands they had to run. Maybe she had been actually running. "You sound kind of out of breathe Bella. Is everything okay with you?"**

"**Ummm, yah, I'm just apologizing." I wondered briefly what she'd gone and done this time. Then decided maybe I didn't want to know. **

"**Okay, are you and Edward by a television set?" I asked pointedly.**

"**We can be. Hold up a second." There was a sound of fast moving equipment and then the sound of a TV being turned on. Also, at that same time Edward's cell rang and I heard him answer it in the background. Bella came back on the line. "Okay Dad what channel and what am I looking at?"**

"**Well I've got mine on channel 5…"**

"**Okay, hang on." Bella said while she fidgeted with the channels. "There. So am I."**

**I could hear Edward on the other call telling someone that they had just hooked up the TV and had it on. He said to Bella, "Is that on channel 7?"**

**So for some reason, our little airport trip was important to more than one channel.**

"**No, we're on channel 5." She told him back. I was looking at the screen as the story started. "Holy Crap!" Bella stammered. "I'll call you back Dad. Bye."**

**Nessie and I watched in shocked silence as the story unfolded.**

"**Today Police Chief Charlie Swan from Forks Washington was here in Seattle to pick up his granddaughter Renesmee Cullen, from her trip to discover ancient ruins deep in the Amazon jungle. We here in Seattle were very fortunate to have this amazing little girl in our city today and share in the experience of her joyful reunion with her grandfather. Taped earlier today, our own Bob Makichuk is here is the story."**

"**Thank you Diane; I am here at Seattle SeaTac International Airport where Renesmee Cullen has just returned from the Amazon to her loving grandfather, Charlie Swan. We were fortunate to record the event that has affected all of Seattle."**

**Immediately the TV screen showed the scene as Nessie ran and leapt into my waiting arms, complete with our spin. Our little impromptu interview followed afterwards. They let the entire clip run even showing Emmett and Jacob muscling their way in, thus concluding the questions.**

"**Once again, this is Bob Makichuk. Back to you Diane, for our Seattle reaction."**

**What in the world was he talking about. Seattle's reaction? How about my own reaction? I was completely dumbfounded. Had Seattle gone completely bonkers? Kids visited Grandparents all the time. I was starting to feel as though I'd just stepped into 'The Twilight Zone' or something.**

"**Thank you, Bob," Diane said smoothly. Yes, the positive energy is being felt all over the city as feelings of joy and hope have been felt by everyone. Here are some reaction stories we have followed for you. First we have Mike Greene at the county courthouse where I can see there is still a line of people behind you, Mike. What have you got for us?"**

"**Well, as you can see Diane, there are still at least three dozen people who have been waiting in line here at the county courthouse for marriage licenses. They all insist that they felt all of their hesitations seemed to dissolve this afternoon and they were very excited to tie the knot. This should be a record here at the courthouse for number of license applications in a single day. And it was done in less than half a day. The really interesting thing is that the courthouse has decided to stay open to accommodate everyone who was in line by closing time an hour ago. The clerks seem to be as excited for the couples as the couples are for themselves. It is truly a wonderful feeling here at the courthouse. I did take a little poll here and would you believe that every person here has called their grandparents today? It's really something. This is Mike Green at the County Courthouse, reporting live. Back to you Diane."**

"**Thank you Bob; now we'll go to Sandra Jones who is with the Chief Hospital Administrator at ****University of Washington Medical Cente****r. Hello Sandra, what have you got for us this evening?"**

"**Thank you, Diane. I am here at University of Washington Medical Center with Allison T. Wanamaker who is the Chairman and Hospital Administer. Allison, how many discharges have you had this afternoon?"**

"**Our discharges have been up fifty percent over what we were expecting today." Allison said smiling.**

"**Fifty percent higher is quite a jump. Any theories on what the cause may be?" Sandra asked.**

"**Sure, we have been firm believers in the power of positive thinking and its ability to help heal the body. It doesn't work in every case, but this afternoon the sweetest spirit of hope and joy came over everyone. I have spoken personally with a large number of staff and patients and it was shortly after 3 pm when people started asking to be released. Actually, our only new admissions this afternoon have been maternity and those are on an increase as well."**

"**Thank you Allison. One last question for you. Have you called your grandparents today?" Sandra asked.**

"**Yes, actually I have. The ones that are still alive that is. And what about you Sandra? Have you called yours?" Allison asked right back.**

**Sandra laughed, "Absolutely! And thanks for asking. Back to you Diane."**

"**That is really something Sandra, thank you. Now we'll go lastly to get a live report from Blake Ross where he is at Police Headquarters with the Chief of Police, John Diaz. Blake what's the story downtown?"**

"**Diane, I am here with Police Chief John Diaz who has just informed me that an unusual trend has started this afternoon. Would you mind elaborating for us Chief Diaz?"**

"**Certainly Blake, what we have noticed in all of the precincts here in Seattle has been a reduction of crime. I can report that since 3:30 this afternoon there have been no crimes reported. Even traffic violations have been down by thirty percent and half of those got off with warnings because they were rushing to visit their grandparents. The reports coming in from all stations concur that there seems to be a wonderful sense of joy and well-being that has settled over the city. I don't know how long this trend will last but it is heartwarming to us here in the department to say the least."**

"**Thank you Chief Diaz. So there you have it Diane. The city seems to be reacting to the positive energy involved in the joyful reunion of this special little girl and her wonderful grandfather. And everyone wants to know one thing. When is Renesmee Cullen's birthday? We know its next week but that's it; back to you Diane."**

**Thank you Blake. Now in other news, the Vice President arrived shortly after Renesmee Cullen and we can see him here surrounded by his secret service detail. He appears to be on the phone. The word from the white house press secretary is that he was calling his grandfather. And now after the break we'll hear about our five day forecast…"**

**I was shocked into utter immobility. I almost jumped when my cell phone and house phone started ringing at the same time.**


	41. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six  
Family Council**

**Carlisle's POV**

Well, when we'd left South America the day before yesterday, I thought it would be nice to have at least one day of relaxation before I called everyone together to discuss whether or not I should take the potion; that potion being the one given to me by Samon that would ultimately change my existence into something different, unknown and intriguing. The potion that would, over the course of a hundred years, change me from being a vampire into a 'perfected being'. I'd have to take it by tomorrow if I was going to take it at all, and I felt it would be prudent to discuss it with everyone as it would ultimately affect the entire family. I should have known that with a family like mine, a day of relaxation was out of the question. I'd started wondering if a 'regular day' in the life of the Cullen family had just been redefined.

No there wasn't anything 'relaxing' about the numerous sounds emanating from the back yard. There was the hammer of nails, various power tools, rock songs and deejays blaring from the radio, intermixing with chatter between Rosalie and Jacob. Then there was Emmett's humming, which boomed like thunder competing with the sounds further out like crashing boulders from…'other activities'.

I had gone to my study with Esme and closed the door. That seemed to muffle the competing sounds a bit and I was able to concentrate on her hand in mine. "Esme Darling, do you believe I should take the potion from Samon?" It was the first time I'd asked her. I felt as though I already knew her answer. She would never want to hold me back from an opportunity so astonishingly profound that it bordered on the unbelievable.

She did not answer me immediately. She looked me in the eyes and I was lost in the intensity of her love for me. It shone through in the tenderness and warmth of her expression. How I had ever been lucky enough to find her and to win her love and devotion was incomprehensible to the workings of my mind. And yet she was right there by my side. I had found in her more love and joy then I had even known in mortality. She had renewed my hope for my own continued existence.

"Carlisle," She said and her serene voice brought me back from my musing. "You must become what God intends you to be. You know this already. You also know, I will be by your side as long as I exist; loving you no matter what."

And there it was. _'As long as she exists.' _I would NEVER die and sometime, she might, No, according to Samon, someday after centuries, she could actually crumble to dust. And I, as a true immortal would be left to survive without her companionship. The thought was so painful I clutched her to me and felt a gasp escape my lungs. How could I ever live without her?

"I couldn't bear to live without you Esme. I can hardly bear to even contemplate how terribly lonely it would be to exist without you." I said breathing in her hair and her beautiful cinnamon and lily scent.

"How do you know for sure that you'd have to?" She answered into my shoulder quietly.

"What do you mean exactly?" I whispered back.

"Well, according to Chandra, her three brothers are married as well but their wives are not perfected beings. We've seen that life does go on after death and as a perfected being you can interact with many different levels of reality." She stated calmly. It was clear she had given this some serious thought.

"That is true." I said feeling my anxiety settle into tranquility. Samon had said she was the epitome of everything entailed in the word 'Nurturer' and right now she was nurturing me--easing my anxiety with her loving touch and her soothing words.

"And besides that, Samon said that I wasn't ready for this yet, that I had to step out of my comfort zone and make a difference in the world around me. He gave me a charge of my own so I could prepare myself. I'm to make the world better and safer for young ones to grow up in. He was right you know and, well, I'm quite excited about finding ways to work with children. You know I have always had a need to 'mother' others.

"I will support you in fulfilling your calling in every way possible." I told her, my voice fervent. I felt a swelling of deep seated satisfaction that my lovely wife was not being overlooked. It was exhilarating to see her talents and needs were being called upon in such a profound way. Her potential for growth in this new challenge was staggering to say the least and I wanted nothing more than to be by her side as she met that challenge head on.

"As I will support you in your calling too, Carlisle." She smiled brilliantly at me. Her voice was full of confidence. There was not a hint of doubt on her face. "When destiny comes out to meet you, you simply cannot run away. You must rise to accept it and become what you were meant to be." Her words took on a double meaning at the end. She was telling me what I already knew; that I must drink the potion and rise to the occasion. And looking in her eyes at the faith and love that were there, I knew that I would. Correction, I knew that I must. And I knew also that with her by my side, I could overcome my fear of the unknown and believe in the hope that we would always be together.

I nodded my head and crushed her lips to mine.

There was a very light rap on my study door. "Carlisle?" Jasper asked quietly from the other side.

I released Esme and sighed. "Come in Jasper." I responded promptly.

The door opened and Jasper stuck his head inside. "I'm sorry to interrupt you both, but I think there is something on the television that you need to see."

… (The next Afternoon)

The development with my granddaughter Renesmee, had been startling and unsettling to say the least, and yet I felt deep in my soul that this sort of thing was what she was born to do. Sammon had said he gave her power a little boost. I may have to redefine my understanding of the word 'little'. And now that I get an idea of the scope of her new range, the problem arises, how do we allow her to use her gift, yet do so inconspicuously without alerting the Volturi and their obsessive desires of keeping knowledge of our existence a protected secret? Or calling attention to Nessie, and giving them cause to feel they should again destroy my family, thus giving Aro control of my talented children, and grandchild as well.

It was true all things were relative. Point in case would be Renee's announcement that she'd be joining us for Bella and Renesmee's birthdays next week. Of course, the problem being that she was completely unaware of the existence of Renesmee. This would be a crisis in-and-of itself, were it not for these latest developments. But weighed against the issues I'd contemplated since last night's newscast, Renee's visit seemed a mere inconvenience to be dealt with. Yes, all things were definitely relative!

Which led me to my task for the day; it was time for a family council. At Esme's suggestion, we'd extended invitations to Jacob, Leah and Nahuel to join us as they were present during the instructions and admonitions given to us by Samon during the ceremonies at the Sun Temple in Akahim. Jacob had called Leah and Nahuel earlier and they were on their way. Renesmee was still with Charlie and I'd felt for this meeting it would be best if she were not present. She was pretty upset after her last broadcasting experience at the hospital and I did not want her burdened with fear of reprisal while we deliberated on our best course of action. Perhaps this was wrong of me, since Chandra said we should not keep things from her, that she could be told of our discussions as her parents deem fit. Alice was out helping Angela's mother with last minute fittings for the wedding the next day. I would need her to return home for this meeting. I could have just called everyone from the living room but I wanted to give Alice a chance to get here and take a few more minutes to collect my thoughts. Also I wanted to see what all of the racket was that was ruining an otherwise peaceful afternoon.

I found Jasper in his room. He was just getting off the phone and when he caught sight of me.

"Hi Carlisle." He greeted me smiling calmly. His serenity flooded me. I smiled back at him.

"Thank you for that, Jasper. I didn't even realize I was overly anxious until you erased it just now." I said feeling as a calm replaced inner turmoil. "Could you please call Alice for me? I need her to come back home for a bit."

Jasper held up his phone. His eyebrows were raised in amusement. "Actually she just called me to say she knows and she was on her way back to the house for your 'family council'."

I actually laughed with Jasper. It felt good and released even more anxiety from my system. "She really is something else. Isn't she?" I said in amusement.

"I think so." Jasper replied. "She also said that Leah, Nahuel will be here in seven minutes."

"Fine. Say, maybe we need to find a way to try and surprise her for her birthday next month." I said contemplatively.

"I'm all for that. Only how exactly do you propose that would be done?" Jasper asked pointedly.

"I don't know. We'll have to think about it after we resolve all the chaos around here. I'm going to personally go retrieve the others for our meeting so I can investigate what all of the racket is about."

"Okay," Jasper said with a comical tone to his voice. "But maybe I should call Edward and Bella and let you discover what the rest of the clamor is out there."

Now it was my turn to laugh. "Well, you do that Jasper." I said shaking my head. "Bella has been apologizing for over twenty four hours now. Tell Edward I said for him to deal with it."

"Will do," Jasper said with a faint smirk on his face as I walked out his door,

Using my full vampiric speed I found Jacob and Rosalie busily constructing a large metal outbuilding. They had apparently laid a large concrete foundation that was nearly dried and off to the side, metal siding was being fit to a frame.

"What are you building?" I asked in bewilderment. When the power saw turned off I could still hear the sounds of more construction from further off.

"Hi Carlisle!" Rosalie said proudly. "We're building a special garage."

"Special?" I asked in confusion. "We already have a garage. And it has ample space for numerous vehicles already."

"But this one is for a specific purpose." Rosalie explained further.

Jacob brought over a picture copied off a computer printer of a beautiful sports car. Not unlike the sports cars already on our premises. "I don't understand. There would be room for this vehicle in the main garage if you wish to purchase it."

Jacob and Rosalie were shaking their heads at me. "It's not built yet." Jacob said.

Rosalie offered a more complete explanation. "We're constructing an auto shop to build this car in and also to make some, ummm modifications to Bella's truck in." She explained excitedly.

Well who was I to stand in the way of their joint project that seemed to have brought them together? Perhaps a few days of power tools would be worth enduring if it cut out their constant bickering. I suppressed a laugh as I realized that their relationship was more brother/sister than they might have imagined. "Who are you doing this for? You've already got a sports car Rosalie. Is it for you Jacob?" I was curious about how he had talked Rosalie into this undertaking.

"Yes, it's for me." He said and then thought before adding, "…and Nessie of course. Rosalie didn't want her being carted around New Hampshire in my old Rabbit. And Bella said we could 'play with' her truck for Nessie to have when she's older."

"So Nessie was the motivation here." I said considering. She had worked a little of her charm here too it would seem. "Well, I need you to take a break. We'll be having a family council in five minutes. They nodded quickly. I was again surprised. I had thought that I would have their complaint considering how busy they were with their project.

I was thinking about the common bond Jacob and Rosalie had forged as I headed off to the sound of more power tools and Emmett. I saw Bella and Edward jump the river hand-in-hand and whiz past me on their way to the meeting. They gave me a wave as they passed. They seemed to be in a good mood. And then I came around a small stand of fir trees to find the remains of an old homestead that had been enlarged and transformed. Emmett was a blur as he moved back and forth fortifying the southern wall. The other three were completely new. The effect was quite lovely to look at.

"Hello Carlisle, Did you come out to lend me a hand?" he asked cheerfully without stopping or slowing.

"No, I actually came to check up on you and call you to our family council. Everyone is inside already."

He stopped and put down his lumber. "Oh hell, okay but I'll need a hand afterwards to keep to my schedule." He said while brushing sawdust out of his hair with his hand. "I'll never get this done in time." He wailed.

"What exactly are you building?" I asked him bewildered at the elaborate construction project.

His eyes got excited. Honestly, he looked more child-like than Renesmee when he got this way. "Oh, I am building Nessie an Amazon Petting Zoo." I felt my eyes get big. He continued by way of explanation, "Right here is where the monkey house will be, and over here will be the reptile farm. Then over here will be an incubator room for the un-hatched eggs."

"Just where are you getting all of the animals?" I asked him cutting to the chase.

"Well, from the airport." He said chuckling nervously.

"This is what you've been in cahoots with Renesmee over, isn't it?" I asked him as I sighed. He nodded sheepishly. It was definitely hard to be disapproving of him when he was so excited and working with his niece on such a project. "You do realize that we're moving in two months right?" He nodded again. He probably planned on taking them with him and rebuilding the entire zoo again. "Okay, but what does your wife think about your little project?"

Now Emmett looked positively nervous. "Rosalie?" He asked stalling. I gave him a pointed look. "Well, I haven't exactly told her yet."

"This should be interesting." I replied. "Well, let's get back up to the house before everyone leaves." We darted back up the path and were in the dining room in the next second.

***

When Emmett and I arrived at the main house, everyone else was loitering around the front room and in Jacob's case, the refrigerator. When they saw me everyone adjourned to the dining room and its huge table. For a moment I took in the fact that we were three seats short. Edward, Emmett and Jasper quickly secured seats for our guests Nahuel and Leah. Jacob also sat down but he was so much a part of the family by now that he was not considered 'company'. I smiled as I realized that Leah and Nahuel were well on their way to holding a similar place in my heart as Jacob. They were beginning to feel more and more like they belonged as well. Jasper stood behind Alice with his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. Alice already had her stone out on the table in front of her. Emmett stood behind Rosalie with his hands folded. Edward was apparently having none of that and he pulled Bella off her seat and sat down bringing her down into his lap securely in the same motion.

"Edward!" She hissed in a tone that was half embarrassed and half laughter. "You nut!"

Edward replied directly in her ear, "Did you just call me a name?" He asked quiet as a whisper in a tone of mock indignation. "You did. And that might require another apology."

Bella bit her lower lip as her eyes scanned the room in mortification as she realized that everyone knew what Edward was flaunting in front of everyone. Of course Emmett took the bait.

"Please! Save the apologizing for later. Much later, I could use both of you to help finish my project by tomorrow." He said rolling his eyes. Edward and Bella looked at him speculatively.

"I don't know, Emmett. That isn't near as fun as my apologies are." Edward retorted back playfully. It was nice to see both he and Bella had been able to table the issue of Renesmee from yesterday when Charlie had refused to bring her back home and I'd told them to wait until this afternoon to discuss it further.

"Come on Edward—this is for your daughter!" Emmett bellowed emphatically.

"What are you doing for Nessie that requires power tools?" Rosalie asked Emmett as she craned her neck around to see his face.

If I was going to salvage my meeting, I would have to act before Rosalie found out about the animals, so I took that moment to begin.

"Actually, we really need to go ahead and start this meeting. Alice has a tight schedule and Emmett apparently does as well." All eyes turned to me and Emmett let out a sigh of relief.

"Since we are on the topic of Renesmee, let's go ahead and begin our discussion with the incident yesterday afternoon in Seattle." At my words the room immediately became serious.

"Yesterday was unexpected to say the least." I said to a room full of thoughtful nods. "However, after the reaction we witnessed vicariously though the newscasts and papers, I have been thinking that maybe this was meant to be."

I heard an intake of breath from Bella. I looked into everyone's bewildered expressions and was surprised that only Nahuel nodded his head confidently at my assessment. Edward turned slowly between me and Nahuel reading our reasoning directly from our minds.

It was my job to keep everyone else in the loop.

'Not everything Samon explained to us about Renesmee can be repeated aloud, but remember that before he gave us that charge, Samon said_: "Renesmee, you are the true gift here today. You are the treasure. There have been a lot of people working very hard to get you here today, with the parents you have, the family you have, and the friends that you have. Everyone surrounding you here today has a special place in your life and in your heart. This was no accident. This was no coincidence. This was done deliberately and on purpose, because Renesmee Carlie Cullen, you are the 'Hope of the World'."  
_

"What we saw Renesmee do yesterday was to bring hope to the people of Seattle. Of course, she did it unintentionally and not very inconspicuously, but she nevertheless did bring people hope." I said looking around at my family's intense gazes.

"Please take a moment to ponder and consider the charge given to Renesmee from Samon during our visit with him in the temple of Akahim and also the gift that he gave her. While we were forbidden to speak about it aloud we are still able to do so privately in our own minds."

In the silence that followed I too reviewed my own directive although I'd done so at least three times since yesterday evening.

_  
Samon very deliberately removed his gaze from Nessie and turned to look in our general direction. He startled us with a new intensity that rang through his voice. It had power and command in it. Samon's voice, merely a gentle melody before became the entire orchestration now, held out in fortissimo. "What I say to each of you now, does not leave this room. To speak of this to anyone is to put Renesmee in grave danger. You can never know who may be listening, who may change their allegiance, who may be a spy. When you think and ponder on what you are about to hear, those thoughts I will protect from prying minds that would suck it from you, but never speak it out loud. Am I clear?" He'd met each face, holding it until he received confirmation from that individual, either a nod, or an audible 'yes' or a mental agreement. When he was satisfied of our promise, Samon returned his attention to Nessie and his voice became quiet, gentle and warm again._

"Renesmee, you have a growing gift that when it has matured, will have the power to reach into people's minds and potentially change them. Your power will enable you to do this with your thoughts in such a way, that others might possibly think that your thoughts are their own thoughts." There was a shocked intake of air as everyone reacted to this news. I turned and looked at Esme. Her eyebrows were raised. When I turned back to the front, Edward was leaning so far back he was touching my knees. He stared at me with his eyes that were so wide with disbelief that they looked as though they were about to disengage from his eye sockets. I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder as he returned to his former position. Where my reassurance came from, I had no idea. Well, unless it was Samon. It certainly wasn't Jasper, he was a statue; stunned into utter stillness.

"Yes, I'm sure you can see the power in this gift--power that could be incredibly dangerous if it were to get into the wrong hands. That is why this family has been put together with all of your unique gifts and talents. Renesmee, you are pure and innocent. It is very important that you understand every moral, ethical, spiritual, theoretical, philosophical and even judicial meaning of the words 'right' and 'wrong'. You need to understand the ideology behind it, and with the help of your family determine your own guidelines for keeping yourself 'ethically' right. After YOU decide what is right, you must live by it. You must be a straight arrow. "

"This is the charge that I am giving you today. To study and learn everything you can in the world, but apply it to this pursuit of what is 'ethically right' Your family will help you determine what the correct fit for you, but mostly you will know it from within because it is a part of who you are. There will be people who will try to use your gift for their own selfish gain, there are wicked people in the world who will stop at nothing to have you and your gift, and if they can't have you, then they will try to destroy you. They will try to subvert you to do their will." Samon paused at the look of terror that flashed in Renesmee's eyes. The entire room had gone still again. Samon might as well have just said 'Volturi' out loud. What if it's even more than just them to worry about here?

"Don't be alarmed little one. Like I said, it is no mistake that you have been placed into the family that you have. Every person in this room and even a few who are not, are part of your own personal honor guard. In every way, these people surrounding you will protect and support you as the need demands. Search for truth, embrace it, live by it, make it a part of who you are and then always be true to yourself, even when it feels like you are lost and cannot hope to see your goal, and you will see that you never really were lost if you hold tight to your sense of right then you will never fall off course. You will be that straight arrow."

Renesmee nodded her head. She was deep in thought her lips pursed. She looked at her mother who was wearing the same expression. I know I've given you a lot to think about here. Nessie, in conjunction with your growing gift, if you continue to work with your Uncle Jasper to attach powerful feelings to your thoughts, it will further enhance your power into a vehicle to bring people feelings of joy, hope, encouragement, courage, peace and love. You could use it for other feelings as well, but I would encourage you to focus your efforts on the positive. Negative thoughts and feelings seem to creep in on their own and they lead to paths of darkness. You are our 'antidote' for these sorts of things. The real way to at least balance the scales of good and evil will be to affect people on a personal level and stimulate the good that is inherent in them. I am going to give your gift a little boost today, but you must continue to develop and train it on a daily basis. At times, your father's gift may come in handy as he can determine and tell you what someone is thinking already so that you can use it to weave around your own thoughts as you send them the message it will have a greater affect on them. This will strengthen your mental message's possibilities even more. Also, don't leave your Grandpa Charlie out of this. When you get back, he will tell you an idea he has come up with to help you learn a lot about human nature." Samon turned to Edward and Bella and continued, "And you may want to seriously consider the value of his idea in helping her learn and develop her charge." Samon stopped for a few minutes to give us a moment to process his information so far.

I remembered how my own mind had been swimming with the possibilities and the responsibilities that such a gift entailed. I knew that our little Nessie was a unique and special individual. I had often felt goodness in children, before the world left its own imprint on them. We were given a charge that day, not just Edward and Bella, but each of us, to teach her about the world and about being morally and ethically right? Indeed it was a huge task for all of us.  
_  
_ As everyone silently thought through Samon's words their faces became thoughtful, reflective and in Edward's case, worried. Bella was alarmed. I was sure that she was agonizing over the weight of responsibility placed on her daughter's small shoulders. And yet, Renesmee had pulled off just such an assignment effortlessly yesterday. When everyone's eyes returned to me, I looked at Edward before continuing. "We are at a disadvantage here as we are unable to openly discuss this matter but we can have a one-way conversation if we direct our thoughts and opinions to Edward." "This would be fitting as he is Renesmee's father, so after everyone who has a comment to make thinks it to Edward, we will follow his lead in this matter."

Edward swallowed hard and sighed before looking at me and nodding.

"So I will go around the table and give everyone a chance to mentally tell Edward their thoughts of what we should do about Renesmee's actions in light of what we were told by Samon." I started on my right and let Esme start. She looked intently at Edward as she thought her counsel to Edward. It was times like these that I wished I had Edward's gift of mind reading. This led me to consider for a tenth of a second whether I would actually have mind reading sometime after my transformation. When Esme was done she looked back at me and Edward immediately looked to Rosalie on her right. Rosalie appeared to have quite a lot to say about Renesmee's actions. And Edward nodded thoughtfully for several minutes before Rosalie looked at me. I then directed Emmett who looked at Edward for only twenty five seconds before he looked back my way with a huge grin. Edward had moved on to Bella sitting in his lap. When I looked at Bella I saw her face slightly tighten in concentration as she lifted her shield and shared her thoughts with Edward. She didn't take long and I suspected that they had already had a very lengthy one-way conversation about our dilemma. I was most surprised by Nahuel, who when it was his turn, looked at Edward with such conviction and confidence as he gave Edward his opinion. Edward's reaction was at first startled but slowly it relaxed and finally he smiled at Nahuel with new understanding. Leah, Jacob, Jasper and Alice each took a turn before it was lastly mine. I briefly remembered a family council two and a half years ago that my ending pronouncement sent Edward into a fury that resulted in the destruction of our rather large flat screen television in the front room. He chuckled at that memory.

'_Edward,'_ I thought. _'Our instinct is to run when we risk exposure. That is what we do out of habit. But Renesmee can't run from this. We know what happened when you tried to outrun your destiny. We must learn to embrace it somehow. We can't clip Renesmee's wings when she is meant to fly. But we must find a way to try and control the fall out. Embracing her destiny does not have to mean exposure for any of us. She is more human than the rest of us. And she must have these experiences to allow her to not just learn control but how to discern situations and what is appropriate. Samon told us that we needed to have her training every day. Perhaps, these experiences are part of that everyday training.'_

When I finished, I gave Edward, who had lowered his head, a moment to gather his own thoughts. Then he raised his head his eyes met mine and he kissed Bella's forehead.

"Well," Edward said slowly as he took in everyone in the room. "It would appear that everyone is in agreement that we need to let Renesmee fulfill her destiny." He sifted through his thoughts as he struggled to say something that would not compromise his sacred oath and end up risking his daughter's life. "And of course, we all feel that she needs more training and more awareness of what is happening around her. Bella and I are both concerned that her being in the spotlight will be the thing that alerts the Volturi to her activities. It might be hard to keep her safe if they see her as a threat again." He said slowly and his face was lined with worry.

"We all share your concern, Son." I added taking over the lead. I reached over and put my hand on his shoulder briefly. "So, we need to overlook the Seattle incident and hope for now that incident and any future ones don't fly too close to the Volturi radar." I looked at Alice. She was looking ahead with our decision made. She told us she saw Aro talking to Caius and Jane about our family but Aro had no plans to visit with us. In fact, he seemed to be happy with our family over something that had yet to occur.

"That is a little vague Alice." I told her. "Can you see what they are doing right now in your stone?" I asked worriedly.

She gazed into the stone and Jasper leaning over her shoulder saw as well.

"Aro is giving Felix a sealed letter of some kind." She said slowly. "Felix is going somewhere. I can't tell what it's about. I can't even tell who the letter is for. I _can_ see that Aro and Felix do not appear to be angry or upset, as we feared that they would be if they knew about Seattle." She added hopefully.

"I agree with Alice." Jasper said as he gazed at Aro's face through the stone. "He seems happy about something. He doesn't seem to be calling his guards in and planning any kind of an offensive at present."

"Thank you Alice and Jasper," I said giving them a smile. "So we will continue with Nessie's training and see what the idea of Charlie's is about. And we'll have Alice continue to search Aro and Caius's actions so we can be prepared—just in case. They nodded in agreement.

Nahuel raised his hand and I called on him. "I understand about your apprehension over the Volturi, but look at what has been done already. There is help available to us that is both seen (he gestured to each of us) and unseen as well. We should have faith and confidence in allowing Renesmee to reach out to those around her. Her birth was just the first of many miracles and we have a front row seat. We should make sure that we encourage her to use her gifts at every opportunity. I feel it is important for Renesmee to reach out and embrace her destiny, not be worrying about holding it in. I feel that she will be protected if she is doing what is required of her. I mean, look at the arsenal of home guards she has in this room alone. She is not without resources."

Everyone nodded at his words. I was amazed at how his countenance had changed in just the few short days that he himself had embraced his own fantastical destiny. Perhaps he was speaking from his own very recent experience. I found courage and insight in his words. He would be a phenomenal leader.

"Thank you very much Nahuel. I think you have offered us some food for thought. I find that I do cautiously agree with you."

"But we still want Alice looking in on the Volturi right?" Jacob responded anxiously.

"Absolutely," Edward said resolutely looking at Alice who nodded fervently.

"Alright then I believe it is time for us to move on to our second item of family business." I said calmly. "Renee Dwyer will be coming next week for Bella's birthday." Bella sighed at my pronouncement. "Of course, she doesn't know about Renesmee at all and I believe we are planning on sticking to the original story? Am I righ,t Bella?" Everyone looked to her glum expression.

"Yes." She answered forlornly. "It would be too hard for my mother to accept the reality of the fact that my two year old looks eight. Plus she is still getting used to the idea of being a mother-in-law. I'm just worried about how perceptive my mother is." She confided in us. Her voice was worried. "Not only that, I need to have a story to explain about my appearance and a reason that I haven't gone to Florida to see her." She was biting her lower lip. It almost appeared to be breaking through the hard membrane, she'd clamped down so hard.

"Don't worry Bella," Alice said reassuringly. "This is all new to you but we are experts at fitting in with those around us. We'll help you."

"It's actually kind of fun." Emmett added trying to add humor to the conversation. "Sometimes we make a game of it to see who can come up with the best story."

Edward patted her back. "Last night on the phone, Renee asked Bella why she was okay to go to the Amazon for six weeks but not able to come see her. Bella has been struggling with how to answer that satisfactorily."

Well, let's think on this until she arrives next Tuesday. I'm sure that between the twelve of us we can think of something. As Alice and Emmett say, we do have experience in cover stories."

"Now, tomorrow is Angela Webber and Ben Chaney's wedding. And we have all been invited. Is everyone planning to go?" I asked.

Edward, Bella, Alice, Jasper and Esme's hands went up. The rest made their excuses. Rosalie and Jacob would be traveling to pick up a motor in Portland and purchasing equipment to 'outfit' their shop. Emmett was picking up his 'packages' in Seattle. Leah and Nahuel would be in LaPush spending the day with Sue Clearwater and their friends from the reservation.

"That will be fine." I said softly. "Esme, you'll have to give Angela and Ben my congratulations." She nodded encouragingly. There was a sudden excitement in the air. It was as though everyone suddenly realized what I was really saying. "I will be unable to attend, because I have a previous engagement that takes precedent." I said significantly as I took out the golden flask. Why was I nervous? Of course, I knew already why I was nervous. This was the moment I would announce my decision and I was worried about how my family would react

"Today is the seventh day." I whispered. You could hear a pin drop in the room.


	42. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty Seven  
Friends**

**Bella's POV**

I was standing with Edward, Alice, Jasper and Esme under a blanket of cloudy gray skies that were trying unsuccessfully to darken the mood. The beautiful floral arrangements featuring salmon shaded roses interspersed with purple roses and white lilies, only had their color intensified by the contrast of the brooding stratosphere. Angela looked beautiful in her satin white wedding dress with white pearl accents and Ben cleaned up exceptionally well in his black tailored tuxedo. They look very happy.

I looked up at my husband and remembered how exceptionally nervous I had been about the whole wedding ordeal. He returned my gaze with an expression that encapsulated every tender thought he had ever had for me. And I knew he was remembering our own wedding two years ago, as well. It had been the beginning of the rest of my life; my gateway into adulthood; my rite-of-passage to becoming a Cullen in every sense of the word. It had meant so much to Edward. What I had not understood until I was experiencing it myself, was that it had really meant very much to me as well. I was surprised as I witnessed Ben kiss his bride, the happy couple as they cut their cake, Angela throwing her bouquet, Ben throwing the garter belt and when they danced their first dance as a married couple, that I too had so many similar happy memories of my own. And I was grateful that Alice had used her intense powers of persuasion to stop me from a quick trip to Vegas where I would still have secured my soul mate but would have missed so many wonderful memories.

Next Angela danced with her father, Mr. Weber, who had performed our marriage. I smiled remembering Charlie dancing me around in a slow circle under twinkling lights. That reminded me of my conversation with my Dad earlier this morning. I had called his cell phone to see if he could bring Renesmee over to Port Angeles for the wedding. He had muttered 'monkey suit' before making their excuses. They were on their way to Sequim to some animal farm. My daughter had my dad wound around her little finger and he was loving it. He planned to drop her off at the house on their way back to town later this afternoon. They would probably beat us home but someone will be there. Either Emmett or Jacob and Rosalie will have returned from their errands. Of course Carlisle was there, but as he was in the deep sleep of transformation, he would be completely unavailable until tomorrow afternoon.

He was profoundly touched yesterday in our family council when he'd broached the topic of his decision to transform. He had asked for a vote of who would support him and everyone stood up and walked around the table to clasp hands with him in a show of solidarity. We had wasted no time in helping him with his preparations. Edward and Jasper started a roaring fire in the fireplace that was to the sufficient temperature Samon had instructed. Carlisle swallowed the fluid and I could have sworn I felt it go down my own throat; so intent was I on the procedure. You could tell he was fighting to keep it down. I could not imagine what it must have tasted like to produce such a violent reaction. Then he washed the flask out with soapy water, crushed it and threw it into the blazing fire. He almost looked sick. If I hadn't been warned of the side effects I would've been alarmed. It was unsettling somehow to see Carlisle appear so vulnerable. It wasn't long after that he'd yawned and became tired. He went up the stairs to his room and lay down on his bed. It was a good thing his, and Esme's, bedroom was large because everyone followed him up. Esme covered him up with a blanket and lay down beside him. The rest of us stood around the bed and looked on. He seemed to have a nervous excitement about him as he looked at each of us. I gave him my biggest smile when his eyes met mine and told him that I loved him. I was not alone. Everyone told him the same thing when his eyes met theirs and finally his eyes shut and his breathing deepened. We continued as sentries there for a good hour before we left for our various activities leaving Esme there to keep watch in privacy.

But he had insisted that he wouldn't need to have us hovering over him since he would be unconscious and not in need of any special care, and so at his earlier urging, Esme was with us at the wedding; dancing with Jasper while I danced with my god-like husband.

I looked around at all of my old school friends, another unexpected treat. I never thought I would be able to see them again—even with my self-control. I just looked too different to be explained. Certainly there had been some tense moments at the airport when we'd unexpectedly run into Angela and Ben. I felt as though I would cry when they'd gotten a good look at me and their faces turned into blank stares. But I was encouraged with their ability to 'find me' in my new face. It had been two years after all; some changes were to be expected; just not so many.

"Angela and Ben seem very happy." Edward said as he twirled me around in a spin. Ever since my vampire conversion, I had really taken a liking to dancing--especially in the arms of the hottest man to grace the planet Earth—my Edward. I loved the pronoun 'mine' whenever I thought of it attached to words like 'Edward' or 'husband'. I smiled as I looked up into his face and forgot for a second he'd spoken.

"Oh, uh right." I stammered, lost in his eyes. "They do look very happy. Almost as happy as you have made me." I said stepping closer into him; momentarily losing our dancing posture.

"Well, I'm happy for Angela and Ben." He said with my favorite smirk and a twinkle in his eyes. "Especially since I've already swooped in and picked out the cream of the crop."

"Right," I told him sarcastically as I rolled my eyes. "I do believe that you are biased, Mr. Cullen. Not that I'm complaining. I most definitely don't want you to ever come down with a case of 'wandering eyes'."

He looked at me incredulously and shook his head. "I thought that with your improved eye sight you would have seen just how beautiful you truly are." He reached down and quickly grazed his lips across mine. Then he added with a sigh, "Ahh well, your humility does become you. I suppose its part of your charm. Besides, I'm happy to keep you all to myself so I can appreciate every inch of your perfection, Bella love." As his voice became a whisper at the end a tremor snaked its way clear down to my toes.

I laughed breathlessly. "Why Mr. Cullen," I replied tartly as I batted my eyes. "I do believe you are trying to seduce me."

His grin grew wider but the look in his eyes changed, became more intense. His voice became a low moan as he said right in my ear. "Not trying, dear--doing."

I had to redirect this conversation and fast or we would be leaving the reception before I even had a chance to say 'hello' to my school friends and catch up with them. "Edward, if I didn't know better, I'd think you were just trying to come up with an excuse to get out of dancing." To which he burst into a fit of laughter as he remembered my pre-transformation dancing issues.

He then proceeded to kiss me while we continued our dance. When the music stopped, he pulled away but kept me in his arms waiting for the next song to start. A quiet growl of exasperation emanated from his chest suddenly "Oh wonderful," He muttered to me under his breath. "Here comes Newton." He rolled his eyes and then it was my turn to smirk at him. Truth be told though, I was a little nervous and I held tightly to Edward's hand as he turned us around to meet my approaching friend.

I had caught everyone's shocked glances, off and on just before and after the ceremony and even if they hadn't recognized me, I was with Edward, so they'd put together that I must be me. So far no one had made an attempt to speak to me. Trust Mike to be the first. Mike had done some changing himself in the last two years. He had been attending college in southern California and he was quite tan. It set his blonde hair, which was worn longer than before, and blue eyes, off quite nicely. Mike had also grown another few inches and he looked as though he'd done some weight training. There was a lot of upper body strength. The most striking difference about Mike was his new self-assurance. He was becoming a man. I found I was happy to see that quality surfacing in Mike. It would serve him well.

Edward must have read my nervousness as I tensed beside him. His smile became genuine as he eyed Mike. "Have you come to dance with my wife, Newton?" He asked easily.

"If you don't mind, Edward," Mike said cordially. "My last dance at your wedding was kind of cut short." He added and I couldn't place the tone. It was almost a disguised accusation.

"Really?" Edward asked feigning ignorance. I had to stifle a laugh. What in the world was Mike thinking now that Edward found so amusing? "Well, by all means. I'm sure Bella would love to dance with you, Mike Newton. Just watch out for the dips." He leaned over to Mike and said quietly. "I don't want her falling for you."

"Hardy har, har Edward, very funny," I said playing along. I knew what Edward was telling me. I needed to 'act' like my old self--my old clumsy self.

Mike chuckled a little disconcerted. "Yah you're right, this is Bella we're talking about here. Don't worry, I might not be as light on my toes as you, but I won't let her trip over her own feet."

Okay, that remark, though said in fun did irk me a bit. It was one thing for Edward to say something to give me a cue, but I found that my previous feelings of affection for Mike were beginning to evaporate.

Edward looked at me with an amused expression. He clearly caught my reaction. Then he turned to Mike as the music started. "Don't say I didn't warn you Newton." His voice was deadpan. Edward then looked at me. "I'll go dance with my Mother." He turned back to Mike, offering him my hand. "…and then I'll send Jessica Stanley or Lauren Malory over here to pick up your pieces, Mike,"

"Oh, thanks," Mike said amiably not getting the insult. Maybe he hadn't wised up all that much after all. "And make it Lauren." Mike called to Edward's back. "I've been on the outs with Jessica for over a year now." Edward walked off towards Esme. I saw the back of his head shake infinitesimally.

"You look amazing," Mike said as he took me in his arms for our dance. I tried not to notice his slight shudder. I was glad Alice had the 'foresight' to put a pair of dainty white gloves in my dress pocket. I'd quickly donned them just before my hand was in his. "I didn't even recognize you at first. What did you do? I mean, do you have your own personal make-up artist or something? It looks so natural." He asked smiling.

I didn't know if I should have taken his last remark as a complement or an insult. Should I have told him I'd gone to a plastic surgeon or that I'd met a fairy creature in the woods, who had waved a magic wand and granted me a wish? Either way his comment implied that I must have looked terrible before. Was he a moron or what? I didn't remember Mike being so tactless. My irritation was rising just a little.

I deliberately stepped on his foot but covered it up with a nervous glance at him. "Oops…sorry Mike." I said as I pretended to almost fall and applied some pressure on his other foot in a pretence of steadying myself. I had to be careful with Mike. He might be annoying me but he was still my friend and also humanly breakable. "Whoa!"

"Steady there." Mike said as he righted me. "I might not have recognized you at first, but you're definitely Bella." He'd chuckled. He was putting himself on thin ice and didn't even know it.

"Well Mike, I almost fell for you there." I said, taking Edward's line and glowering at Mike. He mistook my expression for something else. He laughed.

"So you broke up with Jessica, again?" I'd asked while almost tripping him with my 'clumsiness'. This pretending was kind of fun. I was glad Edward had started working on my acting skills with me.

"Yes, you know there's a bigger pool of hot girls to pick from in southern California. I've been dating someone new every weekend. Jessica is okay looking, but I've known her all my life. She's too much like a sister to me. Besides, all of the good looking girls here are already spoken for." He said eying me appreciatively.

"Hmmm, is that so?" I asked him sweetly. "Funny, it didn't look like you regarded her as a sibling back in high school when you used to kiss her in the parking lot." It wasn't that he didn't have a right to part ways with Jessica, or that she and I were such good friends either; it was just his disregard that left a nasty taste in my mouth. Was this what Edward had seen in his head all along? "I'll have to mention your theory about the pool here in Forks being 'tapped out' to Lauren when Edward sends her your way." I answered maybe a little too innocently. Okay, I was laying it on a thick. But speaking of thick…

Mike laughed nervously. "Ummm, I thought that you and Lauren weren't really on speaking terms."

"Well, not yet. But I was planning on saying 'hi' to her." I stifled a laugh at the worried expression that crossed his face. "Oh relax Mike; I'm just playing with you." I teased him just as the music started to pick up; time to step up my graceless performance a notch.

I started to move faster to keep up with the tempo. I smiled brightly to keep Mike from realizing I had kind of taken over the leading. I wished I had a camera. Mike seemed so stunned it was comical. Well, time to break that spell. I pretended to fall on my stiletto heels. Not a hard thing to fake and Mike almost fell with me. As it was, he nearly didn't right himself in time to catch me.

"Bella, are you alright?" He'd asked in concern. I giggled in pretend embarrassment. Mike lowered his voice. "You know what I'm thinking?"

"No, but I have a feeling I'm about to find out!" I said with a slow smile spreading across my face.

Mike's expression became dazed again. Then he seemed to shake himself with effort and said, "I think you had a little too much champagne."

"You think I'm drunk?" I replied the smile on my face disappearing.

"Bella," He said rolling his eyes. "You were never this clumsy in high school. Something else is affecting your balance."

"For your information Mike, I didn't have any kind of alcoholic beverage." I admitted. My voice had taken on a more dangerous tone than I'd intended it to have. But as I narrowed my eyes at Mike, his smug expression changed from one of amusement to one of apprehension. I needed to get back on safer ground. "Besides, I wasn't having any problems dancing with Edward. Perhaps it's you." I offered innocently as I upped our tempo again to match the music's quickening beat.

"Why would you think that? I'm not the one tripping all over the place." He seemed to notice that we were dancing faster suddenly. "Do you think that is such a good idea? I mean going faster with your…ummm…equilibrium problems?" His tone was mocking as he smirked down at me.

Why was I getting so upset with Mike? And to think I had been so happy to see him today. Maybe I wasn't the only one making drastic changes.

"Me? You're the one going too fast." I hissed at him, although I modulated my voice to sound more nervous. "And you know I'm uncoordinated. Slow down please! Before we both break our necks."

"I'm not doing anything." He said confused. "We're going way too fast."

"Right…" I said with a false note of rising concern. "I bet that's what you say to all the girls." He let out a whimper.

Poor Mike, he did help me out in gym class a lot in the past. Maybe I should return the favor. I wanted to send him back to his groupies as showy as possible. So for the last stanza, I allowed myself to glide with ease and finesse. It was a little tricky to continue leading while appearing to let Mike be in command.

"Wow, did you take dance lessons, Mike?" I'd asked him while he smiled weakly.

Lauren and Jessica were both staring at us open mouthed. Jessica, in shock that Mike was so twinkle toed and Lauren, indignant. She looked as though she was jealous Mike had saved his best moves for the likes of me—a Cullen. "What did you have to drink Mike? A Red Bull?"

He smiled weakly at me. "Red Bull?" he asked breathlessly as though he were dazed again. The song was coming to its conclusion and I knew a dip would really be great I looked at him conspiratorially. "Are you ready for our big finish?" I asked him.

"Big finish?" He asked weakly

"Yes, you know…our dip? Edward always ends this song with a dip. Don't worry; I know exactly how to do this."

"That's not a good idea." Mike stammered nervously shaking his head.

"Why? It will be really fun." I said back to him confidently.

"If I drop you Edward will KILL me!" His voice was rising in alarm.

"Oh, Edward is just overprotective." I said dismissively. It was time for our drop drop. "Ready?"

Mike made a noise as I stopped, dropped and he rolled…

Edward was at my side helping me up. True to his word he had Lauren Mallory at his side.

"I am sooo sorry, Bella." Mike apologized profusely as Lauren helped him up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I said brushing off my dress. "Perhaps Lauren here can help you polish up your dips." I added dryly patting Lauren's shoulder. She flinched at my touch. Geez, it wasn't like I had cooties or something.

"Hi Bella," She said somewhat stiffly. "You are looking…well." I had never been Lauren's favorite person in the world. I guess that had not changed.

"Thank you, you look…well too." I responded brightly with the same pause she'd given me. "Have you done much modeling lately?"

"No, not much," She said searching for anything else to talk to me about. Apparently she'd come up empty. I guessed we had nothing in common after all. "Umm, Tyler was looking for you." She added reluctantly.

"Oh, thanks for the heads up." I told her as Edward led me off the dance floor and to a table where Jessica, Tyler, Eric, Katie, Austin and Lee were visiting. They had plates of half-eaten food.

"Hi everybody!" I said nervously. I tried to make sure I used my lower practiced human sounding voice. Jessica stood up and gave me a big hug. At least she hadn't flinched like Mike had done.

"Bella it is so good to see you. I hope Mike didn't damage you too badly with that last move of his." Jessica said laughing.

"I'm fine," I assured her. "Actually I may have tripped him there at the end." I laughed lightly.

"No, it was his fault. You should have seen him from here. He wasn't paying any attention. His head was in the clouds." Jessica added with a snicker.

"I couldn't agree with you more, Jessica." Edward said congenially behind me. He took Jessica's hand and she got nervous. "You are looking very nice today. How do you like school in California?"

Jessica looked between the two of us and grinned. "School is great! It's a lot of fun in college. Of course, it would be more fun if Mike would stop romping around come back to me." Her grin kind of took on a forced quality to it. Edward released her hand.

"Do you know what I think Jessica?" I asked her quietly. She shook her head focused on my intensity. "I think you should blow Mike off. I've heard that there's a bigger pool of hot guys in college. Maybe you should take up swimming. If you know what I mean?"

Her eyes raised a fraction as she processed my suggestion. "Do you really think so?" She breathed.

"Uh yah," I said. "You have a lot to offer someone. It may just have to be someone--else." As if Jessica needed any reassurance from me.

"Thanks!" She said fervently. Okay, maybe she did after all. Then she surprised me by adding, "You really look great! Do you go to Paris or something to get your hair done?" Maybe I shouldn't take her remark personally. Obviously Jessica was trying, like Mike, to account for my altered appearance.

"Bella!" Tyler shouted happily as he grabbed me in a bear hug. He shuddered slightly but didn't pull away instantly. "It has been to long! I have really missed you!"

"I believe you!" I said laughing while acknowledging and controlling the burn in my throat simultaneously. "What have you been up to?"

"Oh, you know; driving Lauren crazy." He rolled his eyes. He said as Austin made room for us to sit at their table. Tyler let me go and shook Edward's hand. We all sat down.

"And how is that going for you?" I asked Tyler. "I mean the 'driving Lauren crazy' bit? Wasn't she already there?" I said innocently as I smiled. Edward squeezed my leg under the table. Everyone laughed at my comment. To my surprise, so did Tyler.

"I guess you have a point there. I'm just keeping her in her constant state of crazy then." He corrected good natured.

"Did you guys get something to eat yet? The food is really good!" Eric said grinning at us from across the table where he sat with Katie.

"Not yet," Edward said. "What is that exactly anyway?" he added. We looked at the assortment of food on their plates. It looked as though there was some kind of a sandwich wrap and salad.

"I don't know." Austin Marks replied. "I'm just eating it."

"I'll say you're eating it," Katie piped in. "What is that, your third plate, Austin?"

They all laughed before Jessica asked, "Angela told me that you guys adopted your niece? I was looking forward to seeing her." She glanced around in question.

"Sorry," I piped up. "She's spending the day with her Grandpa Charlie."

"Darn," Jessica said resigned.

"Well, I saw her on the news the other night." Eric said happily. "That was her, right?"

"Yes," Edward replied with a tight grin. "She gave us all a little surprise there. But all I can tell you is that you can't believe everything you hear on a newscast."

"Tell me about it." Katie replied. "We learned all about bias in the media during our communications class last semester."

"Well, biased or not. I just took one look at her and I knew she must be Edward's niece. She is so beautiful. The media may have gotten all worked up from that fact alone!"

"Maybe," Edward said self-depreciatingly, "It looks better on her than on me." He shook his head. I raised my eyebrow and noticed that both Jessica and Katie shared in my assessment that nothing looked better than the perfection of Edward's face on Edward himself. My pride swelled suddenly. He was MINE! I leaned up and kissed him sweetly.

"You know I can't agree with that." I told him lightly. Katie and Jessica sighed dreamily in the background.

"Well, I'm done now." Tyler said after quickly swallowing his last bite. "Just in time to dance with Bella before Lauren gets back here. He eyed me as he stood up. "May I?" he asked formally.

"Oh, you're actually asking me to dance?" I asked shocked. I laughed as I remembered his comment of 'that's okay…we still have prom' from my newly enhanced memory stores. He nodded his head expectantly as he stood by my chair. "Well, okay but I hope you've got steel-reinforced toes in those shoes of yours. I am still a klutz you know."

"Hey, put my name on your dance card," Eric said quickly.

"Me too," Austin piped up.

I stood up and allowed Tyler to lead me to the dance floor. Edward was soon out there with Jessica. Apparently, Alice had also provided him with gloves as well. I found I was having a lot of fun with my old friends that afternoon. I gave my friends my new email address so I could keep up with them when we all took off for our various schools.

I even got a chance to catch up with Angela and Ben some. Although they had a crazy amount of people present to entertain and visit. The newlyweds would be heading out to Hawaii for their honeymoon. That reminded me of my own island honeymoon. I caught a look in Edward's eye and I knew he was thinking the same thing. I checked my watch. Another thirty minutes and Ben and Angela would leave. Then so could we. I felt like I was still on my honeymoon. Nothing had 'let up' yet. I sighed and tried to focus on something else. There were other people here I hadn't said 'hello' to yet. I grabbed Edward's hand and went off to say' hi' to Ms. Cope, Mr. Greene, Mr. Varner, Mr. Banner and Doctor Gerandy. That seemed to take up the extra time just perfectly and soon we were throwing rice at Ben and Angela as they made their mad dash to a car decorated with shaving cream, streamers, confetti and a string of aluminum cans. Of course, there were a few pairs of stilettos in there with the 'car train'. Just one of the 'Alice touches' that had helped to make Angela and Ben's already beautiful wedding, perfect! I was once again caught up remembering how much I had loved my own wedding.

Alice, Jasper and Esme were approaching us and we were getting ready for our own departure. I was waving good bye to Jessica, Eric and Tyler when suddenly, I received a 'thought message' from my daughter. It was colored with panic and dread. Something was wrong—very wrong! Renesmee and Charlie were in trouble.


	43. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty Eight  
Unexpected**

**Charlie's POV**

It was a bit of a shock to witness the fall-out from Nessie's little broadcasting incident on the news the night before last. It didn't take long for reporters to track down my phone number and demand interviews. I decided that I would take Nessie out instead to keep her away from the ever ringing phone at the house. I was briefly wishing I had an unlisted number like the Cullens had but I knew that it would just be a matter of time before someone traced Carlisle through the hospital and got his number as well. I hoped all the hoopla died down before things got that far.

After the disturbing news cast, I'd finally gotten fed up and turned the ringer off my home phone and gone through Nessie's photos from her trip with her. We had just picked them up from the one hour photo store. It looked as though she'd had quite a fun time. I was almost alarmed when I saw how sick Jacob looked in one picture. If I hadn't seen him perfectly healthy that very day I would have thought he was going to die. Then there was a picture of Rosalie with a centipede stuck in her hair. It was definitely a candid shot. Her normally beautiful blonde hair was streaked with red and green through it. Even though Nessie laughed at the image, I didn't see too much happiness on Rosalie's face.

There were some other pictures I thought were interesting with three very tall Amazon women who were clearly of Indian descent but still had a chalky white appearance to their skin. Perhaps it was a bug repellent they were applying; Nessie said their names were Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. They were very beautiful but also somehow looked real scary too. Maybe it was the leather and suede clothing with beads that gave them the appearance of outback bounty hunters. And Nessie must've taken all of the pictures of these three women with her flash on; as each of them had 'red eye' in every photo she'd taken of them. Maybe that was what really gave them such a 'ghoulish' appearance.

Yesterday we spent the morning at First Beach with Sue and her kids. I took my granddaughter over to see the tide pools again. When she reached down into one and pulled out a tiny starfish it reminded me so much of bygone days with her mother that I started missing my Bella. She might be all grown-up now and a wife and a mom but she was still my little girl.

Renesmee then took me sea shell collecting on the beach. Of course Seth was there with us helping her find some really pretty ones. He was a really good kid. Harry would've been so proud of him. Now I would have a chance to call him 'son'. Funny, I never really thought of having sons since Bella had been my only child, now I had Edward, who was feeling more like a son to me every day. And soon I'd have Seth too and maybe even Nahuel. Funny how life could give you more just when you started thinking it'd left you high and dry. It was very relaxing to hear the gulls, feel the ocean breeze with a hint of salt spray and see the whales in the bay. Sue called us over to a blanket she had spread on the sand. She'd made us a lunch of sandwiches and before I knew it, Leah and Nahuel were rushing off to the Cullens house for some 'hush hush' thing. That was fine. Sue and I took Renesmee out to see the new Harry Potter show in Port Angeles. That was a lot of fun too, and while I was worried about someone recognizing her, no one did.

We'd gotten home and made dinner afterwards and then Nessie sat down and proceeded to read to Sue and me the first four chapters of 'Lord of the Rings'. I got so caught up in not just the story (which was a surprise to me in and of itself. I didn't really hold to wizards and elves and such nonsense), but I found myself marveling at Renesmee's command of the English language. She was not just reading it with ease; she was adding inflections, singing the songs and even very subtly changing her voice to suit the character. It almost made me giddy with pride. In fact, I kind of forgot to watch the game that night. When I did remember, it was almost over and I found I didn't really care about it so much. Finally, little Renesmee started to get tired so we loaded up in my Escalade and took Sue back to LaPush for the night. When we'd returned, I tucked my own little sleeping beauty into Bella's old bed before going back down stairs and turning on the ten o'clock news to catch the recap on my missed game. Luckily, there was no more mention of our Seattle 'incident'.

This morning Bella had the nerve to call and suggest that I should meet them up in Port Angeles all 'decked out' for Angela and Ben's wedding. Now it's not like I have anything against the Webers or the Chaneys, it's just that I do have something against getting all fancied up. I immediately seized upon another activity that Renesmee had suggested; an activity that would allow us to be dressed far too casually for a wedding and a city or two in the wrong direction --namely Sequim and it's 'Olympic Game Farm'.

On the way to our destination I'd heard for the first time of the fantastical 'Amazon Petting Zoo' her Uncle Emmett was building for her. If she was anybody else I would have pegged her description as wishful thinking, but the Cullens had resources that were unbelievable and my little princess didn't take to tall tales.

'_It must be nice to have more money than God.'_ I'd thought dryly.

I had to tell myself that repeatedly as she recounted to me the adventures she had with her 'Uncle Emmett' in securing their new exotic pets, that she was practicing her 'gift'. I'd also had a hard time swallowing when she'd told of how she'd scaled tall trees and wrestled with crocs. I hoped that her muscular uncle was doing the bulk of the croc 'securing'.

Well I had a little surprise of my own for Nessie today. You see, I'd known the owners of the Olympic Game Farm, Lloyd and Catherine Beebe and their now grown son, Melvin for years. We went way back. When their son was a boy of five, he was able to work with dangerous wild animals so well that he trained them for Disney films. I had called Melvin and told him about my granddaughter and her newly discovered ability to 'whisper' to animals.

Now, I know I ain't supposed to be spreading this around and I did tell Melvin that this was to be kept in strictest confidence, but I wanted Nessie to have an experience that would be exciting to her and personal. So we were going to meet with Melvin and his aged parents today and get Nessie some exposure to the park's wildlife that most could only glimpse from their cars. After hearing about her escapades with her Uncle Emmett I was mighty glad I'd come up with this angle. I hadn't realized I was in a competition of sorts here, to 'one-up' her crazy uncle.

After we had paid our entrance fee, I'd called Melvin who came and met us at the gate. He looked mighty impressed with my little angel and I grinned from ear to ear.

"Well now, Nessie," Melvin said after introductions were made. "You're grandpa tells me you have a way with animals. Is that right?" His eyes were twinkling as he spoke.

Of course, Nessie had a way with people too, but I didn't mention that fact to Melvin.

"Yep!" Nessie said happily and I could tell that they were going to get along just fine. "I like all kinds of animals. Of course, some I mostly like for dinner." That caused us all three to laugh. Somehow I almost felt like I was missing something there.

"Well, I guess I'd have to agree with you there. I do like a good steak every now and then." Melvin said good-naturedly. "Well, your Grandpa here, tells me you have a very special way with the wild life"

"Oh, you mean my ability to call to them?" Nessie said excitedly.

"Exactly."Melvin replied. "What were the last animals you did this with?"

"Oh, let me see," Nessie said thinking. "My Uncle Emmett had me call some piranhas, anacondas, then there were the Bonobos, the Black Caiman Crocodiles, a pair of Jaguars and a…"

"Where in the world did you do all of that?" Melvin said in shock as he gazed at the delicate frame of Nessie who looked for all the world like an eight year old.

"In the Amazon Rainforest." Nessie responded simply.

Melvin recovered and looked shrewdly at her. "Okay, let's see what you can do here. Only let's start with something a little tamer first."

Renesmee's eyes sparkled at the possibilities. "Cool!" She said and she looked up at me so happily that my insides melted.

Her first encounter was with the Llamas--animals that everyone interacted with. Nessie simply closed her eyes for a second and the next thing you knew all of the Llamas left their various pursuits and walked right over to her. They were actually fighting to secure her attentions. One tried to spit in my face to get me to move but I moved my head just in the nick of time. It took a good ten minutes to extricate ourselves from the hairy admirers.

"That was really something Nessie. Okay, let's try something a little more challenging. For the next four hours Melvin worked his way through an assortment of animals ranging from almost tame to pretty wild. She preened herself with a peacock, rode bareback on a wild zebra, climbed on top of a white Rhino and then scratched the back of its head. It seemed to really enjoy that. It was especially interesting to see her play with the wolves as though they were puppies. And then there were the bears. She jumped right into their habitat and was dancing with them. Melvin and I were both astonished and delighted with that little display. Of course, they had to divert the cars for the ten minutes she 'played' with them. She handled herself very well with the grizzly bears, and while they were semi-tame, Melvin was amazed at her presence in their company. I explained to him that it wasn't the first time she'd come across a grizzly.

I was a little nervous when she went into the mountain lions cage, but she'd sauntered right over to it and said for it not to worry because she wasn't hunting today. My little granddaughter was really a hoot. Then she took out a brush Melvin had given her and she used it to brush out the cat's coat like you might a horse. She also got along with the Bengal Tiger who loved the brushing as well. Nessie had even brushed its teeth. It behaved like a pampered house cat. Of course the bigger Siberian Tiger wasn't about to be left out and practically demanded the same pampered treatment.

The last cage she entered was the African Lions. I thought I was nervous when she entered the tigers abode, but I gotta tell ya, I was holding my breath when she matched roars with the king of the jungle this time because this time it wasn't with a bar barrier between them like last time I'd brought her. I had to keep reminding me this lion was probably tame.

But I had seen Nessie launch herself at a grizzly bear that was enraged and intent on my death. And I knew which combatant had been victorious on that occasion. Their growls got louder and louder. It was a little disconcerting to hear such a sound coming from the voice of my petite little princess. Suddenly she started laughing and clapping her hands and the lion came over to her and nuzzled her fondly. He stood a good four feet tall and she was merely a half-a-foot taller. Then he licked her face and his big tongue got her completely wet with one swipe. Melvin was reading every move the lion made with his own affinity for the animals and he was surprised to report that the lion was enchanted by Nessie the same way every other animal had been. After they had played around for a bit, Nessie climbed on the lion's back and he paraded her around before they both suddenly growled at the same time. When she finally got down she threw her arms around the lion's neck and kissed its nose. When she left, the lion lay down and started whining.

Melvin was shaking his head. "I never thought Leo was such a softy."

We went up to the Beebe's house and had a very late lunch with Melvin and his parents who had been watching the whole thing from their close circuit security cameras. They were quite impressed with Nessie and had some candid shots they had hand-picked for her ready for us to pick up when we headed out. That was when I really got a look at my watch. It was definitely time to go so we said our 'good-byes' and headed back to Forks. I was glad to have some time to spend with my granddaughter but I did have to work later tonight. Mark, one of my deputies, had been out with the flu so I had some extra paperwork to tend to. We spent the trip home talking excitedly about her 'up close and personal' trip to the Olympic Game Farm.

'_Take that Emmett!' _ I'd thought, maybe a little smugly.

We'd stopped by the house to pick up her pictures from the Amazon and then we headed over to the Cullens place. When we arrived at the large white house I was surprised to find no one home and the front door locked. Nessie shrugged her shoulders and keyed in the security code that unlocked the door. We entered the house that was so quiet it was almost eerily so.

"Wow, it looks like we beat everybody home." Nessie said quickly. "Do you want a soda?"

"Sure," I said almost absent mindedly as I looked around. I pulled out my cell phone and tried to reach Bella but her cell must've been turned off for the wedding. Edward's went to voice mail too, so I went ahead and left a message after the beep. There was no greeting.

"Hello Edward, this is Charlie. Listen I've got Nessie here over to your house but no one else is here and I guess that both you and Bella's cells are turned off. SO I'm just going to hang out here with her until you guys return. Thank you. Bye."

Nessie returned with two sodas and we drank them in the front room. She turned on the large flat screen TV and bless her, she'd turned it to college football for me. Then she went back into the kitchen and got us a bag of microwave popcorn she had cooked, then came back and sat beside me on the off-white couch. We cheered for the Washington State Cougars and they were doing pretty good.

During the commercials at half time, I moseyed over to the fireplace, where on the mantle I found a picture from Bella and Edward's wedding I'd not seen before. What was so unusual about this picture was that it included Edward and Bella, Carlisle and Esme, Renee and Phil and me. But that wasn't the only people in the picture, there was also six other people posing for the camera I didn't recognize. I took a closer look. Two of them, a man and a woman, appeared to be dressed in turn of the century clothing. The man, in a dark three piece suit, stood directly beside Edward. He had light brown hair and the same build as Edward, though he was slightly taller. He also had the same jaw line and angular nose Edward had. Was this maybe his brother who later that month died in the car crash? No, I really didn't believe there was a long lost brother. That was just the story to explain Nessie to the public. The woman also stood beside Edward, though a little to the front of the man. She too was dressed in an elegant floor length turn of the century style dress that was powder blue. Her hair was swept up into a coiffed bun and it was the same shade as Edward's. It was hard to miss the shade put right next to Edward, side by side. She had very pretty eyes and though the shade was different, they were the same shape as Edward's too. I looked at the handsome couple and wondered how in the world I had missed them. I knew I had hid in the corner for a bit so I could have my own private 'pity party', but really; how could I forget someone I stood in pictures at my only daughter's wedding with? As I marveled at the similarities between Edward and the couple, I thought that if I hadn't known better I'd have thought I was looking at his real parents. But from the clothing they'd have to have been great-grandparents instead.

And what about the other four people in the picture? They were scattered about. There were three men and one pretty blonde woman. One of the men, a muscular, dark haired man, who looked to be in his mid twenties was standing right beside me--now that I would not have missed. His hand was even on my shoulder and we were both looking at the camera smiling like we were the best of buddies. That was a little disconcerting. Also on Bella's side of the picture was the woman and another of the men—both of them blonde and they looked to be a couple. The last fellow, another blonde was standing besides Carlisle and Esme on the far left. All three of the men were wearing white tuxedoes and the woman was wearing a filmy white floor length dress. Looking at the four of them made me almost think they looked like they were some kind of angels or something.

"Nessie, who are these people?" I asked looking over to her on the couch while pointing to the picture.

"How would I know?" She said shrugging her shoulders. "I wasn't even born yet." She said simply. Maybe I was getting a little 'weirded-out', because her answer was reasonable and she wasn't around at my daughter's wedding. Plus I had just thought earlier today that she was not a liar. But for some reason I got the feeling she wasn't being exactly truthful with me. Well, half-time commercials were over and the second half of the game was getting ready to start back up, so I took the picture down from the fireplace mantle and brought it over to my seat on the couch to drill her a little more.

I pointed directly to the four in white and then I said, "Now, you're saying that you've never seen these four people ever before?"

"Well," She said slowly. "They do sort of look familiar. I might have seen them in the Amazon. But there was so many people that we met down there I can't remember."

I knew it. I'd had to question people many times in my line of work and there were little cues that people used that gave them away. Nessie was playing with me. I also knew that if she saw four fair-skinned people like these, in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, she'd remember them. Heck, they'd pretty much stand out no matter where you might run into them. They could even turn heads in a company with Cullen-like beauty.

"They almost look like angels or something, don't you think?" I asked casually.

Nessie laughed delightedly. "Grandpa! I thought we were going to play a game of 'hotter/colder and then you go and hit the nail right on the head. Good for you!"

I didn't know what expression was on my face at that time. I only knew that it froze there. If I were to believe what my granddaughter was saying, those four individuals were angels? Maybe she was playing with me after all. There weren't even any wings on them.

When I caught my breath I decided that my 'too much information' meter was going bonkers so I decided to turn my questioning to the other two that stood beside Edward. "Ahh," I started as though I got it. "…and what about these two over here?" I added pointing to the two in question. "They look pretty old fashioned don't they?"

Nessie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, they do." She said with a delighted sigh. I waited for further enlightenment but apparently she would only confirm whatever I guessed.

"They kind of look like your daddy don't they?" I asked leading her along.

"Yes, they do look an awful lot like my Daddy. Say, do they look a lot like me too?" She asked and I was startled to realize that there was as strong a family resemblance between her and the couple as there was between Edward and the pair. Of course, Nessie did favor Edward, so that only made sense.

"Hmmm, yes Nessie, I believe they do." I said slowly. Somehow, this little mystery was making me forget my game. "They look like your Daddy's Mother and Father. Huh?" I said trying again for casual. It had worked well before.

"Wow Grandpa, you came up with that all on your own. It's almost as though you're a super police detective or something, right?" She said so innocently that it took me a minute to realize that she was playing with me. She was beating me at my own game. And I had fallen for it. She was awfully smart and shrewd for a nearly-two year old. And I had to admit, while it was unsettling to match wits with her, I had to admire her cunning.

"Okay, Nessie…I have to admit," I said sheepishly, "You did have me going there for a few minutes. Angels and ghosts what would I think of next?" Nessie shrugged her shoulders.

"I'll put that back for you." She said taking the picture and gracefully placing it back on the fireplace mantle. While she was standing up she cocked an ear. "Do you hear that?" She inquired but I shook my head. There were only the sounds coming from the game on the television. "I think someone is here. Hang on I'll be right back." She scurried up the stairs so fast, I was indeed startled. I knew she was fast—not as fast as her mother and most definitely not as fast as her father, but fast all the same. But I had barely gotten use to all the 'crazy' when they all took off and left for the Amazon six weeks ago. It felt as though I'd need to get used to it all over again. I had barely had a few seconds to think this through before she'd returned with a thoughtful look on her beautiful little face. "Grandfather Carlisle is upstairs asleep in his bed." She said slowly.

"Gee," I said. "Do you think he came down with some bug in the Amazon? There is also a flu going around here in Forks. Maybe we'd better turn the television down a little. If he's sick he probably needs his rest." I'd never really thought about how working with sick people all day could bring new meaning to the phrase, 'bringing your work home with you'.

"Well," Nessie said slowly. "He is a doctor. He should know what he needs to do." She came and sat beside me again. I took the remote and turned the volume down a bit. She seemed to be really worried about her Grandfather. She was so caring about how others felt. She reminded me so much of my Bella in that regard.

Just before the third quarter, the door bell rang and I told Nessie I would get it. When I answered the door a man stood there with a package and a clipboard. His Fed Ex delivery truck had pulled in behind mine. I was a little surprised to see him all the way out here in the boonies.

"Hello sir, I have a package here for Doctor Carlisle Cullen that I need a signature for." He said politely while handing me the clipboard.

"Oh well, Dr. Cullen is upstairs asleep right now."

"That's fine. Your signature will do."

"Okay then." I said as I signed on the line indicated. "Did you have any trouble finding the place?" I asked

"Oh no sir, we deliver things here all the time." He said smiling. "All KINDS of things."

"Really?" I asked while wondering what KIND of things that might entail.

Then the man handed me the package and thanked me before running back out to the truck. As I closed the door, I noticed the return address. It was a package from a company called ACZ Medical and Environmental Analyzing Laboratories, based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. There was an orange sticker on it that said 'Biohazard Samples enclosed'. I found it curious, to say the very least. Hopefully it didn't have anything to do with whatever Carlisle was sick with upstairs. It was Fed-ex'ed so I knew whether it was for himself or a patient at the hospital, it was important. So I set it right on the front entry table so it would be seen by everyone right away.

Then I sat down by my little princess again and enjoyed the game for another thirty minutes before Nessie suddenly announced in exasperation, "Oh, after all of that food and soda, I need a human moment now." She stood up as though really put out about something.

"What are you talking about exactly Nessie?" I asked in confusion. After all, she was the one who'd wanted the soda. And what did she mean by 'human moment' anyway? Isn't everything kind of a human moment?

"The bathroom, Grandpa; You know, I have to use the toilet." She added rolling her eyes.

"Oh," I said as if that explained everything. "Well don't worry about the game; I'll fill you in on what you miss." To which she rolled her eyes and headed for the john. How odd for her to get exasperated over such a thing. Unless she'd been more into the game then I'd realized.

She was gone for less than half a minute when the door bell rang again. I was amazed that here in the middle of nowhere, the Cullens house was grand central station even when they weren't even home. I sighed and got up to see who it was this time. I hoped all the noise wouldn't disturb Carlisle.

When I opened the door, I was surprised to see a man I'd never seen before standing there. He was big as Emmett and he looked a bit like an Indian that had never seen the light of day. No, maybe he wasn't Indian. Perhaps he was more Hispanic or Mediterranean. He was casually dressed in jeans and a button cotton blue shirt. His hair was dark and short. He didn't look like he was feeling too well and it wasn't just his pasty pallor either. His eyes were ruby red and when he saw me he sort of hunkered down. At first I thought maybe his stomach hurt.

"Are you alright?" I asked him in concern. "Do you need to see Doctor Cullen?" He looked up at me like a man conflicted.

***

**Renesmee's POV**

Here I was finally back in my own home after six weeks in the jungle. I couldn't wait to go in my room and listen to my iPod. But when Grandpa dropped me off, no one else was home so he was going to wait with me for my parents to get back from their friends wedding. That was fine with me. I had so much fun with Grandpa for the past few days that I didn't really want it to end, so I put on something I knew he would love—college football! I could take it or leave it, but as I soon found out, there was more fun in store as Grandpa tried to 'pump me' for information about the supernaturals in a picture my family had apparently added to the stack of family photos over the fireplace mantle. That was a lot of fun. I remembered what my parents had told me on the airplane about not telling Grandpa about Amazon gods and so I was very careful to not say anything compromising. In fact, I didn't really say anything at all. The beautiful thing was that I didn't have too. He came up with the answers all by himself.

Then when I'd put the picture up, I noticed that I could hear the faint sounds of someone breathing. That was odd. There wasn't anyone here--or was there. I took a deep breath and could kind of smell my grandfather's scent stronger than the rest in the house. I went up to investigate and sure enough, Grandfather was in his bed--sleeping? I came back down and told Grandpa. Of course, Grandpa slept all the time—rather loudly too. So he didn't find this too peculiar. In fact, he didn't even know Grandfather never slept. Well, he'd never slept--until now. After we'd gotten settled back in to watch the game, I remembered the potion that would render Grandfather unconscious for two days. Then I noticed in the fireplace there were tiny bits of broken golden glass in the ashes of a recent fire. So he must have decided to take it after all. That was so exciting to me, it was hard to stay in my seat. I wanted to go up and sit by Grandfather. I was pulled out of my reverie by the sounds of the door bell. Apparently, the lab was done making the analysis for Jacob's poisoning. Well, that would have to wait until Grandfather awakened.

It wasn't too much longer that I got a 'call of nature'; one of the aspects of eating 'human' food. Thank goodness Uncle Emmett wasn't back yet. He teased me to no end about my 'human moments'. Well, I just loved him to death anyway. After making my announcement to Grandpa, I headed for the first floor guest bathroom behind the stairs.

I had just gotten situated in there when I heard another ring of the doorbell. There was no mistaking the scent I detected immediately. It was a vampire. It was also a scent I had to place. I had smelled this vampire before when I was still a baby. I quickly stopped and couldn't get myself put together fast enough. I had just remembered the scent and I knew my grandpa's life was in imminent danger. I sent out broadcasting while I was still struggling to open the bathroom door. The broadcasting was of the love I had for my grandpa. I put every tender memory I had of him into it. I tried to keep my panic out of it but only sent out the message that this was a wonderful and dear man. Finally I was through the door.

I heard Grandpa say, "Are you alright? Do you need to see Doctor Cullen?"

And then I was beside him. Hopefully the vampire wouldn't attack. I doubted I could take him. But I was certainly ready to try if I had too. But he was already starting to stand in confusion from his crouched state. Then he turned his red eyes in my direction.

His eyes narrowed as he acknowledged me. "Renesmee."

I sighed and tried to appear calm and unruffled as I answered him. "Hello Felix."

***

**In case you would like to watch some videos from Olympic Game Farm, I have put links to three on my profile page under notes for Chapter 38.**

**Well, my husband said that he didn't see any grandpa allowing his little granddaughter to go into a cage with the king of the jungle, so I added a few more lines in an attempt to explain Charlie's reasoning. Hopefully I achieved that. Fingers crossed here…**


	44. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty Nine  
Look Who Came To Dinner**

**Edward's POV**

I ran. I ran faster than I had ever run in my entire immortal existence. When I felt as though I could not possibly run any faster, I thought of my daughter and found the strength to push myself even harder. And Charlie was there at the house with her too--completely unaware of the imminent danger to himself and to Nessie. Carlisle, unconscious upstairs was also defenseless. Even running through the dense forest foliage, I ran faster in a straight line for home—and made better time than I could by going with everyone else in the car. So I had left Bella the keys and kissed her quickly before staring into her anguished topaz eyes and promising her I would make it home within five minutes. I had pushed myself to run even faster still. I received several 'thought messages' from Nessie so I knew she and Charlie were still alive for the moment, and while that was the case, there was still hope.

I discovered through these messages that she had arrived at the house with Charlie and he was staying there with her until someone came home. Felix had shown up on the front door in casual clothing and rang the door bell. What his sudden arrival and his clothing selection meant, I couldn't possibly have guessed. The last thought I'd received from Nessie, just two seconds ago, was of her and Charlie sitting on the white sofa watching the last few minutes of a college football game. Felix had Renesmee on his lap and an arm around Charlie. They were hooting and hollering as the final moments played out. I had to get them away from him. If I was not successful before Bella arrived, it would destroy her. Of course I knew Felix was unaware of how Renesmee's gifts had grown, or of her ability to use it to alert us to her danger.

And what about Alice? She had visions of Aro being happy. She had looked in the stone just yesterday and had seen some message being prepared. Jasper said it didn't appear that there was any kind of military actions being planned. Then Alice became very focused on preparations for Angela and Ben's wedding, as she so often did, and she hadn't been looking for anything else. Did the Volturi hear about the Seattle newscasts? How could they? Italy was half-way around the world. Felix came alone. He came without the clothing of his office in the Volturi guard. Was there any possibility that this was about something else? These were the thoughts that plagued me as I crossed the highway and ran the last three miles of our private drive. I would be inside the house in mere seconds. I opened my mind and immediately sensed the workings of three minds. Carlisle's was not open to me. But Charlie's, Renesmee's and Felix's were and it seemed as though Charlie was not alarmed at all. What did he make of Felix's red eyes? Nessie was cautiously optimistic. She was sending out thoughts of love and calm to both Felix and Charlie. She was fixing Felix with thoughts directed towards her grandpa as an important person to be treated with care. Felix's thoughts seemed to be affected by Nessie's somehow. Of course, without knowing what his reason for being here was, it was hard to know for a fact if she had actually altered his thinking. I had read Felix's mind before and the thoughts that came from him now were very different from what he thought about the two previous times I'd probed around inside his cranium.

I flew up the porch steps and to house so quickly, I actually shredded the front door before I could slow myself enough. Finally, I came to a complete stop alongside the couch. I glared down at Felix as he had a strong arm around Nessie and the other casually on the back of the couch behind Charlie—just as Nessie had shown me. He moved it ever so slowly so that his hand was almost touching the back of Charlie's neck.

'_So good you could make it home Edward. One wrong move and at least one of these family members' lives will hang in the balance. Think about that before you act.'_ Felix thought slowly and carefully. His expression was full of mirth Charlie mistook for camaraderie over the game. 'Well, Edward Cullen. It's good to see you again. You really know how to make an entrance!" He said in a deep rumbly voice. "I'm here to deliver a message to Carlisle. Charlie and Nessie have been keeping me company. It's too bad you missed the game."

'_What is wrong with Edward? He looks mighty upset about something. What on earth would possess him to ruin the front door like that?' _ From his thoughts it was clear Charlie was startled by my demeanor and my actions. "Was there a problem with the door knob?" he said with suppressed alarm. He was wary now. Maybe that was good. He was a cop. Was there any way I could alert him? Would it do any good if I did? No, it would probably just get him killed.

"It was stuck." I mumbled lamely. How could I fix this? I had to know what Felix was up to, but his thoughts were only full of how to keep the upper hand in a hostile situation.

'_Daddy, Felix just showed up and he almost attacked Grandpa but I sent out a 'mental thought' to him and hopefully it will work out okay. I am SO relieved to see you. I love you so much!'_ Renesmee thought to me worriedly but with profound relief. Relief, I in no way shared. "Daddy! I'm so glad you're home. I missed you." She tried to jump up but Felix held her fast.

"Oh, come on Nessie." Felix chided her good-naturedly. "Your Daddy gets to see you all of the time. Your Uncle Felix never gets to." _'I won't let her go until you have agreed to hear me out and ensure my safety while I'm here visiting.'_ He thought in a calculated way.

I could hear the mental thoughts of Emmett coming down the driveway in a large vehicle. _'I'll rip him, to shreds if he touches a hair on her head. I'll be his worst nightmare. His life is nothing.'_ He was coming in fast too. Apparently Nessie sent everyone her 'mental thoughts'.

"That's true, but Grandpa was only waiting here with me until my parents got home." Nessie said reluctantly. '_Daddy help me! I've calmed him down, but I'm just not strong enough to get through his mental alarms all the way. He's too suspicious.'_

It tore at my heart to hear her thoughts in such a confused panic as she tried to keep Felix under control. But what could I do? Could I take Felix? Not without endangering Charlie and Nessie. I looked at the determination on Felix's face I knew he meant it. If I tried to move them, they would get hurt—probably killed. But that wasn't bad enough. My gaze shifted to the left. I watched Emmett's approach in a large U-haul truck, through the window. It came to a stop and Emmett was up the steps in one bound then turned sideways to maneuver through the splintered remains of the front door. Something caught my eye just then that I had missed before. There on the sofa table was a Fed-ex package. I knew what was in there. It was the analysis of both the poison that had felled Jacob and that of its antidote--the two things the Volturi must never know about. And there they sat, front and center.

"What are you doing here?" Emmett growled ferociously. _'You haven't found a way to take him out yet Edward? Were you just waiting for me?'_ Then he seemed to have a chance to really take in the scene around him and the 'hostage situation'. His eyes narrowed. _'I see the problem. What can we do?' _

"Emmett," Charlie said, chiding Emmett quietly. "You have company here to see Carlisle. You can see by his eyes that he's not well. Be nice and calm down." _'Honestly, I have never known Emmett to be so unreasonable. Besides, this Felix seems like a nice enough fellow. Maybe he's upset about his project. He did just come from the airport in Seattle.'_

"Oh, sorry Felix, Charlie is right of course," Emmett said trying to swallow his words and the growl that threatened to come out with them. "Oh, you guys were watching the game. Who won anyway?" Emmett's thoughts were as snarled as my own. _'Edward, do you know what he's doing here?'_

"Washington State won," Charlie said smiling and trying to calm Emmett down_. 'Poor guy, he must be upset because he missed the game.'_

Now I caught the thoughts of Bella, Alice, Jasper and Esme. Good, perhaps together we'd come up with a diplomatic way to get Charlie and Nessie away from this Volturi madman. I didn't have to read their minds to know what they were thinking. Their thoughts were the same ones I was having. The same ones I had while racing home to confront the scene before me. It was mere seconds before the screech of protesting brakes were heard. The next thing I knew, they were with us as well, peering down at the three on the couch. I noted that Bella broke the door completely off its hinges finishing my handiwork.

"Nessie! Dad!" She called out in a panic as she came to an abrupt halt by my side. A gasp caught in her throat as she saw the determination in Felix's gaze. It had a hint of danger to it.

"Bella Love," I said. I tried to hide any trace of malice from my voice as I wrapped my arm around her shoulder. "Felix has come to deliver a message to Carlisle." Understanding lit the faces of my family. If Charlie understood the danger and he reacted with his police training, Felix would kill him instantly.

I noticed Esme had discovered the Fed-ex package and took it in hand, she said aloud as she started up the stairs. "Oh good, my soil samples are here for my new orchid house!" She breathed excitedly. Then she looked at Felix with a gentle smile on her face. "It is so good to see you again, Felix. Is Aro, Marcus and Caius well?"

"Uh, Yes Ma'am; It is good to see you too." Felix replied sounding almost suspicious. "Aro said to give each of you his best."

As Esme engaged Felix in polite conversation, Alice mentally ran through scenarios; looking ahead to the outcomes of possible actions we could take. The first one showed Bella snatching Nessie from Felix's grasp. There were two possible outcomes for that action. I saw them both as clearly as Alice did herself as her vision played out. In one Felix severed Nessie's arm. The other outcome had Charlie's neck snapped before my family could kill him.

"That is so nice of Aro." Esme said with the orange 'Biohazard Samples Enclosed' label hidden by her arm. She held the package as though almost unaware she was. "He is always so courteous. And how are the others?"

In Alice's second scenario Emmett tried to take Felix from behind but Felix refused to release his hostages and as Emmett lifted, Felix crushed both Nessie and Charlie. I shuddered in reaction to the mental image. It was a full minute before I contained myself. Alice shuddered as well.

"Caius is the same as he always is—grumpy." Felix said seeming more relaxed as he darted a quick look at Charlie to see if he was buying the charade.

Esme laughed lightly. I smiled at her. I hoped that my smile didn't seem off. Bella was still a statue at my side. I rubbed her shoulder as though willing her to thaw. "That is an accurate adjective to describe Caius. Wouldn't you agree Bella?"

"Umm…yes, grumpy." Bella said suddenly coming to life again. "If he was a little shorter and had a long beard to match his hair color, that nickname could land him in a fairytale." She added sarcastically. Though her voice sounded regular, her stance hadn't relaxed even a fraction. Her hands were at her sides balled up into fists. My poor sweet Bella; she was a bundle of nerves. Of course, so was I. And so was the rest of my family for that matter. From Felix's thoughts I could tell that he was also nervous—nervous and dangerous.

Alice's next vision involved Jasper and Renesmee and it would work. I had to give Nessie a clue.

"And what about Marcus?" Esme said intently. "We had heard something about a disappearance?"

"Oh yes. What you heard was indeed true." Felix admitted reluctantly. We hadn't actually heard about it from anyone. At least not until after Alice had seen it in a vision first. "He had a 'disagreement' with Aro shortly after we came and 'visited' with you last time." What a nice way to put their arrival—their attempted coup to kill our family a year and a half ago. "He left and we haven't seen him since." He said sullenly. _'Demetri can't even find him to trace.' _He thought before he carefully looked up at me and realized he needed to better control what he thought.

"Oh dear," Esme said worriedly. "I certainly hope that he is alright." She shook her head slowly. Her smile faded a bit. "I've always liked Marcus, even though he always seemed so sad about something. Perhaps he needs some time to himself." She said as she sighed. "Well, please excuse me for a moment. I'm going to put my package away and call Carlisle to see when will be the soonest he can return home." _'Sorry to leave even for a moment, Edward. But I need to get this in the safe and check on Carlisle.'_ She thought without a single glance in my direction. She started to climb the stairs at a human pace.

"Carlisle is not here then?" Felix said in confusion. _'Now what will I do? I was sent a day early to smooth the way first. Now, if Carlisle is not even here…'_

What in the world was he here to 'smooth the way' first for? I had a bad feeling about this. But I had to get Charlie out of here somehow before any real discussion could begin.

"No," Esme said to Felix in disappointment. "He is out of town for a few days. He left yesterday for a medical convention." _'If I make it sound longer, then he might feel that Carlisle rushed to come to see him by tomorrow afternoon instead of him thinking we're making him wait until then.'_ She thought to me in explanation.

'_Now that's odd.' _Charlie thought. '_Carlisle is upstairs sick and taking a nap. Was he supposed to be at a medical convention? Maybe she doesn't know he's upstairs. Or does Esme know not want Felix to talk to Carlisle? Somehow, I don't think I should say anything.'_

"But he will be eager to talk to you." Esme said as she continued to climb. She was past the landing now. "I'm sure I can talk him into cutting his conference short. I'll be right back." And with that she was gone.

So softly and quickly that Charlie would not hear or notice the large pause, I explained Felix's terms.

"Felix will release both Nessie and Charlie if we agree to hear him out and guarantee his safety while he is visiting with us. If we do not agree to his terms then he will cause harm to his 'hostages'. I don't know why he is here but he can't talk to Carlisle until...he returns."

Felix nodded his head in acknowledgment of my terms.

But he was still too tense and suspicious. We needed to calm Felix down and hopefully everyone else in the room too. I had felt Jasper use his gift to calm us down repeatedly but the scene was so tense it would only last for a second. But according to Alice's last vision, if he sent a feeling of calm to Nessie she could encapsulate it in a thought message to Felix that would penetrate him to his very core.

"Nessie," I said trying to think through my words carefully. "Too bad we can't all feel as calm as Jasper." Luckily both Jasper and Nessie understood instantly my suggestion. Unfortunately, Felix did become more suspicious.

'_Edward!'_ Felix thought at me furiously_. 'I don't know what you're playing at here. But you must believe me. I am here to deliver a message and I am prepared to kill someone, if need be.'_

As if to enunciate his threat Charlie spoke up at Felix's side. "Did you know Felix is in law enforcement too?" He said brightly. "Some kind of International Special Forces Unit; I find that fascinating."

Just then Jasper sent an intense wave of calm to Renesmee which she encapsulated and sent right through Felix's arm that was holding her. She also wrapped each of our 'energies of light' with the calm and sent them out to each of us. The affect was almost instantaneous. It was a calm that held no trace of artificiality to it. It whispered to our minds that everything was fine. There was also a subtle message to it that it was time for Charlie to leave. I had to agree with that. Nothing could be discussed with Charlie there--especially with his new, broader, 'Need to Know' knowledge. That was information that would get him killed for sure in the present company.

I looked at the faces of my family as they each gave me their silent agreement to hear Felix out and not kill him while he was here. Even Esme, who had already secured the 'package' and was now on the third floor at Carlisle's 'sleeping' side, gave her mental agreement as well.

I once again spoke so softly and quickly that Charlie would not have noticed. "Okay then Felix. We agree that we will hear you out and that we will not endanger your life while you are here. We want your assurance that you will in no ways harm Renesmee or Charlie for the duration of your visit."

"Yes," Felix said carefully.

As if on cue, Charlie said, "Well, I've got to hit the road. Mark is out sick and I've got to get over to the station still to fill out some paper work. It was nice to meet you, Felix." He leaned sideways and shook Felix's hand. "I'm sure Carlisle will be able to correct your eye problem if anyone can. Good luck to you." He stood up and nodded to everyone in the room. Bella hugged him so long that Charlie was surprised. She didn't release him until he shuddered in her cold embrace.

"I love you Dad." She whispered in his ear and her voice caught. Yes, Bella was still a wreck even with the newfound calm in the room.

"I love you too, kiddo." He said rubbing her back.

I was very surprised to hear a thought from Felix. _'That Charlie Swan is all right. I don't know what it is about him. But he is an interesting individual. Maybe I'll get a chance to get to know him better while I'm here.'_ While I was glad he thought highly of my Father-in-Law—even if it was due to Nessie's power, his last sentence worried me on more than a few levels. First his wanting to get to know him better and second, how long did he plan on being here?

Esme came back down the stairs. "Oh, are you leaving so soon Charlie?" She said still pleasantly. "I could fix you a bite to eat."

Okay, this was a perfectly normal thing for Esme to say to Charlie but for now, we needed him to leave.

I guessed Nessie had sent her Grandpa Charlie a message that he needed to leave as well because it was clear without listening in. that Charlie was tempted with the offer of food. Finally he sighed and reluctantly declined. "You're really good at twisting my arm Esme, but I really do need to leave and finish up some paperwork before it gets too late. Thanks anyway. He gave everyone a wave. Nessie jumped out of Felix's lap and hugged her Grandpa as fiercely as her mother had.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her curly head. Then disengaged himself from her and commented, "Hey now, I don't know what's come over you but I'll be back tomorrow after work so cheer up. And don't forget to tell your Uncle Emmett about the Olympic Game Farm." He added with a wink. "Good night Edward." He added placing an arm on my shoulder. Without even realizing what I was doing, I had him in my embrace as well. I guessed seeing him killed in Alice's head repeatedly had gotten to me. If something had happened to him, I realized it wouldn't have just been devastating blows to Bella and Renesmee. It would have shaken me to my core. With a start I realized that Charlie had become an important person in my life now; that I shared a bond with him. I was starting to think of him like Bella did. He was becoming a father to me, in my stone heart, as well.

"Okay," Charlie said with a perplexed expression on his face. "Unless you want to go to the station with me, you're going to have to let me go now." He said to me, pulling away and patting my back with a smile in place to mask his concern for my actions. _'What is up with Edward? Breaking down the door, acting so upset and now this?'_

"Sorry Dad," I said gruffly. "It was just good to see you again. I think it was a delayed reaction from being gone for so long."

"That's okay Son, It's good to see you again too. And I like having you call me Dad." He told me, smiling as he turned towards the broken front door. "Uh, Edward…you know, you really do need to remember what doorknobs are for." He added good-naturedly while shaking his head.

He was immediately seized by Alice who had her arms around him next. "It is so good to see you Charlie. I'm walking you out."

"Thanks Alice." Charlie said startled again by the displays of emotion. "You know, I'm starting to feel kind of like a VIP or something here." He shook his head at the absurdity of the thought. "Anyway, I'll see you all tomorrow evening."

I watched as he stepped through the demolished door with Alice at his side and was nearly to his SUV when a huge flat bed truck 'loaded to the gills' came rumbling down the drive. Jacob and Rosalie jumped out and seeing Charlie, were both relieved and shocked.

"Is Nessie okay?" they both asked together in terror.

"Sure," Charlie said wearily. "She's just inside with everyone." Jacob paused to hug Charlie for a second and then quickly darted up the stairs on Rosalie's heels.

"Bye Charlie," Jacob said over his shoulder. "I'm really glad you're okay."

'_Huh, this is really getting kind of crazy now.'_ Charlie thought as he got into his car and headed out back down the long driveway.

Rosalie scooped Nessie right out of her mother's arms and started checking her for injuries while Jacob took a protective stance in front of them and glared at Felix who still sat on the couch. If I didn't act quickly, the bomb that had just been defused might still have gone off, so I turned towards the newcomers and announced in as controlled a voice as I could manage, "Felix was just getting ready to explain to us about a message he was sent to deliver." Then all eyes turned in his direction expectantly.

Felix turned to Esme, "When will Carlisle be returning? This message is really for him." _'Please say tonight.'_ He thought worriedly as an afterthought.

Then I remembered a thought he'd had earlier about something coming tomorrow. He said he was sent a day early to smooth the way first. This could not be happening.

"Well Felix," Esme said politely. "I explained the situation to Carlisle and he said that he was sure that if he spoke with the Chairman of the Conference that he could get his lecture moved to tomorrow morning. If that works then he would be back tomorrow afternoon." She lied smoothly.

Felix was conflicted and tried hard not to think his thoughts for me to read ahead of time. Finally he sighed and fished a folded piece of parchment out of his shirt. As he turned it towards me I could see the name Carlisle Cullen written in black elegant script. The other side held a blood red wax seal stamped with the letter V for Volturi, making it an official communication.

"This is for Carlisle. It is a letter from Aro. However, this cannot wait until Carlisle returns. The information and request contained in this epistle must be addressed today." He said firmly before he sighed again and admitted reluctantly, "…before Demetri arrives tomorrow." And with that he reached his hand up and presented me with the sealed letter to do his explaining for him.

***

**Are you wondering when Marcus Left the Volturi? I was originally going to address Marcus in Indian Summer, but was approached last year by some other author's on TTS, who wanted to combine our stories and bring them ten years forward into another storyline. Since Lynn had already addressed Marcus in her FanFiction, I merely hinted to his departure. Catch up with Lynn's Volturi Saga to get the full scoop! I have a link to her story on my profile page underneath Chapter 39: Look Who Came To Dinner.**


	45. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty  
The Letter**

**Bella's POV**

I was never so happy to see my dad leave my house. I had almost lost him today. The aftershocks of that knowledge were staggering. And what about my beautiful little girl? I felt a little guilty I had been more concerned for her safety than my own father. Did that make me a bad person? Because I was VERY worried about my dad, but Renesmee was a life I had fought so hard for from the very beginning. Would my instinct to protect her ever diminish? Somehow I doubted it. I had been so shocked from profound relief as they were both released unharmed that I didn't react when Rosalie rushed in and grabbed her from my arms and started inspecting her for damage.

"Nessie," Rosalie had said after taking a full five minutes to thoroughly examine her. "You stink to high heaven. What in the world have you been playing with?"

"I don't know if it smells that bad Rose," Emmett said grinning down at my daughter. "Smells like a regular smorgasbord to me. Let me guess." He took a deep whiff for comical effect. "I'm guessing grizzly bear, wolves, cougar, and even some more exotic things." He looked over to Rose and added, "Remember our African Safari?" She nodded wearily at him then. "Well, I'm thinking Bengal tiger and lion." He looked back to Nessie, "Am I right?"

Nessie nodded, "Yep! You only missed the Siberian Tiger, the Llamas, the Peacock, the Buffalo, the Reindeer and Elk."

"So your Grandpa took you out hunting huh?" He asked incredulously.

"No silly," Nessie said with a giggle as Emmett took her out of Rosalie's hands, much to Jacob's disappointment. "I didn't eat them. I played with them."

Rosalie and Emmett were so good at misdirection. While I had been simply trying to maintain my composure, these two had assessed damages, calmed down Nessie and put her in the strongest pair of hands in the house, where I was positive she would stay; if the look on Emmett's face, when Renesmee turned away from him, was any indication.

Jacob then stood to Emmett's left and Jasper fell in to his right. It strangely reminded me of my own first exposure to 'traditional' vampires at the baseball clearing, when this amazing family had taken a protective stance around me and when they did so a second time in that same clearing after the newborn vampire attack when Felix had come to assess the battle with Jane and Demetri at his side.

Demetri. Felix had said he was coming tomorrow. Why was he coming? I had a bad feeling. A feeling I always got when I thought of interacting on any level with the Volturi and their view of 'laws' and how they use them to hide their true motives. So, after a total of two minutes and five seconds it took me to be assured of my daughters safety and to settle my own nerves, I'd finally turned to Edward who'd stood across from Felix, still seated on the couch. Edward held the sealed letter to Carlisle from Aro in his hands. Esme and Alice were by his side. I walked closer to him as well.

Edward broke the wax seal on the letter and slowly opened it up. It was written in more of the elegant black script. After a cursory glance, he looked around at the rest of us to make sure he had our attention. Of course, he did. Rosalie had turned the 'post-game' sports show off and in the silence that followed you could have heard a pin drop. Edward cleared his throat and began to read.

_Dear Carlisle,_

_I am happy to send you, my dear friend, this letter of good news and request your services in an urgent matter._

_When I met with your granddaughter, Renesmee, I was enchanted to say the least. As you well know I am an inquisitive man. I believe this is a trait we share that binds us together as friends. I have been able to think of little else in the long months that have followed. Caius and I went in search of Joham in South America and were able to retrieve his data about hybrids but as you know, such information is incomplete without a live study. It was clear to me at our last meeting that it was important that Renesmee remain with her parents and family and all of Joham's offspring were grown. So the thought occurred to me that I, as head of the vampire world, should be able to requisition the creation of such a life that I could study first hand._

_After a few failed attempts, Demetri was able to successfully mate with our new receptionist Mia Giordano and I will have my own new 'grandchild' to study soon._

_What I failed to foresee was that Demetri would actually develop feelings for this small human girl and now does not wish the procedure to result in her death. I do not understand this, as Demetri hunts humans every two weeks. But I know that if anyone would understand such attachments, it would be my good friends, the Cullens. As you might have surmised, Joham's extensive notes did not include any information on caring for the health of the mother and your own Bella is the only woman I have knowledge of to have survived such a procedure._

_Therefore my dear friend Carlisle, I am sending Demetri to you with his pregnant fiancée. I trust her care to you and the safety of Felix and Demetri as well. I have told them that while they are at your home they will need to hunt as you do. They have vowed to be on their best behavior. I thank you in advance for your medical skill and care. Feel free to send me a bill for any expenses occurred in the fulfilling of this service to me and of course Demetri and Mia._

_Best Regards,_

_Aro of the Volturi _

Everyone was silent, absorbing the news of our soon-to-be arriving company. Slowly our postures relaxed. I took a seat opposite from Felix. I scowled at him. I wasn't sure why exactly. At least Aro was finding a solution to sate his curiosity that did not involve kidnapping my daughter or threatening my family. A scenario that was more like the Aro I had come to know. Maybe it was the assumption Aro made, implying that we were all glorious friends of the Volturi. Maybe it was that I felt by helping them we were throwing our lot in with them. Maybe it was because it made me shudder to think of the kind of parenting skills a man like Aro--or even Demetri, for that matter, would possess. Maybe it was that Aro's letter swept our grievances with them under the rug so to speak, and assumed everything was fine. Aro was a devious man with many layers of strategy. I didn't trust him. And yet, this Mia, was a human girl. She might even be afraid. Could we turn her away when doing so would only result in her death? Of course we could not. To do so, would make us as monstrous as the Volturi themselves. Thinking of these things reminded me of something and I turned my eyes back to our 'guest'.

"Wait a minute, Felix. In Aro's letter he said that this, Mia was your new receptionist. What happened to Gianna?" My tone was suspicious and I knew it. I just wondered if there was a trap here somehow.

"Ahh Gianna," Felix said with mock sadness. "She had…an unfortunate accident."

I could just imagine what that would've entailed. "Define 'unfortunate accident'." I said scathingly.

Felix looked around the room almost sheepishly. "Well, you may have noticed in the letter from Aro, he mentioned a 'few failed attempts'?" Felix looked down at his large hands as he tried to suppress a grin. I supposed that he found his tale amusing but knew the present company might not share his same sense of humor. When he had composed himself, he continued, "Well, Aro had given both me and Demetri the assignment. For me, I knew I had to try with someone who was aware of our existence and Gianna was more than willing to try with me." He looked up and smiled at the memory. "She was very willing to try a lot of things."

I was appalled. "What are you saying, Felix? You knocked Gianna up and then she and the baby both died?"

"Uh, no, I didn't say that at all," Felix said darkly. "Regrettably, Gianna was too breakable for my…exuberance. But she was a double treat for me. She was very delicious."

"You killed Gianna because you couldn't control yourself." Edward clarified grimly. He was as disgusted as I was.

"Well, I didn't think to call you to get pointers, Edward." Felix replied nonchalantly. "Anyway, I did better on my second try with our replacement receptionist Adrianna. She was quite a hot one."

"So then this Adrianna became pregnant?" I asked, trying to get a clearer picture.

"Uh, no. I killed her too. But she lasted longer during the experience. She was also delicious." Felix said, as though pointing out that by draining his victims of blood he wasn't wasting them; as though this somehow made things right. I gave him a pointed look. "Our next receptionist was a pretty girl named Camilla. Well, things were proceeding well with my experience of 'interspecies relations' with her until her lip started bleeding." Felix sighed regrettably. "It was really too bad. She came from a nice family and had been a virgin too. I had her drained so quickly I almost didn't even taste the blood."

Edward had his eyes shut tight and he was holding the bridge of his nose with his fingers. He did this when he was trying to control his rage. I hadn't seen him in such a state for some time. Personally, I had to hold my hands in my lap to keep them from shaking.

Felix was apparently on a roll now and his story issued forth from him without anymore prompts. "I could tell you about the unfortunate demise of our next receptionist Elina, but I think you kind of get the picture here. I need my women sturdier. And yes, Edward, I didn't have enough control for dealing with the ethereal nature of human beings." He shook his head and then shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I was kind of like a bull in a china store. I was just too strong for the assignment; although I was getting better with the last two. I might have gotten it right with another half dozen attempts."

I looked up to notice Rosalie's look of disgust. I was really glad Samon had wiped a certain unpleasant memory from her. I guessed that it wasn't just vampires that could be monsters to women. Esme and Alice were not enjoying the tale either. Of course, Emmett was worriedly casting glances at Rose and it wasn't hard to guess he was worried she might suddenly remember. Jasper, who had always believed in treating women chivalrously, was as furious as Edward. No, this was a tale Felix was defiantly telling to a 'hard' audience. The sad thing was, he didn't even realize he had once again revealed himself as a monster to us.

Felix went on with his narrative. Was he oblivious? Or did he enjoy seeing our discomfort at his barbarism? "Demetri, who had also been given the same assignment as I, to try to impregnate a human woman, took a different approach."

Felix stood up and stretched his arms out in front of him. His muscles rolled along his back. Strange, why did he do that? Perhaps he was nervous. I'd seen Emmett make similar movements. Felix looked out the front window into the darkening night. He continued his tale quietly with his back to the room. "He remembered when Bella, as a human, had come with Alice to save Edward from exposing himself and bringing about his own demise. Demetri considered that it was Edward's ability to love his human mate and learn to exercise control that had allowed him to be as gentle as was necessary. Where I had taken Joham's approach and failed, Demetri decided to try Edward's. He discussed his idea with Aro first and received his approval before he went out into the city on overcast days and early nights to find a human whom he could love."

"He went to the markets, the bars and finally enrolled in some evening classes at the 'Pepperdine University' in Florence. There he met the young human woman Aro mentioned in his correspondence. Demetri took the time to get to know her and was surprised to discover that he actually developed feelings for her. He told her about a medical condition he had that required him to stay out of the sun and had lowered his body temperature. So while I was going through test subjects, Demetri was off courting a young lady. They were quite involved before Aro sent for her to reveal our true nature to her. But before her arrival, Aro planted false information to discredit Mia at her job and got her evicted from her apartment by the school. Also the girl was so taken by Demetri by then that she simply could not bear to be apart from him. This fact delighted Aro to no end. He gave her the recently, uh, vacated position of receptionist. She was only able to be part-time due to her summer classes two nights a week. He also insisted she move into the Volturi mansion so she could be nearer to Demetri and her job. He'd even arranged a driver for her to get her to her classes. Of course, Aro had already had her and her family investigated and knew she was from humble circumstances and would probably be agreeable to both the job offer and living arrangements from a practical stand point if nothing else."

"So Aro manipulated Mia's life and took away her options." I said with a razor's edge to my tone.

"Of course Aro did. That's his way." Felix replied simply. "Demetri was so busy spending every minute with Mia that he wasn't aware of Aro's scheming. Although I do believe he suspected. When she arrived with her few school belongings, her promised room was suddenly unavailable and Demetri offered to share his with her. That was two weeks ago. Mia found out she was expecting four days ago and I couldn't tell you who was happier, Demetri or Aro.

But then a problem presented itself when Demetri became sullen and moody. He came to realize that he had truly fallen in love with Mia and did not want to have the baby kill the woman he had begun to consider his mate. He was frantic, trying to get her to abort it without Aro's knowledge. She refused saying to do such a thing was against God. Mia was Catholic." Felix added to explain her response. "Finally, Demetri was called in to see Aro, who'd demanded he explain himself. When he told Aro his feelings, Aro became dismissive of him. I never thought I'd ever seen Demetri so distraught. Apparently Aro hadn't either. He was surprised at the audacity of his underling, when Demetri begged Aro to allow him to travel with Mia to be cared for by Carlisle, after our faux pas last time we'd come. Caius was disgusted by Demetri's display, taking his feelings for weakness, but Aro suddenly acquiesced; much to Caius distain."

"Aro beamed from head to toe and said as though he'd just thought of the idea himself, that he would send the two of them to visit the Olympic Peninsula, more specifically, the city of Forks, Washington to check-up on his good friend, Doctor Carlisle Cullen. He sent me ahead to clear the way first. Mia was beginning to react poorly to stressful situations. I was to take care of any unpleasantries before their arrival tomorrow."

You could have cut the silence with a knife when the suddenly chatty Felix finally shut up. It seemed to simply lay there as we absorbed the story.

"That poor girl," Esme finally said. "I'll need to prepare the guest room upstairs. When do you expect them to arrive tomorrow?"

"Uh, I don't exactly know." Felix admitted. "They left Florence, Italy yesterday at 4pm local time and they were supposed to arrive in Seattle tomorrow at noon. Then they were to get a private flight from Seattle to Port Angeles that's supposed to arrive there at 2pm and I was to meet them there with a rental car. So we should be back here by 3pm at the latest. I sure hope the good doctor will be back by then because Demetri has been in quite a state.

Well, I had to say, I never saw this one coming. I already felt a kinship to this girl, Mia. I certainly knew what it felt like to fall in love with a vampire. I could see Edward struggling with his distaste for Demetri and being reminded once again of how desperate he himself had been not that long ago; déjà vu for sure.

Just then Nessie yawned and slumped in Emmett's arms. I ran over and took her from him. Edward was up by my side.

"Well, You'll have to excuse us." I said to everyone, but I looked at Felix as I added. "It's time for Edward and I, to take our daughter home for the night. We'll see everyone in the morning."

"Excellent," Emmett said, rubbing his now free hands together. "Felix, you have just been enlisted."

"Whatever are you talking about?" Felix replied looking up at him with a sullen expression. Felix was still uneasy.

"Well, this has just cost me valuable construction time and now I have to make it up before the contents of the back of that big U-haul truck start to mutiny." Emmett said as though this were an acceptable explanation.

"What are you really talking about here?" Felix added through narrowed eyes.

"Well Felix, to put it simply, I need an extra set of strong hands and I don't trust you. I want you where I can keep an eye on you. And that would put you where I will be and you might as well be doing what I am doing. So, if you are really here for the purpose you say you're here for, you'll follow me out back so we can get to work."

I heard Felix sigh and stand up before Edward and I made our own exit and crossed the river on our way to the cottage.

***

Hope this chapter kind of explains about what was up with Felix and Demetri. It was really supposed to post tomorrow, but I'll be out tomorrow, so I put it out early. Hope that's alright. Also, another reminder, that if you haven't checked out my one-shot about Felix, it works for great background info for what happens to him in my story. I'm not sure if anyone has read it, because no one has left a comment. That's okay though. Hope you all have a great weekend :D Tami


	46. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty One  
Mia**

**Bella's POV**

**I was definitely ready to get to our little cottage in the woods after all of the tension of the last few hours. I could hardly think back to how beautiful Angela looked as a bride or how fun it had been to see all of my old friends. No, all I could think about was that finally, my little girl was sleeping in my arms and I didn't want to let her go—ever again. I didn't even turn to put her in her room when we arrived home. By unspoken agreement, Edward held open our own bedroom door and we watched her sleep soundly between us on our own bed while we talked over her quietly about the new crisis the Volturi had dropped right in our family's lap.**

"**Well, it's nice to know Aro isn't up to his old tricks." I'd said sarcastically.**

"**No, he's up to brand new tricks." Edward responded quietly, finishing my statement as he stroked Nessie's curls. He looked up at me. His eyes were searching. "You know, we had extraordinary help in our daughter's birth. You very well could have died without it. I don't know how I could have gone on if you had died that day. I don't know how I ever got so lucky, Bella. You are the most incredible woman I have ever known. I love you Sweetheart." He leaned over Nessie to give me a kiss. As soon as his lips touched mine, all of the tension of the day seemed to melt away; only to be replaced by another tension. One that wasn't so good with the current bedroom arrangements. Reluctantly after a few minutes I pulled away to stare back at him.**

"**I love you too, Edward. Only I am the lucky one. Just ask Jessica Stanley." I said rolling my eyes at him playfully. Then I was suddenly serious. "You know, you do make a good point though Edward. I survived Nessie's birth with 'unseen' help. Will Demetri's girlfriend, Mia have that as well? Does she even want to be a vampire? I had a long time to come to terms with all of the facts of vampire life; to choose it. It sounds like all of this is happening pretty quickly for this girl. According to Felix," His name came out sounding like a hiss. "…she's only even found out what Demetri was, a little over two weeks ago. Now she's faced with having a baby and not just any baby, but one that will kick the hell out of her and she might still die anyways." I was shaking my head. I leaned down and kissed my little angel's face momentarily distracted by the resurgence of relief at her safety.**

"**Not only that, I wonder how she will feel if she does survive only to have her baby taken away from her as a newborn and given to Aro for 'safe holding'. He said in disgust. "And what happens if mother and child should both die? That wouldn't sit well with the Volturi either."**

"**You're right. I hope Demetri cares for her like you cared for me, or else this woman will only have heartache no matter how it ends." I said sadly. "And yet I can also understand the strength of the bond between mother and child. I have read that often, with regular pregnancies, the bond grows stronger with time and sometimes the bond doesn't develop until birth. But it wasn't like that for me Edward. I went from not even thinking about children; to finding out I was pregnant; to loving and wanting my baby within a matter of minutes. I don't know if that was normal for all hybrids or if it was Nessie's gift working on me. Huilen said that her sister Pire loved Nahuel before he was born too. So it may be the hybrid's bond is developed as strongly as the baby develops itself. I can't help but feel a kinship to Mia, even though I haven't even met her yet. It is kind of weird. I almost feel like I need to protect her too."**

"**I know exactly what you mean, Bella love." He murmured as he touched his forehead to mine. "I felt a need to protect her as well. It just reminded me so much of you and your pregnancy. Then to hear that Demetri begged Aro to let him bring her here; well, I put myself in his shoes and I would have too. I'm almost embarrassed to say this, but I almost feel a kinship to Demetri. And yet, I fight myself on it too. On the one hand, he set out to fall in love with a human—it was a conscious choice."**

"**Yes, with Aro's blessing." I added dryly. "Of course, he thought the problem would take care of itself with her death."**

"**True," Edward continued. "But Demetri knew from the onset he would cause her death. You don't do that with someone you love. But then for the flip side, he was following orders. He's bound so tightly, thanks to Chelsea, he obeys without question. I don't think he actually set out to fall in love. I think he just set out to develop 'pleasant feelings' for Mia and didn't realize they had actually developed into love until her life was in jeopardy. If I think about it that way, then I can justify a feeling of kinship with Demetri. Otherwise, I want to despise him as much as I do Felix now.**

"**Well, I have to agree with you on the Felix front; even though he was following orders too." I said contemplatively. "We'll just have to take Demetri's measure when he gets here to determine which of your scenarios is more correct. Either way, Mia is the victim here and the least we can do is try helping her the best we can while she's here."**

"**You're right. I guess we could always try Jaspers method of asking for divine intervention." Edward said with a small smile. **

"**Well, after Chan Chan, we can't deny its effectiveness." I told him quietly as I remembered how Jasper's invocation had sent an angel to my side. "You know, of all the things Jasper has ever done for me, I think that prayer he said was the most touching to me."**

**We were silent for a while lost in our own thoughts. I was staring at my sleeping daughter and Edward was staring at me.**

"**You know something else that worries me?" Edward said, finally breaking the silence.**

"**No sweetheart, what?" I asked giving him a melancholy little smile.**

"**Well, if Demetri gets here before Carlisle wakes up, Demetri should be able to know immediately he is in the house."**

**My smile turned into a grimace. "But will he be able to sense Carlisle's mind if you can't sense his mind to read right now?" **

"**We can hope not." Edward replied his forehead creased with worry.**

"**I know," I said. "Felix is going to pick them up at Port Angeles right?" Edward nodded. "If Demetri senses Carlisle, we'll tell them that he just got there and was getting things ready and would come down and meet them shortly. Then we get her all situated and visit with them until he awakens."**

"**Not a bad back up plan." Edward said thoughtfully rubbing his chin. Then he grinned over at me. "You know you're getting pretty good at all of this 'cloak and dagger' stuff."**

"**I should be," I retorted. "Between you and Alice, I learned from the best**

*******

**The next morning Nessie was delighted to wake up being the center of attention in our bed. That had only happened once before. We obliged her with a pillow fight of epic proportions before finally dressing for the day and heading for the big house.**

**We could hear the hammering and power tools whirring as soon as we opened our cottage door. But there were other sounds now as well. I heard a monkey's squeal and a parrot's squawk. We could see a domed, glass roof up and in place over Nessie's new Amazon Petting Zoo. It looked almost like some sort of lunar apparatus. After we jumped the river, we saw Felix trying to lead a three foot Brazilian Tapir by a rope. The Tapir was not cooperating. Neither were the three squirrel monkeys clinging to his head with their tails draped around his neck. And his arms were full of a yellow anaconda that was at that very moment trying to weave its tail end around his left leg.**

"**Oh, Senna!" Nessie said as if scolding the Tapir. "You need to go see the new house that Uncle Emmett has for you. You will be so excited!" To Felix's amazement, the 700 lb animal appeared to understand Nessie and almost dragged Felix the rest of the way to the great domed building. Of course, we knew what she had really done. **

**I was surprised Emmett had left Felix alone, but just then Seth appeared and right behind him was Embry and Quil. They were each just as loaded down with animals too.**

"**Some of the crates busted open inside the U-haul," Embry said as if this explained their laden state.**

"**Hey kiddo," Seth added at seeing Nessie. "You'd better get those feathers out of your hair or your Uncle Emmett may try to put you in the Aviary."**

"**What feathers?" Nessie said as she patted her head.**

**Seth freed a hand from the two Jaguar cubs he held and plucked 2 down feathers from the back of her head. "These ones." He said laughing as he held it out for her. "Actually your mom and dad are sporting some themselves. Did you guys get lost in the chicken coop or what?"**

"**All I'm going to say is that you should have seen the other guy." Edward said so seriously that it made everyone laugh.**

"**Great! There you guys are!" Emmett said coming up the trail from his 'work in progress'." Everyone turned towards him. Emmett was positively beaming. Then the power tools in the direction of the 'auto shop' turned off and Emmett's expression did a complete transformation into a look of alarm. "Hurry!" he hissed to Seth, Quil and Embry. "In case Rose comes out to find Nessie."**

"**Fine," Quil said non-pulsed, "But I get to bring Claire out here to see this when it's ready." **

"**You just gave me a great idea," Emmett said as he ushered them down the path. "We'll have a grand opening and invite the entire reservation!"**

**Apparently that went over big time. They had no sooner turned the corner, that Rosalie and Jacob came out of their new garage. They walked right over to us and showered Nessie with a double dose of affection. She of course ate it up.**

"**You know," Rose told her in a teasing way. "Feathers can look good in your hair, but only when you plan it out." She fished out another three quills from Nessie's tresses. "What did you do, attack your pillow?"**

"**Something like that." Nessie said grinning.**

**Then Rosalie got a look of disgust on her face. Her nose crinkled up. "What is that smell?" She started looking around. **

"**Hey Auntie Rose, will you fix my hair really pretty for meeting Mia today?" Nessie asked before shooting Edward and I a conspiratorially glance. She was getting pretty good at 'misdirection' herself.**

"**That is an excellent idea. And then your Mommy and Daddy can fix your breakfast." And just like that, the bombshell was diverted temporarily and we were inside the big white house in mere seconds.**

"**Good heavens!" Alice exclaimed as soon as she saw me and Edward. "We are having company today and you two have more feathers in your hair than Nessie. Not to worry. You're both overdue for my attention."**

"**Oh great!" I moaned. "I have to fix Nessie some breakfast."**

"**That's fine, I'll take Edward first." She said snapping into her 'efficiency mode'.**

**Just then Esme's voice issued from the kitchen. "Take them both; I'm already half done making Nessie's breakfast."**

**I sighed as Alice dragged me to her room on the second floor. While she got Edward all situated at her 'shampoo' station (Alice literally had a small salon in her bathroom), I strolled over to her bedroom window to identify the sound of a truck that had just started up. I looked down and saw Sam Uley get into the cab of Emmett's U-haul and drive it around the side of the house. As it passed I noticed the back hatch was mostly up and Paul and Jared were there keeping the rest of the carts of wildlife steady. I guessed they were going to drive the rest right to their new home. I wondered how Emmett had managed to get all of the shape shifters involved; when it suddenly hit me in a burst of revelation.**

"**They're here because of Felix and Demetri." I said in amazement.**

"**Yes," Alice said as she happily scrubbed Edward's head. "After the three of you left for your cottage last night, Jacob went out to the 'project' and talked to Emmett about it. Of course, he had to be careful of what he said because Felix was right there. But having them come to help get everything ready was the perfect cover. So Sam and the boys all showed up about an hour ago and they've been busy as bees." She sighed and then finished rinsing Edward's hair and patted it dry with a towel before gesturing for him to take her styling chair. Apparently, she was going to be giving us both the 'full Alice treatment' this morning. **

"**What was really funny, was that Jasper and I went out with Jacob when he talked to Emmett. We were going to offer to help. Jasper wanted to be handy if Emmett needed to calm Felix down or needed us for guard duty. When we got there, Emmet and Felix were so busy trying to 'one-up' each other for building different animal habitats that Jasper and I became their 'gophers' for the evening. By the time the Quileutes showed up, the animals new homes were pretty much ready for them."**

**Alice was so adept at hair styling, she was quickly done with Edward. He looked like he just got done with a GQ photo shoot when he stepped down from Alice's chair. I grimaced as she walked back to her shampoo station and motioned for me to sit. Edward laughed at my expression. While Alice scrubbed my feather-ridden hair with such force that I was pretty sure she had literally demolished them, she continued with her tale.**

"**Felix did get pretty nervous when Sam showed up with seven more shape shifters, but Sam went straight over to him and introduced himself. Then he turned to Emmett and told him that the next time he needed extra help with a project, he'd be calling in his marker. So while this would have normally made Felix very nervous, Jasper stayed out there controlling the anxiety level. So it's going pretty good—all things considered."**

**Alice towel dried my hair and moved me to her styling chair. Before I knew what was happening, she had my hair all sectioned off and got her scissors going. Apparently, it was time for me to get a new 'do'. I sighed. There was after all, rarely any point of arguing with Alice and I did always look nicer after her ministrations.**

"**Do we need to get blood supplies for when Demetri gets here with Mia?" Edward asked her redirecting the conversation.**

"**Well," Alice said slowly. "Rosalie said that we had enough for one day. But the thing is, we don't know if she is ready to need it yet."**

"**That's right," I said remembering. "I ate human food for about the first two and a half weeks before I started getting sick. And I might have gotten my morning sickness when I did, regardless of what I was eating."**

"**So Mia is no more than two weeks along now," Edward said thoughtfully. "She may even be less. So we can try her with human food when she gets here anyway, and see how she handles it."**

"**Esme has the guest suite set up for her and Demetri on the second floor, She thought that would be best because it is close to Carlisle's study and will keep her out of the 'activities' that are coming around--namely, your birthday celebrations with your mother coming." She added pointedly at me.**

"**We can bring her down to the couch in the living room when she wants more company but we will probably need to have you, Rosalie and Esme take turns sitting with her for 'female' assistance' when she needs it." I remembered all of the times Rosalie had showered me and carried me to the bathroom for my frequent 'human moments'. I also remembered how Alice had made herself scarce because of the headaches she'd gotten around me from the proximity to the growing half-breed inside of me and my future shifting around so quickly it often blurred. **

"**Alice," I asked while she used a blow dryer on my hair. The sound didn't matter to our sensitive ears. "Do you think it might not be as bad for you this time, since Samon has enhanced your gift to 'see' half breeds?"**

"**I don't know." She said almost glumly. But it was only for a minute. Playing with my hair was one of her favorite pastimes. "I guess we'll have to wait and see. I haven't made a habit of 'looking' into Mia's future like I was yours. I'm not already attuned to her. So that may help too. If I were to look, there would still be the problem of her future shifting around quickly because of the actions of the baby."**

"**That's true," Edward said thoughtfully. "I couldn't even hear Nessie until the day she was born. That happened almost five weeks after she was conceived. It's hard to explain to the baby to be careful when their minds are still in developmental stages."**

**Alice had now whipped out her heated curling iron. "Well, at least I won't have to sit up in my room moping around this time if the headaches return. I can always go feed animals for Emmett and I am definitely going shopping as soon as I figure out what size Mia is. There is no way I'm looking at another female sporting Emmett's old sweats again. That mental image alone, is enough to trigger a headache. That made both me and Edward chuckle and he leaned down to kiss my nose.**

"**It looks like Alice has another set of victims to play 'dress-up' with." Edward said in good humor.**

**Alice put away her curling iron and started fluffing my hair out while she turned over Edward's statement. "You know, you have a good point. Felix only brought one small suitcase with him. I'll bet Demetri does the same. That Felix is a big guy. He's even bigger than Emmett. I'd better get some measurements on him before I leave." She added almost to herself. She sprayed my hair and so I started to rise when she suddenly pushed me back down. "Where exactly do you think you're going?" She asked me pointedly.**

"**Downstairs," I said in confusion. "You're done right?"**

"**Done with your hair," Alice clarified. "Now it's time for makeup." I sighed and decided if I engaged in a pillow fight again, I would have to make sure I was feather-free before meeting up with Alice. That reminded me.**

"**Say Alice, if you go shopping, can you get us some new pillows."**

*******

**By the time we'd joined Nessie downstairs. She and Jacob were eating pancakes and bacon. They had orange juice in their glasses as well.**

"**Jacob, how many Quileute's should I be expecting to feed foe each meal for the next three to four weeks?" Esme was saying happily. If she loved anything, it was being a great hostess.**

"**I talked it over with Sam and we'll be on rotating shifts here while Felix and Demetri are visiting. If we exclude Leah, as she and Nahuel will be here a lot anyway wedding-planning with Alice, there are nine of us and so we we'll have 3 on an 8 hour shift at a time. Of course, everyone is here today to scope things out."**

"**That was good thinking," Edward said approvingly.**

"**So if I plan on feeding the boys before and after each shift, then that would be six extra per meal, plus possibly Leah and Nahuel, and of course you and Nessie…and Mia." She nodded her head. "I wonder if I made a menu, if Leah and Nahuel would mind going grocery shopping for me on their way over."**

"**I'll bet they wouldn't mind." I'd said thoughtfully. Leah had really softened up since love had eroded all the sharp edges of the fortress she had built to protect herself from getting hurt. "Do you think she still has the credit card Carlisle gave her for emergencies?"**

"**I'm sure she does," Edward said with a smirk. "I recall her thoughts at the time were that she was going to bury it like a bone."**

"**Well then, I'd better get a menu together; Bella would you mind giving Leah a call, and checking with her for me?" Esme asked as she smiled warmly at me.**

"**No problem," I said whipping my phone out just as the front doorbell rang.**

**Edward answered it and in stepped Collin and Brady.**

"**Sorry we were late," Collin said, Brady was giving me a ride and my Mother had chores for me to do first." He sounded embarrassed. Poor kid, giving up his Sunday to keep an eye on Volturi vamps and make sure they behaved themselves.**

"**Hey, is that food I smell?" Brady piped up.**

"**Of course Brady," Edward said smiling at whatever Brady was thinking. I'd bet he was hearing about the 'breakfast' Brady had already downed before he'd left home. Oh well, I'd heard about teenage boys being able to 'pack it away', but add shape shifting to that mix and well; it wasn't hard to understand the nutritional demands these boys were faced with.**

**While Edward got them settled with plates and silverware at the table, I called Leah who was at her mother's house. When I explained about Esme's menu plans, she was delighted to stop by the store. That was a surprise to me. She really had turned over a new leaf. I expected she would go for us, but not happily. Maybe her entire 'fortress' had dissolved away. I told her Esme would call her with a grocery list shortly and to please use the credit card Carlisle had given her. To that there was a slight pause on the other end. I guessed that she was going to have to literally dig it back up from wherever she'd buried it.**

**The rest of the morning went by in a blur. We'd checked on Carlisle, who was lying in his bed--still as stone. Edward couldn't read any 'thought' waves from him at all. That was a little disconcerting. If all went accordingly and it was exactly two days from when he fell asleep to when he would wake up, he had another six hours and should be awake by four this afternoon. Edward and I set up Carlisle's X-ray machine in his office, as well as his exam table and got his equipment ready. Then Edward called the hospital and requested an order of blood; imitating Carlisle's voice to perfection and giving his 'medical access' code. That would be ready for us to pick up tomorrow. When we were done, we went out to find Felix. It was time for us to hunt if we were going to be having another human at the house 24/7 and we wanted to see how he would do on his first ever hunting, 'Cullen' style.**

**As it turned out, everyone thought a hunt was a good idea so we'd left the shape shifters in charge of the house and the rest of us took off into the park. As expected, Felix was not happy. Apparently, the elk he took down was hardly palatable and the brown bear was only slightly better. Although he did rather reluctantly admit that the animals did give him a much better chase than humans and that was kind of fun. When we all returned to the house, our thirst satisfied, it was time for Felix to leave to drive to Port Angeles and pick up Demetri and Mia at the small airport there, but not before Alice got a hold of Felix with a measuring tape. He looked confused but everyone else just had shrugs or amused expressions for him. No explanation was given, so he turned and left saying he'd be back by three p.m.--an hour before Carlisle was expected to wake up.**

*******

**Everyone was on pins and needles as we heard Felix's rental car turn onto our three mile driveway. The bulk of the shape shifters had stayed outside the house, following Emmett's instructions for animal placement but within earshot should they be needed. Inside the house with us, were Jacob and Seth. Leah and Nahuel were also inside and at the table going over Alice's wedding binder with her. Most everyone in the family waited in the living room, but me, Rosalie and Edward went to the front porch to wait. The sooner we could physically see this girl, the sooner we could assess her condition. Already I was filled with anxiety for how she was feeling and a desire to do whatever I could to make her comfortable. Everyone but Jacob was surprised when Leah announced she would also take a turn caring for Mia with Rosalie, Esme and Me. To my amazement, Jacob explained that Leah had told him before Nessie had even been born that she would have helped me like Rosalie had if I had asked her. I didn't know what to say to that. So I just nodded.**

**Felix drove the tan sedan to a stop in front of the house. Demetri was in the back seat with Mia, who was curled in a ball lying prone on the seat by his side. **

**As he got out of the car Felix said, "Is Carlisle back yet?"**

"**No," Edward replied grimly. "His plane is landing right now in Seattle, so he should be back in about an hour. But he gave us specific instructions to get Mia's medical condition assessed beforehand."**

**Felix nodded and opened the back door where Demetri had gathered Mia up in his arms and then carried her up the stairs of the porch. As he met us there he greeted us, "Edward, Bella, Hello," He added to Rosalie, whom I realized he had never officially met before. "I never thought I'd ever say this, but I am VERY glad to see you." And with that and whatever Edward heard in his mind and saw with his eyes, Edward's stiff posture relaxed and he put his hand on Demetri's shoulder in understanding.**

"**We are very glad you thought to bring her to us." Edward said. "It looks like she's had a hard time on the trip over." He added worriedly. He opened our new front door and ushered the three visitors into the living room, where everyone else waited for them. **

**It was clear to see Mia was not doing well. The trip from Italy had not been good to her. Her face had a light sheen of sweat to it and her light brown hair was plastered on the left side of her head. Her brown eyes were drooping and it looked as if she was hovering between weariness, being nauseous, and being scared. She shook like a leaf and she clung to Demetri's forearm for dear life. I suddenly realized that I had behaved the same way when I had walked with Edward and Alice in the dark sewers of Volterra, going to meet my doom at the hands of the Volturi leaders. I was determined to leave her with a better impression than I had been left with on that occasion. **

"**Hello everyone," Demetri said quietly. "This is my fiancée, Mia Giordano." He said as he bent down and kissed her fevered brow. He would have sounded proud if he hadn't been so worried.**

"**It is very nice to meet you dear," Esme said as she came up and smiled brightly at the frightened Mia. And when Mia let her tired eyes rest on my wonderful mother-in-law's face, her shaking stopped. There was definitely a magic to Esme's ability to make others feel comfortable. It made the rest of us smile. Demetri did as well.**

"**H-Hello," She stammered. "Thank you f-for l-letting me c-come." She said haltingly as her eyes filled with tears. Demetri wiped them away with his fingers and leaned in to whisper something in Italian to her. She sniveled and nodded her head. He had still not set her down yet and it didn't look like he was planning on it either. I suddenly realized how lucky it was that she spoke English, although I was probably the only member of the family that hadn't learned Italian yet. Oh well, I guessed that was another thing to add to my ever-growing 'to do' list.**

"**Well, let me quickly introduce you to our family and then we'll get you settled in upstairs." Esme said in her warm accepting voice. "Don't worry about remembering everyone's name, it will come with time. Here we have Alice and Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett, Edward and Bella and their daughter Renesmee…"**

"**You can just call me Nessie. It's way easier to remember." Nessie said grinning over at Mia. Mia immediately smiled back. She let go of Demetri's forearm and sighed in relief.**

"**Nessie," She said. "You're like my baby will be right?"**

"**That's r-i-ght," Nessie practically sang back to her with a singing quality to her voice as she held out the syllables with inflection. Then she added in her regular voice, "Of course Nahuel is also a hybrid." She then nodded to Nahuel who was standing in the arched walkway towards the dining room with Leah.**

"**Really?" Mia said. Her voice was still weary but interested as well. She eyed Nahuel and then looked back at Nessie. "How old are you?"**

"**I'm turning 2 in a few days, but Nahuel is about 155."**

**That surprised Mia on many levels. Esme took up her introductions as though she had not been interrupted. "This is Jacob Black. He is pretty much a part of the family now and is sort of pledged to Nessie. And then of course, Renesmee has already introduced you to Nahuel over here, and with him is Leah Clearwater, his fiancée.**

"**Y-you don't all l-look like…" She seemed to struggle with the word she was looking for. Then she lowered her voice to a whisper, "vampires; you know." It was easy to see her struggle with the word.**

"**We're not all vampires," Jacob said rather smugly. "Some of us are lucky enough to be shape shifters instead. But most of 'us' are outside."**

"**Shape shifters?" Mia asked and her face took on a green cast to it.**

"**Do you need the bathroom?" I asked her quickly. She nodded once and I gathered her from a reluctant Demetri and ran her to the small room behind the stairs. She had barely knelt down in front of the toilet before she started throwing up violently. I held her hair out of the way and dotted her forehead and cheeks with a washcloth I had dampened.**

"**T-that feels g-good." She stammered weakly. "Thank you. S-sorry about all of the d-drama."**

"**Don't worry about it. I remember this very well from when I went through it myself." I told her sympathetically.**

**She nodded at me in understanding. "You are all very kind; m-much nicer than I was expecting."**

"**Well, you seem very nice yourself. It's no wonder Demetri fell in love with you." I said surprising myself with how easy it was to talk with Mia and that I meant what I was saying.**

**When she was done, she used the commode in a more traditional way, she washed her hands and I opened up a new toothbrush and loaded it with Crest toothpaste. She took it gratefully and scrubbed her teeth clean.**

"**Do you mind if I keep this with me?" she asked when she was done, holding on to the toothbrush. "I have one in the bag somewhere, but I might not find it before I need it again."**

"**Can't keep anything down?" I asked her tentatively.**

"**Well, I kept my breakfast down but not dinner last night. I think this time I was just stressed out because I haven't eaten anything since about 9 AM."**

"**I see, well of course you can keep that toothbrush. It's only there for company anyway, and it's yours now." She pocketed the toothbrush and sighed at her appearance in the mirror. "Are you ready?"**

**She nodded gratefully as I gently picked her up again. "You sure are strong for a girl." She noted wearily. **

"**It's a vampire thing. Don't worry you'll be pretty strong too." I said with careful indifference.**

"**I will? What do you mean?" Mia said and her voice took on a tone of dread to it. I started to realize that she was still very much in the dark about her future. I vowed silently to make sure she didn't stay that way; but first things first.**

"**I promise you we'll talk about it later after you've had a chance to eat, rest and meet with Carlisle, but for now let's get you settled in upstairs."**

"**O-kay," she said hesitantly, "And thank you for your help. Really, thank you very much." Her sincerity was refreshing. I had a sudden thought that such innocence would be destroyed if she went back to the Volturi.**

**Demetri was waiting for us at the stairs and immediately took her from me with a perfunctory nod.**

"**Let's get her situated in the guest bedroom suite." Esme said as she led them upstairs. By prior agreement, Leah, Rosalie and I went up with them. We'd helped her get into her pajamas she'd brought in her suitcase and she very happily laid down to take a nap. Before she fell asleep, Esme explained our rotating schedule to her so that she would understand that one of us would always be there to help her take care of her needs. Since it was before 3 PM, it was still what was to become my shift, so I pulled up a chair and sat by her bed. Demetri was at her other side.**

"**Before you go to sleep," I said quietly as her eyes were halfway closed. "Would you like to try and eat something? You did say that you haven't eaten anything since 9 this morning."**

"**But what if I throw it up again?" She said forlornly.**

**I opened a drawer that Esme had previously stocked with a few items and pulled out a package of saltine crackers. "We could start with something simple." I said presenting them as though they were a five course meal.**

**Mia nodded and so I opened them up and handed her a few. She kept them down and decided she was hungry after all. "Okay, that went alright. Maybe I could eat something else."**

"**What would you like to try? Soup, eggs, a sandwich, and Esme just made hot dogs and hamburgers for everyone too. Does any of that sound good to you?" I asked her hopefully.**

"**Maybe some eggs." She said confused by my spreading grin. "What? Is that okay?"**

"**Absolutely," I told her chuckling to myself. "It's just that eggs were my main staple for the first half of my pregnancy. Maybe it was more than just a personal preference. How would you like your eggs? Scrambled, over easy, hard boiled, ham and cheese omelet, or maybe Eggs Benedict?"**

"**Maybe I'll have the omelet if it isn't too much trouble." She said carefully. It was obvious to me, she was not wanting to be a burden on anyone. **

"**That is fine. I'll go and get that…" I started to say before I heard Rosalie call to me from the kitchen. **

"**I've got it Bella. Tell her it will be right up."**

**Of course Demetri and I could hear her but not so for Mia, who looked at me in confusion. She misunderstood my hesitancy for something else. "Never mind if it's too much trouble. I'm fine."**

**For some reason that made Edward and Jacob laugh from the first floor where they listened to our conversation.**

"**No, you'll get your omelet, it's just that apparently, Rosalie was already in the kitchen waiting for you to say the word and so now it's already cooking." I said wryly.**

**There was a knock on the door and Edward came in carrying a pitcher of ice water and a cup. **

"**Oh, thanks sweetie," I said as he came in and poured Mia a glass. He passed it to me and then set the pitcher down on the night stand. "Are you thirsty?" I asked her as I handed it to down to her when she nodded.**

**As she slowly sipped Edward spoke to both Mia and Demetri, "You need to make sure you don't get dehydrated from all of the vomiting." He said quietly as he assessed Mia's physical appearance.**

"**Edward should know," I told her. "How many medical degrees do you have? Two or three?" Edward looked at me a little embarrassed, "Besides, he knows everything."**

"**And what he doesn't know he can just pick right out of your head." Demetri added reluctantly. I was having a hard time reading him.**

**Edward wasn't though; he just grinned over at Demetri and added, "Well, I can't help that. **

**There was another rap on the door and Alice stepped inside. She handed Edward a clipboard and pen and then she held up a hairbrush and went to sit right on the bed behind Mia. "I thought you might want me to braid your hair for you so it doesn't get all tangled up while you're in bed." She said by way of explanation as she sat Mia forward and started quickly brushing away.**

**While she worked, Edward went down a checklist on the clipboard and asked her questions. "How many times have you thrown up in the last twenty four hours? How much food have you been able to keep down in the last twenty four hours? What day did your last period start?" That one made her blush furiously. I patted her hand.**

**Edward was just finishing up with the 'twenty questions' game, when Alice finished her braiding and Rosalie entered carrying a tray of food. There was enough to feed two and Mia attacked it almost as if she hadn't eaten for days. I remembered eating large quantities of food at the beginning of my pregnancy too. When she was done Alice asked her what her size was, explaining she was going 'maternity clothes' shopping for her and then she sized up Demetri and correctly guessed his size. Rosalie took the tray away and Leah came in with Nahuel.**

"**It's 3 o'clock and that makes it my turn now." She said looking at everyone as if to say "Scoot"**

**At her pronouncement, Edward and Alice left immediately.**

**I stood up to give my chair to Leah. "Okay, I'll leave for now," I told Mia. "Leah is going to take really good care of you. But I'll pop back in to say good bye before I leave for the night." I added to Mia as she smiled from the bed.**

"**Thank you," Mia said. "It was really nice to meet you." **

"**It is nice to meet you too. I'm really glad that Demetri found someone so nice to love him." I added in parting.**

"**Thank you Bella," Demetri said and his tone turned me around. He tone was not that of a casual courteous sort. No his 'thank you' was meant from the bottom of his heart and it was filled with a fervor that spoke volumes of its own.**

"**No problem," I said thinking of how he must have sounded when he'd begged Aro to allow her to come to us. He had been fighting for her life and risking his own in the process. Maybe love had the power to change more than just Leah. Maybe love was powerful enough to change a monster back into a man. **

**I closed the door and considered the possibilities as I walked down the stairs at a human pace. There was still three-quarters of an hour on the clock, before Carlisle would be waking up. **

*******

**[A/N: Hopefully that wasn't too dull. The next chapter is about Carlisle waking up!]**


	47. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty Two  
The Awakening**

**Esme's POV**

I was sitting in a winged back chair that I had drawn near our bed. I watched the still form of my husband as he lay in the same position he had fallen unconscious in two days ago. His only movement was the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in a regular pattern. I had gathered his hand into my own and there had been no response. Nor had there been any change to my words of love I'd quietly whispered into his ear. We had gotten the newcomers settled quickly and I had come up to have a few quiet moments with the love of my life.

Mia seemed like a lovely girl who was unfortunately scared to death. One thing I could tell right away was that she did love Demetri and he loved her back. I decided I would make her as comfortable as was possible for her stay. That much was in my power at least. Hopefully everything would work out well and she would be able to live through the next three weeks and possibly by then be ready to embrace her new future. Perhaps if we were able to introduce her to our philosophy regarding humanity, it would temper her newborn cravings when she returned to Volterra and Aro.

What about Demetri? I never thought to see a vampire like him be so gentle and caring towards a fragile human. He didn't have quite the same level of control Edward used to exhibit in his movements when Bella was human. It was easy to see Demetri's concentration when he swept an errant lock from Mia's face or bent to kiss her check. Edward had gotten so controlled with his movements, that the monitoring of pressure control had become automatic. Of course, Edward had loved Bella as a human for twenty one months; Demetri had much less time to perfect his control technique. And yet, it had been enough to create a new little life, so that said something. Demetri's control was certainly better than Felix's. No, I would not dwell on the story Felix had painted in my mind yesterday. That man was a guest in my home, albeit an unwelcome, unannounced guest, but I mustn't dwell on that fact, or the fact that he had threatened my granddaughter and Charlie Swan. No, I must trust in Emmett, Jasper and Jacob's solution of bringing in the Quileute reinforcements during the Volturi visit. I must admit, I have rested easier knowing they have all been here, especially since Carlisle still had approximately thirty more minutes before the forty eight hours were up.

I looked down at the face of my beloved and took in the perfect features of his resting face. I had never gazed upon him in any form of slumber before. It was nice to see him so relaxed and peaceful. I was struck once more with an overwhelming sense of joy. I had been saved from a death of total despair by this wonderful and caring man who had infused me with courage, hope and something to live for; No, not something, but someone to live for; that person being Carlisle himself. Now I had a large family to love and care for; a family that just seemed to get bigger and bigger.

There were so many new experiences that came with the addition of different species at my home. Point in case, was the return to traditional uses for my kitchen. Thanks to Leah getting groceries for the shape shifters, as of a few hours ago, I even had a fully stocked pantry. Something I'd never thought I would need again--even though I'd kept a fair amount on hand for Nessie, Jacob's pack and Charlie. Rosalie had even had me add to my grocery list, soups, eggs, herbal teas, crackers, fresh fruit and broths for Mia. Luckily there were still plenty of white bendy straws in house from Bella's pregnancy. When I had finished restocking my pantry and refrigerator shelves, I had felt strangely satisfied. Needless to say, Edward isn't the only Cullen to have developed an interest in the 'Food Network' cable television station.

My mind continued to roam almost randomly over many of the different situations and thoughts of the last few days and from our experiences from the Amazon as well. Thoughts were interrupted when I heard Seth's voice as he knocked on a door downstairs, entered and then spoke to his sister, Leah. Apparently he had felt a need to spell her and Nahuel for a bit so that they could 'greet Carlisle upon his return'. Mia was sleeping soundly at the time. That made me glad; the poor dear. I could hear silent footsteps approach behind me and an arm on my shoulder. I looked up into the smiling topaz eyes of my newest daughter, Bella. I rested my hand on hers and smiled back at her. Edward was at her side and he added his hand on top of mine. Somehow, their excitement seemed to light my own. This was an exciting moment. Carlisle was venturing out into the unknown and we were allowed to go along for the experience. Wordlessly Jasper and Alice entered. Each bent over to me and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before moving over to the other side of the bed to make room for the rest. Behind them were Emmett and Rosalie. With each additional person, the sense of wonder and anticipation grew. They greeted me the same manner before moving to make room for Jacob and Renesmee. Behind them were Leah and Nahuel. When Nahuel was able to close the door, he silently did so.

Immediately upon closing, there was a sense that the room had somehow become sealed. We noticed it as we looked from one to another. Edward was shaking his head and he closed his eyes. When he opened them he was surprised to see everyone eyeing him curiously.

"It's happened again." He said very quietly. "I can't hear anyone's thoughts. Just like inside of the Sun Temples at Akahim and Chan Chan."

Despite the sense of silence, Emmett's answering low chuckle was heard and felt by everyone. He eyed Edward with a smirk but offered no comment. It was as if some unknown custom demanded our quiet. I had just turned my attention back to Carlisle when I heard Nessie gasp and I immediately turned in her direction. She was suddenly holding her grandmother-guardian angel's hand. Elizabeth Masen was in the room dressed beautifully in a long white cotton dress.

"Good afternoon everyone," She said with a smile in her voice. She was immediately hugged by Nessie, who raised her arms, wanting to be lifted up. Elizabeth obliged her.

"I have really missed you Grandmother! Even though it feels as though I just spoke with you a few days ago." She gushed.

"Perhaps that is because you did speak to me a few days ago." She said as she nuzzled noses with Nessie. This was of course spoken as Bella and Edward gathered her into a family hug.

"Mother!" Edward cried out in unexpected delight. Bella was too choked up to get anything coherent out. She just held her and seemed to sob wordlessly for a few minutes while Elizabeth gently patted her back.

I was so busy taking that scene in that I was startled by a rather deep, "Ahem" coming from directly behind me. I jumped and spun in a single movement, and caught myself looking for the first time in the flesh at Llasa, whom I had only previously seen from visuals on a wall in Chandra's home room.

"Esme!" He said gathering me up in a quick embrace and spinning me around in a three turn spin. I was stunned but also pleased that he felt so comfortable and friendly towards me. Still I couldn't seem to find my voice. "How is my newest Sister-in-Law doing?" He asked in a deep booming voice. His voice was even deeper than Emmett's. It actually sounded like the rumble of not-to-distant thunder.

"Fine, Llasa." I managed to choke out. At least my face had frozen with a smile on it. "It is nice to meet you."

He finally set me back down in satisfaction as he gave me a 'thumbs up', winked and made a kind of a 'clicking' sound with his mouth all at the same time. "Excellent!" He said enthusiastically as he eyed everyone around the room. "And hello to the rest of the mighty Cullen family and friends!" He thundered on. He then acknowledged each person in the room starting with Jacob who was to my right. Everyone managed to give him a little nod as he went. "Jacob, you're looking very…fit. Nessie, you're color is looking much better than the last time I saw you and gave you a little breath of life." He gave her a quick wink before he continued, "Hello my dear new sister, Elizabeth! It is of course always good to see you again," He said while kissing her cheek. I was surprised to realize that as a new perfected being herself, Elizabeth would be not only Llasa's sister but Carlisle's as well.

"Bella and Edward," He said and he gave them a quick hug. "I sure hope you two are finally staying out of trouble. What am I saying? Of course you're not!"

"I never get myself into trouble," Bella stammered.

"Of course not," Llasa said incredulously. "I'm sure that's why Mike Newton is at this moment calling every fitness club in the area trying to figure out how you got such 'rock hard' abs and muscle tone even in your fingers!" He laughed riotously as Bella's eyes seemed to triple in size. "Ahh well, serves him right. And you're not in trouble anyway. I'm just playing with you." He said with a wink as he released them and continued around the room.

"Leah Clearwater and Nahuel, our very own Wolf Queen and Jaguar King; How exciting! I'm in the presence of royalty!" He gave them a deep bow. Leah and Nahuel looked at each other dumbfounded. Llasa continued on in the same breath, "Emmett, you're the man. Maybe we can squeeze in an arm wrestling match before I have to leave—but if you think Edward cheats, you might not want to play with me!" He chuckled at his own admission. "Rosalie, you are even lovelier in person." He said and then lowered his voice and added to her conspiratorially, "Wait until you see what Emmett's got up that sleeve of his!" Now he busted out in laughter as Emmett's face reacted to his words with shocked betrayal and Rosalie's with confusion. "Jasper and Alice, you two look so cute together!" Then he nodded to Jasper and added, "Have you thought of a way to surprise her for her birthday yet?"

"No, I haven't." Jasper admitted, trying to fight a grin. "Do you have any suggestions?"

"Of course I do! Maybe an idea will just pop-in your head at the last minute." He added while he winked again. "Ahh, how do you like the weather outside? I thought sunny would be helpful for working on outdoor projects. But after today, I'm afraid it's back to normal."

"Good, because it's not nice to fool Mother Nature," a familiar voice spoke up from beside Llasa.

"Chandra!" Everyone exclaimed at once.

"Fine!" Llasa sulked exaggeratedly. "I get here early to meet everyone--trying to win the crowd. And you pop in and are instantly loved. Maybe it's a girl thing."

"I'm sure that's it Llasa." She said grinning at him with a twinkle in her eye.

"I know I get more excited by her than by you," A third voice chimed in as Dagda appeared next to his wife Chandra. "Hello Cullens!" He said amiably. "You guys just can't seem to stay out of trouble now can you?" He said good-naturedly. "Well, who knows what fate has in store for your current 'company' situation."

"You know of course," Samon's voice said as he materialized right next to me and he had his arm around my shoulder in the same moment. He finished directing his comment to Dagda, "…but you'd better keep your knowledge to yourself." Dagda made a motion of zipping his mouth shut. Then Samon turned to look me in the face. "Hello sister-in-law, are you excited?"

"Very," I barely was able to get out. I had not expected this 'welcoming committee' to come for my husband's awakening, but perhaps I should have. They were here to welcome a new sibling and we were simply lucky witnesses. Just seeing all of them brought a sense of joy and peace to my being that was hard to describe. Somehow, everything that had happened since our return seemed to have a purpose—even if I didn't see or understand it. An unknown weariness left me at Samon's touch and I felt positively buoyant. I felt as though I had not a worry in the world. I felt as light as a feather in the wind floating on an updraft.

"Esme," Llasa said directing me back to my chair. I took it although I did not know why. "If everyone else will step back as far as you are able." He continued directing the rest of my family. Then the five of them spaced themselves around Carlisle and the bed he lay on. I was on the inside with him and everyone else was on the outside.

"It's time," Samon said quietly and the five of them lifted their arms straight out to their sides. A power of light began to shoot out from their palms and it completely encircled them, along with both Carlisle and me. I thought my sweetheart might wake up then, but I was mistaken. Instead two more beings entered the circle--one on each side of me. They were glorious to look upon. One was a man and one female. They looked to be in their mid-thirties and they were beyond beautiful. It wasn't so much their features but rather an inner beauty that radiated their entire being. I realized almost immediately they were the 'parents' of the perfected beings; the ones that had been in Akakor according to legend over twelve thousand years ago.

The man spoke directly to my mind. '_Good afternoon to you Esme. I am Sampsa. This is my wife Aurora._' He added gesturing to her with his hand. I had remembered from Chandra's previous explanation in Chan Chan that Sampsa had also been known as Ra--the Sun God of the ancient Egyptians and Aurora had been known as both Athena and Gaia by ancient Greeks.

'_Hello Esme_,' Aurora added in a voice that almost had a flute-like quality to it. '_It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance._'

'_We are here to awaken and greet our new son Carlisle_.' Sampsa said calmly. '_I guess you could say that makes you our new daughter-in-law._' He added approvingly. '_Perhaps someday you will be ready to join with us as Dagda has._' His words filled me with a hope so profound, I resolved to make it my goal, and the attaining of it, my life's work.

Then Aurora called to the Perfected Beings in the room. "Children, are you ready to greet your new brother?"

As one they said 'yes'. They still had their arms extended and the light still encircled us. Then Aurora stood in front of her husband and placed both of her palms to his. A light started to emanate and pulse between their hands. After two minutes, Aurora pulled her hands away from Sampsa and the pulsing lights stayed in her palms. She went over to Carlisle and placed them on his chest as though they were defibrillator paddles. The pulsing turned into shocks that went through his system. Of course his heart was stone and would not start again. Aurora knew this and she also knew what she was doing even if I did not. Carlisle's chest started to glow with light where her hands touched him. Then I noticed pulses of light traveling just under his skin through his veins out to his entire body. Where the light shown through on his shirt sleeves it set his skin to sparkling. It was as though Aurora's hands acted for Carlisle's heart, and they pumped their light through his circulatory system. After three minutes his torso, arms and legs were glowing through his clothing. I could see the illumination as it crept in its slow pulsing movement up Carlisle's jugular vein. When it finally reached his face he was completely glowing from the inside out. He opened his eyes that were also bathed in light. Aurora removed her hands and stepped back.

"Awaken son Carlisle," Sampsa said in a commanding voice. He held out his hand to Carlisle and he took it and stood up. Sampson gathered my Sweetheart into his embrace. The light that issued as they met was blinding.

"Father," Carlisle said in acknowledgement. His voice sounded the same as it always did. There was a smile on his face. I was so happy for him.

Aurora, whose hands were no longer pulsing light, put her hand on his shoulder and he turned to her.

"Hello son Carlisle. I love you." She said simply. Carlisle turned to her waiting arms and embraced her as well.

"Mother," He replied. While Carlisle embraced Aurora, Samon gestured for me to rise. I did so quietly. I realized these beings were filling roles in Carlisle's life that had been left void for so long they were almost non-existent. Carlisle's mother had died when he was young and his Father was in no way a role model.

"Your sweetheart is here to greet you as well." Aurora said to him; seeming to notice I had risen without even looking. She pulled away from him and extended her arm to me. Carlisle followed her gaze and met my eyes. As he did so, the internal light in his countenance stilled and he appeared as he usually did.

I was crying tearlessly for happiness when I saw Carlisle's face. I had always known Carlisle was a great man, but that greatness had somehow become a part of his features. He still looked at me with eyes of love and adoration but there was something more to them now. His smile was still as warm and tender but held more depth. It was hard to put a finger on the change—even with my vampiric eye for detail, but my beloved was somehow just more.

"Carlisle," I sobbed breathlessly as he gathered me into his arms. "I love you."

"My darling Esme," He said and then he kissed me tenderly. When he pulled away and whispered back "I love you too." I recognized the difference. Carlisle had always been the most compassionate, the most humane among us. What I saw in his face allowed me to understand that his capacity to love had just been enhanced over a hundred fold. Perhaps it was similar to the way a vampire was able to experience more emotion than a human could. Perhaps it was even more profound than that. But I knew my relationship with Carlisle was going to become much deeper as a result. Not just our relationship, but everyone who had any relationship with him would be affected by the love now radiating from his being; much like the light had just moments before. He hugged me again and I was surprised at the warmth of his embrace. I wasn't sure if it was permanent or a temporary effect from the internal lighting he had undergone. He patted my back once more and then he whispered in my ear, "I'll have so much more to share with you when we are alone Esme. But for now, I must greet my new siblings." He gave me a beautiful smile and a wink before he released me and turned to Llasa who was almost patiently waiting his turn. The encircling light was finally fading.

After Carlisle was greeted by his new brothers and sisters, he turned back to his parents. Sampsa then took him by the hand and reminded him. "There are some instructions we need to leave you with before we depart. First of all, your mind has been given a shield. It is similar to Bella's and someday you may choose to develop it further. For now, it will act like Bella's did while she was human, with the exception, that if you wish to direct specific thoughts to a mind reader, like your son Edward, you can. This was done for two reasons. First to protect your thoughts and our secrets and two, it was part of the rewiring procedure that will allow you, through the years, to access more and more information and understanding. The more you use it, the faster those pathways will develop."

"You will also be able to make yourself appear more human, should the need arise—and it will. All you will need to do, will be to will it to be so and allow a small portion of your mind to maintain its control and your appearance will stay that way for as long as you need it. Again, this will be strengthened the more you practice it."

Carlisle nodded thoughtfully.

"I'm sure you recall that you are now completely immortal. Your Mother, Aurora has transmuted the venom in your system. It is a different substance now. It is the same as is in the system of all perfected beings. As a result, you cannot be harmed by fire. This also means that you cannot change anyone else into a vampire. This will become an issue sooner than you realize." When Sampsa added this last bit, I remembered Mia sleeping a floor below us. "Later, it will be this fluid that will allow you to become invisible when needed."

"You will need to continue to hunt the same as you have been for some time. After several decades you will notice that you'll become thirsty for water. This will be the first indicator that your main transformation is concluding. Then you will be able to start transmuting any kind of nutrients into the energy your new body will require. You will start to be able to access all gifts and work with them. You will grow much more competent with your intuition and two-way communications up the 'chain of command' so to speak. The more you seek, the more you will find." Carlisle continued to nod. He was calm and peaceful. The love that came from this new Father and Mother of Carlisle's, was staggering. It was felt by everyone in the room. I suddenly realized if Carlisle's capacity to love had just been exponentially enlarged, how much more was theirs? The atmosphere in the room was somehow sacred.

"And now for your first assignment," Sampsa said. "We need you to continue as you have as the head of this wonderful family and help with Renesmee's development. There will be many situations and challenges you will face that will demand your talents and augmented gift of compassion. In fact, your first challenge has beaten you here. Edward, can you please come forward?"

Edward quietly left Bella's side and came to stand next to Carlisle and Sampsa. It looked like he was concerned he had done something wrong. As if to answer his unspoken worry, Sampsa turned to him and set his mind at ease. "Oh no Edward, you are doing everything exactly right. No, what I would like to do, with your permission, is create a link similar to Aro's gift. You would hold my one hand and Carlisle my other. Then all of the information you have stored in your head for the last two days since Carlisle's transformation started, will go through me to him rather rapidly. I think this will be the best way to bring him up to date on everything that has transpired. Do you agree?"

"Yes," Edward affirmed quietly. "And of course I will share my thoughts with Carlisle. I'm very glad that he is back."

"I know you are." Sampsa said with a smile. "In fact, I know that all of you are very relieved." Then Sampsa took Edward's and Carlisle's hands in his own and immediately, from the look that came over the three of them, it was clear that the transfer had already begun. There was a gasp from Carlisle I guessed was due to seeing our hostage situation replayed for his benefit. After a few minutes Sampsa dropped their hands and turned to Carlisle directly. Edward silently returned to Bella's side.

"So now you are caught up with your current crisis. Remember, there are no accidents. Mia and Demetri's future is clouded now. They have too many choices to make that will greatly affect their path. They may choose to walk the path of light; Mia especially. Your family will be instrumental in helping them realize that they have a choice to make. As you have probably surmised Carlisle, you will not personally be able to complete Mia's transformation if she is to live during delivery. It would be a good test of Demetri's resolve, if he was to, but that remains to be seen. Here is the crux of it though Carlisle. It is imperative that this new hybrid baby not get into the hands of Aro, if at all possible. We need you to work very hard to help Mia and Demetri realize this for themselves. As the parents of this new little one, it will be their decision to make for good or ill. Joham's daughters have a very distorted view of their existence because of Joham's influence, the indoctrination that Aro would give someone so young, would make Nahuel's sister's misconceptions pale in comparison." He shook his head as though shaking off a bad thought--and he was.

"Welcome to the family Son," Sampsa said as he gave Carlisle a gentle hug again and then he disappeared. This was followed by Aurora doing the same, but she added a kiss on his cheek before she winked out.

"Well, I guess it looks like that arm wrestling will have to wait for a while Emmett," Llasa said with a sigh. Then he walked over to Carlisle and gave him a huge bear hug. Carlisle just shook his head and laughed. "Welcome to the light, Bro." He said and then he was gone.

He was replaced by both Dagda and Chandra who embraced him together and spoke quietly to him before they too left. Samon shook Carlisle's hand before drawing him into an embrace. "I am so glad to have you in the family. Hopefully you can help us rein in Llasa's exuberance." He said with a roll of his eyes. "But truly, you are adding much honor to our family and I feel it a privilege to call you brother." His words were full of emotion and I realized that, of the rest of the siblings, Samon was probably closest in personality to Carlisle himself. Before I knew it, Samon had left with the others and Elizabeth was alone in the room with us.

"Well, needless to say, I'm not going anywhere. But the room cannot be 'unsealed' until I return to my transparent state, so I will be saying a temporary good bye to all of you. She hugged Nessie, Edward and Bella again before stepping up to Carlisle and giving him a hug as well. "See you saved my Son and now we're siblings. It's a small world isn't it?" And then she was gone too.

With her departure, the room's air pressure changed and I could once again hear the distant sounds of the boys from the reservation as they worked outside with Felix. Carlisle looked at me and smiled hugely. He gathered me up in his arms and spun me around with another kiss. I felt like a young girl having her first crush. There was something new and exciting about my 'developing' relationship with my beloved Carlisle.

Before I knew it the rest of the family was gathering into the hug and it was a full five minutes before Carlisle was able to break away from the crowd and say, "Well, it looks like I have a patient to see now."

***


	48. Chapter 43

**Chapter Forty Three  
A Dose of Truth**

**Carlisle's POV**

Today was the first day of the rest of my life. When I'd opened my eyes I felt an infusion of light that seemed to burst out through them. It brought everything I saw into a perfect clarity. I still saw every dust mote, every fiber in the drapes, every nuance in the creams, tans and beiges that colored my room. But there was something more. For the briefest of seconds I focused on the air around me trying to get a sense of it and suddenly the atmosphere seemed to change--no, to sharpen. It felt as though I were suddenly looking through an electron microscope. The air seemed to break into its atomic particles. I could see not just the dust motes, but the tiny molecules that carried them along. And inside of those molecules I could see the building blocks of matter.

"Awaken, son Carlisle," A voice commanded. The bearer of which extended a hand to me that I took to gather my bearings and before the blink of an eye I found myself standing and in the embrace of the man I knew to be the father of my transformation; the father whose essence had affected my change, my Father, Sampsa. His touch was warm, pleasant, comforting. I was overcome with a deep felt love, acceptance and satisfaction that seemed to roll off him and wash over me.

"Father," I said in acknowledgement. In that second, I felt the love a true father would have for his son. It was so different from my vague recollections of my earthly father's cruel demands.

I felt a delicate hand on my shoulder. I recognized the touch at once. I intuitively knew that it was the touch of the one that had brought about the catalyst of my transformation. As I turned towards her, she spoke in a beautiful melodious voice. "Hello son Carlisle. I love you." And from her radiated the same feelings I had felt from Sampsa, but hers were more tender. This feeling was completely new to my experience; although I had experienced it vicariously through Esme's grief and Bella's sacrifice and subsequent devotion to her daughter. I had been a witness to this love as it had played out for me countless times from a child's sickbed.

"Mother," I said with a feeling that stirred inside of me. A feeling of love a child would have for his mother. I could not remember my earthly mother. She had died while I was young. I felt strangely important to be so regarded by such honorable and majestic beings. I felt my own feelings of love and tenderness flowing from my core in response.

"Your sweetheart is here to greet you as well." Aurora said as she gestured to my left. Then I saw her, my beloved Esme and the rush of emotion nearly undid me. She was the same woman who'd owned my heart for all of these years. What was it that had changed? I stared intently at her for a fraction of a second. As I did so, her countenance became even more focused and then as though I'd put on an unusual pair of glasses I was able to see a sudden glow of lights that seemed to surround her face. There were shades of rose, from delicate pink to the deepest red, intermixed with the yellow of buttercups and those of a peachy orange; these bright colors shown all around her head. They enhanced her already beautiful features and left me stunned beyond words. They conveyed the depths of her soul, they were an expression of her love; her love for me, for our family, for those around her. Her parents had rightly named this woman Esme, whose name meant _love_ and whose life was devoted to it. I blinked and pulled back my focus to within its normal parameters and the colors dissipated, leaving my beautiful wife, utterly stunning, and still as desirable as a goddess.

"Carlisle, I love you." She said to me and I was overcome with the intensity of the feelings of love and joy that her words summoned out of my core. I was a new man and yet I had just rediscovered my home.

When I was able to overcome the intensity of the emotions I struggled with, I found my voice. "My darling Esme," I said before the need to kiss her and reaffirm my vow to her as my truest of loves overwhelmed me and I bent my lips to hers and tasted of her sweetness. And when I pulled away from her lips, all was right with the world. "I love you too." I gathered her in my embrace again as I thought of what an understatement those mere words were. There were no utterance that could express the feelings I had for this most amazing woman who graced my life. I whispered in her ear, "I'll have so much more to share with you when we are alone Esme. But for now, I must greet my new siblings." I'd told her as I stepped out of her embrace, but not before patting her back, smiling and giving her a little wink. Doing so sent a jolt of excitement running through me from head to toe. That was unexpected.

Of course, meeting my siblings had been everything I had expected it to be. Of course, I had already been introduced to them our last two days in the Amazon. Two in person and two by way of the visuals Chandra provided. And of course, there was the newest sister to the family as well. Elizabeth. I had known her briefly decades ago. She was dying then and not at her best. I had gotten a better feel for her personality, her spark for life, during our visit to Chan Chan.

Then my Father had used his gift to allow me to gather the information I needed right from Edward's mind. Information of what had transpired during my short two day 'rest'; information that required my immediate attention. My new family then took their leave after giving me more instructions. They were gone but I felt a strange tingling at the base of my neck when I thought of them. It felt as though there was a tenuous connection there that over time would strengthen. Hadn't they told me in Chan Chan, they were practically on 'internet chat' all of the time when using the computer analogy? Another curiosity to explore later.

So, for a brief few seconds, I had stepped into my office to don my tie and white medical jacket. I had a patient to see; a patient who was scared and rightly so. I knew it was important to maintain a professional appearance for this first meeting. She was human after all, and I needed her to feel confident in her chances if she were to trust me. What about Demetri? From Edward's assessment, he seemed to really care for this girl. Was it possible that she could have broken through his ties to the Volturi--ties over a century old? Was it possible his loyalty had shifted to give her precedence over his 'masters'? It was clear from Edward's thoughts and perceptions and the thoughts he had gleamed right from Demetri himself, that he believed Demetri capable of this change. I would have to consider this for myself. On the one hand, Demetri had knowingly and purposefully endangered this girls life—her future. On the other hand, he had also put his own life on the line for her in begging Aro for the chance to save her—by bringing her to me. That would have taken a mighty change of heart. Would it be enough to make him see reason? We would have to see about that.

I stepped across the hall and rapped lightly on the door to the guest suite. I entered to find Demetri sitting on the left side of the room and Leah Clearwater on the right. Between them on the bed was the sleeping form of Mia Giordano. I entered quietly and nodded at Leah. "Leah," I said in quiet acknowledgement. I was amazed at how calmly she sat in the room with a 'traditional' vampire. She had matured quite a bit to be so composed, given the circumstances. "Demetri," I said just as quietly. I stepped closer to him and he rose. We shook hands before he sat back down, casting Mia a worried look.

"Thank you so much for agreeing to see Mia." He said, and though his voice was as quiet as my own, the relief at seeing me was audible in it. Then his face became a bit confused. "Pardon me Carlisle, but I can't seem to catch the tenor of your thoughts that I use for tracking. I don't mean to sound rude. But I have been anxious to meet with you so I have been searching for it. I haven't sensed your thought tenor at all--even now, with you standing right here in front of me. Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine," I said. I added thoughtfully, "Of course, Edward just told me that he too was having difficulty hearing my thoughts, so maybe there is something to it." I wanted to alleviate his fears and suspicions but I wasn't about to explain my new shield to him under any circumstances. "So perhaps my plane went over one too many power lines, or perhaps it was a micro burst of some kind, or, well, who knows. But that's not the important thing right now." I said to close that line of questioning and focus our conversation into more pertinent directions. He took my suggestion without question. He wanted to talk about Mia.

"Mia is sleeping but if you're ready, I can wake her up." Demetri said. I could sense he was eager not just to have Mia's condition assessed but to not keep me waiting. He viewed my time as valuable. I was abruptly aware he viewed me as the head of my 'coven', much the way Aro was the head of his and somehow equated me to his understanding of Aro and his demands to be 'catered too'. How I knew this, I couldn't tell you. But it was almost instinctual.

"Let's let her sleep a little longer," I told him and he visibly relaxed. It was clear he hadn't wanted to wake her just yet. She must have just fallen asleep. "In the mean time," I began my voice still quiet. "Why don't you tell me about how you met and fell in love with Mia?" I felt a need to gauge his true feelings for this woman whose life he has put in such jeopardy.

"Didn't you read Aro's note?" He said with alarm.

"Yes, I did." Actually I'd read it through Edward's memories but I wouldn't be mentioning that detail to Demetri. "You were ordered by Aro to impregnate a human woman so he would have his specimen to study." It was a cold and calculating assessment but it was the truth too and I needed to see Demetri's reaction to it. His grimace was swift and his face seemed to take on a darker expression to it. I focused even closer on his face and was astonished to see once again colors shooting out around his face as well. His were more of a palette of blues and purples with shades of turquoise and indigo interspersed. As I studied this almost 'colored halo' surrounding his head, the colors seemed to react to his mood swing. They darkened until the purples and blue looked blacker in hue than the brilliant colors of before. I wondered if this was a reflection of his apparent self-loathing brought on by the guilt my comment produced. It oddly reminded me of Edward; though my son didn't deliberately set out to impregnate his wife.

"Perhaps that came out to harsh. I meant to hear the story of what it was about Mia that drew you to her. I am sorry if I am being presumptuous. It's just that I am a romantic and I love to hear of the workings of the heart." Of course, I also wanted to have a better sense of the workings of his heart in particular.

"Mia is the best woman I have ever gotten to know." He told me. His voice, though still quiet, had taken on a tone of bleakness. "She doesn't deserve this--me. She deserves to live and be happy. I wish I could go back and undo my intrusion into her life—even though it would leave me in a continuance of my existence without understanding what life should be; not that this knowledge will leave me in a better position should Mia die at my hand." Demetri buried his head in his hands. He was burning in his own personal hell. Perhaps while he was there, he would find a way to burn away his attachment to the ancient Volturi leaders.

He spoke through his fingers. "Not that it matters what becomes of me, if Mia dies. I am disgusted with myself. I blindly thought I was so smart to find a different way to follow Aro's instructions. I was cocky. I thought I could develop feelings for a human and then pull back, detach from them when necessary. I didn't figure on meeting someone like Mia. I was such an arrogant fool and I don't want to follow blindly anymore. I want Mia to live. No, I _need_ Mia to live. Please help her Carlisle. She is too good to be destroyed for Aro's amusement." He finished with his head still in his hands. He was clearly to ashamed to even look me in the eye after his admission. His mannerism again strangely reminded me of Edward.

Perhaps I could leave him with a little acceptance; some hope and a sense of what could be. "Demetri, everything is not lost. Remember that. Mia will need you to be strong for her. Try to focus on what might well happen here. You and Mia are creating a new little life. You are about to become parents and start your own family. Your future does not have to be one of despair. Edward thought Bella was doomed to die when she was pregnant. But now he has everything he ever wanted in life. He went through the burning fire of regret much the same way you are doing now. He never imagined his life would have become so rich. Because of Bella's experience, we know now what to expect with this kind of pregnancy. We know what the baby needs to survive. We know about how long the gestation period is until birth and we know what to expect the baby to be. I don't mean to oversimplify things and say there is no danger because there is great peril in this situation. But Mia and the baby have a better chance because of our increased knowledge. So use that as a lifeline so you can find within yourself the strength to be brave for Mia's sake."

My words must have helped Demetri. He looked up from his hands and nodded once. "I can appreciate your optimism. But I don't think Mia understands yet that Aro intends to be deeply involved in the life of this child. I don't know if I want her to understand. I wish I didn't."

"Well, you may want to wait a day or two before you take that up with her." I cautioned him. "She is going to be hearing enough stressful things about her pregnancy, about her chances during delivery and about what to expect if she does make it. Too much stress at one time will be very hard for her system." I decided to take a chance with Demetri. He did bring up the 'Aro Factor' himself. "You should discuss Aro's agenda with Mia before too long though. This is her child as well as yours. It is NOT Aro's. He is not responsible for the choices in rearing. Those belong to the two of you alone. Make sure that you take her desires in this matter to heart. Mothers instinctively know what is best for their children."

"Yes," Demetri said blandly. "I rather doubt any choices we make will matter much to Aro. He thinks of this baby as his."

"Well, it's a good thing Aro is half way around the world then." Leah said with a little venom of her own. She had been so silent through our discussion I had thought she was lost in thought.

"Aro has resources." Demetri said turning to her.

Leah smiled then. It was a bright, scary sort of smile. "Yes, Aro has resources. I hear he has the best tracker in the world; the best tracker in the world, who may have just found an assignment more important than Aro's machinations."

Leah surprised me. She very cleverly said what I had only thought. Already I could see Demetri turning her words over in his head. It was like she had planted in Demetri's head one of those 'thought seeds' the Agents of Light used on Aro in the past. Mia started to stir. I knew we needed to focus on her for now and give Demetri some space for contemplation.

"Time for me to see how my patient is doing," I said gesturing Mia's way. Demetri immediately placed his cool hand to her cheek.

"Mia, Doctor Cullen is here." He said gently to her. Her eyes opened abruptly and she looked at me with a start. She tried to sit up. Leah adjusted pillows behind her head so she could do so with minimal discomfort.

"Thank you," She said to Leah as she smiled tentatively. Then she turned in my direction. "Hello Doctor Cullen." She said nervously but trying to appear calmer than she actually was. Her accelerating heart rate bore out my assessment. Then I remembered that I could appear more human. This would be helpful to her now. So I concentrated on doing just that and I was surprised to feel a heat settle over me. Leah, watching me from the side, had her eyes get wide for about a half a second and then a small smile crept across her face. It must be working. Already Mia's heart rate was returning to normal. Demetri was so focused on Mia that he hadn't notice any change at all.

"Please call me Carlisle," I said warmly as I took her hand and shook it lightly once. Hopefully it was warm too. She didn't register it being anything other than what she was expecting.

"Okay," Mia said brighter. Somehow meeting me had alleviated some fear she had already developed. Perhaps my new ability to appear more human would be very valuable indeed. "Carlisle," She said as though trying it on. She smiled at me and then at Demetri. He looked even more relieved as her stress level abated.

"We're going to need to conduct a physical exam before we really have an informed discussion about what you can expect here. So I will meet you across the hall in my office as soon as you are ready." I nodded to the three and I took the clipboard with me as I left, closing the door behind me.

I ended up having a little gathering in the exam room with me. Of course there was Mia and Demetri. Leah was there along with Bella and Rosalie who, acting as nurses, prepared Mia for the exam. As expected, I was unable to hear the baby's heartbeat through the vampiric amniotic sac, and that same barrier prevented any kind of x-ray or sonogram from giving us any additional information. The internal exam was normal too. We ended up going on the date of Mia's last cycle and the size of her abdominal circumference to conclude that, using Nessie's gestation as our model that she was about as far along as Bella was when she returned 'expecting' from her honeymoon. That gave her another two and a half weeks before delivery. The baby's due date was September 28th. Today's date was September 9th.

After we were done with the exam, I left so our 'team' could get Mia situated back in her bed across the hall before I returned to discuss with Mia what she could expect and what she needed to know. Most of which would not be pleasant and most of which, I was fairly certain she didn't know already. This was a role, as a doctor, I had played far too often for my liking; and yet it was important I tell her as gently as I could. It was imperative that she understand the daunting task that lay ahead of her.

After waiting ten minutes, I once again entered the guest bedroom to give Mia a dose of truth--one that hopefully she would be able to swallow. It would be a massive amount to administer all at once. I only prayed it wouldn't send her into shock. When I entered, Mia was sitting comfortably with her pillows fluffed behind her. Leah was taking her responsibility very seriously. I sat down in the free chair next to her. It would be an involved conversation and she would be more at ease if I was on eye level with her and not looking down.

"Mia, everything is going along well for the time being." I began cautiously. She beamed over at Demetri. He returned her smile and took her hand in his again. "I have a lot of information to go over with the two of you and it is not pleasant. Please feel free to stop me at anytime to ask any question you may have." She nodded cautiously as though bracing herself for the upcoming 'unpleasantness'.

"First, let's talk about what you can expect for the next eighteen days until the baby is born. Your baby is not only growing at a greatly accelerated rate, he or she is also going to be much stronger than you. This will be difficult for your body to accommodate. Bella frequently was kicked so hard that before she was a week further along than you are now, her entire abdominal area was a mass of hematomas.

Mia's hand went up just as I realized my error. I had used a medical term and she was fighting a language barrier in addition to pulling medical terminology out of a hat, so to speak. "Bruises," I added for clarification. Her hand went down and she nodded once.

"The baby will kick me that hard?" She asked with the beginnings of apprehension. I studied her reaction as I explained some more. Again, as my focus became more intent, her persona took on an array of colors. Mia's were much like Demetri's, though they were paler than his. There were shades of lavender and baby blue with hints of soft pink subtly playing around the edges. I pulled back my gaze to stay focused on my delicate task of educating my new charge.

"Mia," I said sympathetically. "This baby will kick so hard that the bruises will be only the beginning." She took in a sharp breath as she imagined what else her unborn child might do. She started to turn green. The stress was going to get to her. And yet I had to explain all of the facts to her now so she could come to terms with them in time. "Bella had two of her ribs broken on two different occasions as well. So it will be very important I be informed immediately when the baby kicks you hard because we will need to x-ray the bones and tape the rib to prevent any break from puncturing your spleen or other organs." Her face became steadily greener with my continued description of her upcoming prognosis. Leah brought a lined wastebasket out from her other side and held it under her mouth as she lost the remains of an egg of sorts from an hour and a half earlier. Afterwards, Leah handed her a stick of gum and helped her lay back into her bed as Mia shook and tried to get her bearings. Demetri fit his cool hand to her cheek again. The coolness seemed to soothe her. This reminded me.

"Sometimes you will go from having hot flashes to cold spells. Let the girls and Demetri know so they can keep you bundled up or cooled off as the need demands. We'll need you to stay off your feet as much as possible, especially after the next few days, so let everyone carry you around. It is no trouble for them and they are more than willing to help you out. Right now, you are our main priority." She smiled a little embarrassed at my last pronouncement. Demetri leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"There is one more thing that we need to discuss about the 'pregnancy part' of your stay. We almost lost Bella and Renesmee both because we were unable to keep Bella from throwing up everything she tried to eat for over four days. By providence, and the inner workings of both Jacob Black and Edward's minds, we discovered the unborn baby needed to have blood before Bella could eat human food."

Mia shifted uncomfortably. "When you say blood, do you mean like a transfusion?"

"No, not in a transfusion, you'll have to ingest this blood. You will need to drink it." I said as I tried to not notice her blanch.

"I have to drink blood?" She said in quiet revulsion. Demetri turned away from her and although he did so casually I could tell it was to keep her from seeing the pain on his face.

"Bella, can you bring it up now?" I asked without raising my voice. I heard her affirmative reply from the kitchen. "You don't have to take any now, but we want to conduct a little experiment first." She nodded cautiously once. That was when she noticed Demetri had turned away from her and she tugged on his hand lightly until he turned towards her. He gave her a weak little smile as Bella appeared in the doorway carrying a white Styrofoam cup with a lid and a white bendy straw inserted. Mia's eyes seemed to zero in on the offensive cup and she cowered into Demetri as if he could protect her from it. Demetri had an unreadable expression.

Bella looked at Mia with a sympathetic look of understanding. She sat right on the bed close to where she sat leaning towards Demetri. "You know when I was human I used to pass right out at the smell of blood." She said ruefully.

"You did?" Mia asked in astonishment. "But now you're a vampire?"

"Yep! Edward used to think it was pretty funny, or as he put it 'ironic'."

It was just then that two things happened in the same instant. First, the expression on Demetri's face that had been unreadable moments ago became clear as he stared intently at the smell coming from the cup of human blood. And Edward was suddenly in the room and had placed himself between Demetri, holding him by the shoulders, and the bed where Mia and Bella were situated with the little white cup. The thirst the open container engendered was growing. It would not be sated with a mere cupful. He would attack Mia before he could stop himself.

"Demetri, we need to step into the hall for a moment. Perhaps even go hunting." Edward said quickly under his breath in a tone full of implications. Demetri suddenly looked at him and the realization of what he had almost done finally sunk in and cleared his head.

"Yes," He said in shock. "I will be right out in the hall, Mia. I'll be right back sweetheart." He said as he kissed the hand he still held awkwardly from around Edward's frame before letting Edward escort him out of the room.

"Hold up on the hunting trip." I told them both. I would like to go as well. We can go when I have finished here." They both gave me a nod in departure. The door clicked shut. That would be a problem if Demetri could not get better control around human blood; it would affect much more than his ability to be around Mia and her 'blood supplements', it would be a problem at the time of delivery as well. Of course, he still hunted humans and that would not help his control either.

As soon as they were gone, Bella began again as though nothing had happened. "Now, you do not have to drink this. What I want you to do, is simply to take a big whiff and tell me how this smells to you." She said as she put the straw end just under her nose. Mia took a deep breath. She puzzled over it and then breathed again.

"Actually, it smells kind of good." She said incredulously. Bella nodded with a knowing look on her face.

"I know, not like you thought it would, right?" Bella said conspiratorially. One thing was for sure Leah was struggling with the concept. Though I wasn't quite sure why. When she ate in wolf form, was it really all that different? "Would you like to try just a tiny sip? You don't have to drink the whole thing; just one taste." Bella said encouragingly.

"I'll try." She said in a voice that really said '_no I don't want to._' With a shaky hand, she reached out and took hold of the cup and put the straw to her lips and took the smallest sip she could manage. Her look registered her disbelief. Then she took a long drag on the straw and then another.

"I know I should be bothered about saying this, but that tasted much better than I expected." She replied before finishing the cupful with a final pull on the straw. She handed the empty cup back to Bella who smiled at her approvingly.

"Well, I'm sure not going to say anything to anybody." Bella said grinning at her. "The really nice thing is that if you are able to keep the blood down, then you can also keep human food down too. So it's kind of a 'win-win' situation." Mia sighed and relaxed for the first time in the last ten minutes.

Bella passed Edward and Demetri in the doorway as she left to dispose of the cup. Demetri took his seat again next to Mia. He looked a little disappointed. He was suffering. I needed to finish this conversation so he could hunt. Not that I expected his first animal hunt to do much to abate his thirst issues.

"Now Mia and Demetri, I need to tell you more about what we know about the deliveries of the Vampire Hybrids. This is the truly terrifying part of what I have to tell you. This is the reason Demetri pushed so hard to have you brought half way around the world to us. You see, Bella is the only mother of a Vampire Hybrid to have survived the birthing experience."

Mia looked startled. "She is the only one who made it?" Demetri grabbed her hand again in both of his. He then dropped his face into all three of the hands in his lap. The shame was too great for him to face with an uplifted head. Well at least he was taking responsibility. Something Aro was surely not doing.

"That we know of, there are only four other Vampire Hybrids in existence besides Nessie. One is Nahuel, whom you met earlier today. He is Leah's fiancé." I gave Leah a warm look before returning to my tale of horror. Nahuel's father Joham, believed himself a scientist of sorts and he believed he was creating a super race. He would have liaisons with human women and when they became pregnant, he would leave them to fend for themselves."

"Joham is a true monster. Someone should impregnate him and leave him to fend for himself." Leah said suddenly and vehemently. She was correct of course, and somehow, I got the feeling that if Leah were to meet this soon-to-be father-in-law, it would not go well for him.

"Why would you say such a thing about your intended's Father?" Mia said bewildered.

"He left Nahuel's mother, along with ALL the other women, alone to face certain death as the babies had to claw its way out of their mothers to survive. He could have saved them but he left them to die a horrible death instead." She spat out in a sudden fury. "He was only after the babies and he picked them up at his leisure." Mia had turned white as a sheet at the picture Leah's words painted for her. Well, I guessed Leah had just taken the most unpleasant part of my assignment right out of my hands; perhaps not delivered as tactfully as I had hoped for, but still effective. Demetri had not lifted his head from his pillow of hands and a low cry of revulsion escaped his mouth. Mia was shocked out of her own terror at the sound and tried unsuccessfully to console him.

He turned his head slightly towards her and he told her, "Aro wants our baby as well." Well, I had thought we were going to wait a few days before we laid that one on her, but perhaps Demetri was of the persuasion that 'confession was good for the soul'. I would have begged to differ at that very moment. It might be good for his soul but it wasn't doing anything for Mia's composure.

I decided I had better continue before Leah picked up the narrative again or Demetri revealed more deep dark secrets that would impact Mia's, at the moment, very fragile state of mind.

"Mia, you can discuss that with Demetri later." I said trying to sound as gentle as I could. She looked at me as though I held a life line out to her while she stood drowning in raging flood waters. "I have every reason to hope that you will not suffer the same fate as those other mothers. Though there is still the chance that should the baby become distressed this could become a problem. That is why we will need you to become more restrictive with your movements during the last weeks of your pregnancy. We ran into trouble with Bella at the end when she made a sudden movement and sent her baby into distress that resulted in a detached placenta. So you will defiantly be on bed rest at the end. If you want the particulars, I'm sure Bella will give them to you later." I said to close that subject just then. She already had a very clear picture of how a bad delivery could go. "Also Edward will be listening for your baby's mind. Right at the end, he may be able to hear the thoughts of your child, as he did his own daughter. If this turns out to be the case, there is limited communication that can be carried on despite the vampiric sac that holds your baby."

"So, Edward can hear the baby before it's born?" Mia asked thoughtfully, having regained her composure.

"Yes he should be able too, if this baby follows Renesmee's development." I clarified.

"But that would be only a one-way communication. How does the baby understand us?" She asked.

"That is a very good question." I said with approval. "Apparently these babies' minds grow as fast as their bodies do; faster even." I amended.

"Now, the last thing we need to discuss is your transformation after your C-Section delivery." I said grateful to be over the hurdles of bad news.

"What do you mean 'transformation'?" Mia asked wearily. She looked from me to Demetri, who looked at her sadly but offered no explanation. She turned expectantly back to me for further enlightenment.

"Mia, even with a C-section safely performed, this baby will not be leaving your body in very good condition. We will need to be ready to transform you into a vampire as soon as the baby is delivered to keep you alive. We can do this as long as your heart is beating. Edward and Jacob had to pump Bella's heart manually to spread the venom throughout her system before it was ready to beat on its own."

"But what if I don't want to be a vampire?" Mia cried out in dismay. Demetri looked at her and his face was a mask of sadness again. She tried to soften her comment for his sake. "I mean, I'm not saying one way or another. But I would never want to kill another human being just so that I could live. That would make me a monster too. I need to know if there is a chance I might get to choose whether or not to remain human after this birth." Her heart rate was increasing again. I needed to calm her down a bit. Find a way to reassure her.

"Mia, I have been a vampire for over three hundred years, and I have never once killed a human to sate my thirst. I even work as a surgeon in a hospital around humans and blood all of the time." Her heart rate was returning to its normal rhythm. That was good. "You always have a choice Mia. You always have a choice of what you will be, and the direction that you chose to take in your life. Bella, as a vampire, and Rosalie have never ingested human blood either."

"As for staying human…" I considered it for a minute from a medical standpoint. Bella had wanted to become a vampire. Her spine had been severed. But had she been able to have the C-section under more favorable conditions… "There may be a very slim possibility that if you are extremely careful and the baby doesn't move around too much, you may be able to make that choice. But I do believe if your life hangs in the balance, Demetri will act to save you. I don't think he wants to be a single parent." Mia gulped at my last word.

Demetri was shaking his head slowly, unhappily. "There is another problem Mia, if you decide to remain human."

"What?" She asked tiredly. This conversation had really taken a lot out of her.

Demetri's expression became even darker. "Aro and Caius." He muttered grimly.


	49. Chapter 44

**Chapter Forty Four  
'Two'**

**Renesmee's POV**

I woke up early today. Even though I tried to surprise my parents, once again, my Dad heard my thoughts as I padded through the den and glided noiselessly to their door.

"Good morning Nessie," He said from the other side.

"Drats!" I hissed as I opened it. My parents were not on the bed waiting for me to snuggle with them, nor in their humongous closet getting ready for my special day--my birthday. No, they were out in their pretty garden with a little pond in the middle. As soon as I made it through the double glass doors I gaped. They had set up balloons and streamers with rose bows attached. There was a sign that read "Happy Birthday Nessie!" hanging from the back fence and there were stacks of pancakes steaming on a hot plate with strawberries and a bowl of cream beside it.

"Happy Birthday Nessie!" I heard shouted as I ran outside and spun around to the additional sounds of party favors buzzing, whistling and blaring. This was really exciting! Then I spied my Mom and Dad and also my Grandpa. How did he get over here? I didn't know but I was suddenly lifted up from behind --higher and higher until I was settled on Jacob's right shoulder and paraded around to a chorus of 'Happy Birthday to You' sung to yours truly. I was so excited. Jacob finally set me down and gave me a little hug along the way.

"So how old are you pretending to be now squirt?" He asked as my feet touched the floor. "Seven, eight or nine?"

"Nine," I said emphatically with a nod of my head.

"Good," Grandpa said, "We just wanted to get that straight before we started the birthday spankings."

"What?" I spluttered. "As if my Mother would let anyone who dared…" I was shocked to look at my mother who had in her hand a big foam bat. Dad had a second one. "NO!" I squealed as I turned around to bolt, only to be stopped by the unmovable Jacob Black, who had a foam bat of his own. "Grandpa, HELP!" I choked out as Jacob held me in a strategic position so my parents could attack. It was so hilarious that I was having trouble breathing through my fit of laughter. Thankfully, I hadn't said I was pretending to be twelve. I was finally released after all four of my traitorous, loving family members had administered my inflated birthday spankings.

"Good, one tradition down," Dad said. "…time for another one."

"What one would that be?" I asked a little more cautious but still too excited to keep the grin off my face.

"Presents of course!" Mother sang happily. Then she suddenly had a small wrapped box in her hand. I leaped at her and she hugged me tightly. "Oh, I love my baby girl."

"Mom, I'm not a baby anymore." I said indignantly to her.

"You are to me." She replied stubbornly. I couldn't help it. I just love my mom to pieces. She had to be my most favorite person in the whole world. I put my hands on her face. Not a hard feat as I was still in her arms.

"Look into my eyes, Mom. Look deep into my eyes. You are getting sleepy." I tried to make my voice sound mysterious. I also sent out a little 'thought message' just for her implying as much. "Now remember this, your daughter Renesmee is nine years old and no longer your little baby."

"Uh huh, nice try sweetie; you are a little nut." She said. I guess there would be no mind-melding or perhaps a more accurate description would be mind-meddling with my mother. That's okay; it was still fun to try. She looked me in the eyes and her face softened as she said, "I have something here for you. It is something that has been very precious to me and I thought it would mean as much to you as it has to me. She handed me the small box. I tore through the shiny pink paper quickly and found a white box. Inside was a small, pretty, loose-woven, multi-colored fabric bag. It was tied together with a leather drawstring.

"Hey, that's pretty Mom. Thanks!" I picked up the pretty bag and eyed it from all angles wondering what I should put in it.

I was surprised to see Jacob 'tsk' and shake his head. "Like mother, like daughter," He muttered. I wondered what his problem was.

My Dad laughed once. _'Well, not all of us can read minds to get the inside scoop, DAD.' _ I'd thought his way. For some reason I felt like I was missing something there, though I had no idea what.

The present is inside, Nessie." Mother said with a little sigh.

"Oh," I said as I set out in earnest to undo the tie.

"Don't worry, I thought the bag was the present when Jacob gave it to me too." Mom said in a consoling sort of way.

"This is a hand-me-down from Jake?" I clarified as my eyes shot up to hers in excitement.

"Hey," Dad said, "It was from me too." He added in mock indignation.

Now I was intensely curious. I finally got it open and dropped out into my palm a delicate silver link bracelet. Attached were six charms.

"Let us explain what everything is here." Mom said smiling. Jacob gave me this for a graduation from high school present three months before you were born. But the only charm it had on it at the time was this little wolf figurine.

I examined the tiny carved wolf. It was so detailed it looked realistic, right down to the color of wood that was an exact match for Jacob's wolf fur. I looked up at him. "You made this didn't you?" I said it more as a statement than a question.

He nodded grinning at me. "Took me a real long time too."

"You do know that you're going to have to teach me how you carved this now, right?" I couldn't help it. I was definitely impressed. I spun it around as I held the bracelet dangling from one hand. "That is so cool!" I breathed.

"Yep," Jacob said in satisfaction. "And in keeping with canines…" Jacob let out a whistle and a beautiful German Sheppard bounded through the open back gate and jumped up to lick my cheek. "Meet Rex, your new pet."

"Wow!" I said as I laughed excitedly. "I've never owned a dog before. Hi Rex!" His tail was wagging and his eyes were bright and happy. "Thanks Jacob. How are you boy?" The dog let me pat his head.

"Heel!" Jacob said and immediately the dog sat by my side and panted contentedly. "Rex was going to be a police dog but didn't quite finish the training. SO I figured you could whip him into shape the rest of the way. You know…" Jacob said raising his eyebrows. "You can use some of your voodoo on him." I rolled my eyes.

"Of course your Father wasn't going to be outdone by Jacob so he added his own graduation present to it." Mother said as she pointed to a beautiful diamond heart that sat on the opposite side from the wolf. It looked as though it were cut into about a million facets. As I stood gazing at it a ray from the rising morning sun shot through it shooting it's rainbow across the skin of my face and arms, causing me to gasp.

"Daddy," I said a little breathless. "This diamond is truly beautiful."

"It was the first gift your mother accepted from me. I gave her that diamond the night she agreed to become my wife—of course she thought it was merely a crystal." He smiled widely at the memory and then sighed. Mom gave him a little snuggle. No kidding this had been a precious gift for my Mother to share with me.

"Where did it come from?" I asked him as I continued to stare mesmerized into the facets prisms shooting around the patio from the pre-dawn light.

"Your grandmother Elizabeth," Dad said with a small smile on his face.

"Oh, now I love it even more!" I said as I felt a tear roll down my check. Now what was that about? No one made me mad or hurt my feelings. I was completely happy. I didn't get the tear thing at all.

"We thought you would." Dad said. "So much so, that while I had given it to your Mother to remember me when she was remembering her friend Jacob, we wanted you to remember your grandmother when you looked at the diamond instead."

"No problem there." I said. I was so happy I was beside myself.

"This next 'charm' is for you to remember the three of us as a family." Mother said as she pointed to another heart on the bracelet. This heart was a silver one and I recognized it with its French inscription at once. It was the tiny silver heart locket I had been given for my first Christmas. I had to stop wearing it because the chain was way too small. It fit perfectly on the bracelet. I popped it open and there nestled inside was still the miniature picture of me at three months of age and my parents.

"See Mom, here is me as a baby. Notice the difference in appearance." I said holding it to my face for her to compare as proof. She rolled her eyes. I snapped the locket shut.

"This next one is from me to you." Dad said as I moved on to the next trinket that was a golden charm of a piano. "Now if you press right where the keys are like this…" He pressed very carefully down on the white gilded keys and a beautiful piano piece started to sound from the charm. I recognized the song as the one Dad had composed for me for Valentine's Day. "A song, for you to remember me by, will play." I couldn't help it. I gave him a huge hug. No one was luckier than me. Mind reading aside, I had the best Dad in the world.

"And this one is from me." Mother said as if on cue. She pointed to the next charm. It was a small key. "Okay, thanks for the key…it is really pretty." Was it the key to her heart, or the key to a city, or some other metaphor? Anyway, she gave me the bracelet. That was enough.

"This key goes to something." Mom continued breaking me from my speculations.

"What?" I asked excitedly.

"Oh, just a little trunk." She said smoothly as she pointed to a chest in the corner by the door.

I ran over to it and turned the key in the small lock. I flew open the lid and stared inside. It was almost like seeing a treasure chest of books. Expensive leather bound books. Many of them were her favorites and some where mine. I even noticed one set was 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings' that I was reading with Grandpa right now. There were quite a few in there I had never read. I was so excited.

"Thank you Mom!" I sang. I can't wait to start these, but first I need to finish reading this one to Grandpa." I said eying the large green leather volume again. I sighed contentedly.

After a few minutes, I realized that there was one more charm on my bracelet and I pulled it out and looked at it. It was a silver square that had mounted on one side an extra small starfish. It looked real but extra shiny like it had been dipped in varnish. I looked at my Mom questioningly.

It was Grandpa who answered though. "Uh Nessie, does that Starfish look familiar to you at all?" He asked.

With a clue like that how could I forget? "Oh, the tide pools!" I said smiling at the memory of fishing it out. I guessed that Grandpa had found a way to preserve it for me. Then as I examined it, turning the charm, I found the other side held a tiny picture embedded in the silver as though it were a picture frame. It was an image of me riding the lion during the trip to Sequim.

"I just don't want you to forget about your Grandpa when you get to New Hampshire." He said and shrugged. "I want you to remember all of the fun things we've done here in Fork. That way you'll miss me and want to come back and visit me again."

Okay, now I was really crying and I got it this time. I was going to miss my Grandpa so much that it hurt just to think about it. I ran into his arms and tried to scrunch up my face to help me stop. The last thing I needed was for everyone to say only two year olds cried. Then I'd be back to celebrating my actual birthday instead of my relative birthday. Dang it! But try as I might, I just couldn't help getting all weepy whenever I thought about leaving the oldest man in the family. Well okay, maybe I really mean the oldest looking man in the family. He just 'gets' me and I loved him. 'Help me put it on okay, Grandpa." I requested when I'd pulled away and held out my arm. There were tears in his eyes too.

"Huh, it must be starting rain and I got some drops right in my eyes." He said gruffly. I laughed as he batted his eyes dry and clasped the beautiful bracelet to my arm.

"I love this present!" I said as I looked at everyone. Somehow the happy, excited atmosphere had changed slightly. It was more melancholy; time to change that. This was my birthday! "So what treats do we have for breakfast here?" I said eying the pancakes and strawberries.

"Yes!" Jacob said eagerly.

Grandpa added his, "Mmm, now you're singing my song."

While we ate, Mom and Dad sat at the table with us. "Nessie, your Grandpa Charlie came up with an interesting idea that we thought we might run past you." Mom said as I tackled my second pancake.

"Oh, and what would that be?" I asked paying half attention as I chewed.

"Well," She began again and I felt all four of them with their eyes on my face. "What would you think about attending Elementary School?"

What was Mom talking about? This was Grandpa's idea? I was shocked. "But what could I possibly learn in Elementary School?" I asked confused. "I already know everything that can be learned there." I was confused. I knew they already knew that. Heck, they were my primary instructors when it came to my education.

"Well Nessie," This was from Grandpa, who had just finished his last bite full of pancake. "There is one thing you could learn from being around kids that are well 'sort of' your age…or at least, the age that you appear to be. That is how to interact with your peers."

"That sounds like it might be fun." I replied slowly. "But what about my growing too fast? I look eight or nine now, but in six months I'll look more like I'm ten or eleven probably. I mean I know it will start to slow down, but I'll look like a teenager before that really starts happening, right?"

"Grandpa had an idea about that too," Dad chimed in. "He knew that we'd be moving in two months and the experiment could end then. Or, if it turned out to be something that you enjoyed doing, you could use it to learn more about people and relationships; we could change your information and place you in an older class when we move to New Hampshire. Then we could move you around to different school districts halfway through the year and at the same time fix your records to put you into an older grade again. That would raise your grade over there a total of four times for the two years we're there."

I started to get a little excited when I thought about the possibilities. I could have friends—regular friends. That could be a lot of fun.

"It would be tricky." Mother cautioned me as she read the excitement in my eyes. "You would do well in class, but you would need to learn to act 'normal' to everyone else in the class. You wouldn't be able to talk in class about books an eight year old wouldn't read; for an example."

"You wouldn't be able to run and jump way faster than the rest of the kids, either." Jacob chimed in nudging me playfully.

"It would be an experiment." Dad reminded me, speaking the words slowly. "To see if you could fit in with your environment, as well as develop friendships with some of the kids who at least 'look' your age. If you want to give it a try we can enroll you and you could start…oh, say the fourth grade tomorrow."

"Really?" I asked excitedly. I could hardly stop bouncing in my seat. "I want to!!!! I can't wait!"

"Well then, Forks Elementary School—get ready, Nessie Cullen is on the campus!" Mom said in a tone that mirrored my own.

I was just warming up to the possibilities when Mom interrupted my reverie. "Renesmee, later this afternoon your Grandma Renee will be arriving." She began carefully. It was easy to see that she was anxious about this but I already knew Mom's Mom didn't know anything about me. So I was a little surprised when she continued. "I spoke with her two days ago and sort of explained to her our cover story of who you are." Oh, so I was going to get passed off as Dad's niece that Mom and Dad adopted. Well, at least I wouldn't be a complete surprise to her. "She was very upset that I didn't tell her sooner." Mother had a look of chagrin on her face that I didn't understand. My poor mom looked conflicted as she tried to explain to me. "It was just that I thought she would be upset about becoming a grandmother because she liked to feel like she was young. But Renee has once again surprised me. She was excited about the wedding when I thought she'd throw a fit and she was excited to learn about you too."

I didn't know what to say. I wanted to cry. Here I had been nervous about meeting my Grandma Renee because my Mother didn't think she wanted to think of herself as a grandmother and just the opposite was true. I suddenly didn't care if she thought I was adopted. She still wanted me! "Really?" I breathed. "Grandma Renee wants to know me?" I felt a lightening of my heart that made me want to sing. In fact I did. Sure I changed the lyrics a little but it went like this as I twirled around and Rex who had patiently sat by my side and ate his share of my pancakes and now danced around with me as I sang:

_Don't walk away Renee  
And I can't wait until you're at my home  
A special place within my heart is here for you to claim  
Without you it's not the same—Don't walk away._

Everyone clapped dutifully when I finished and then as I sat back down with my newest fan Rex, who rested his head in my lap.

Mother spoke up again. "Remember Nessie, Grandma Renee is a tricky one. It will be very important that you not use your talents where she can see them. She must not suspect there is anything different with you at all." What was the matter with my Mom? Was she getting paranoid or what?

"You see Nessie," This was from my Grandpa. "Your Grandma Renee would not understand about your gifts. She would not understand about being your biological grandmother when by your appearance, your mommy would have to have had you by the time she was twelve years old herself. So for her own piece of mind, it would be better to stick with the standard story with her."

Well, apparently my Grandpa was paranoid too. Or maybe Mom was on the right track with this one and I should just trust them. What was I thinking? Of course I trusted them. I knew they would never have asked me to cultivate this charade with my Grandma Renee unless it was necessary and at least I'd still get to meet her.

My father gave me a knowing smile as he listened to me reason it out in my brain. He gave me his signature crooked grin and I knew he approved of my conclusions. "Acting normal will be good practice for you as well—for when you go to school tomorrow too." He chimed in as he mussed-up my hair.

"Hey, You don't want me to meet her with my hair all askew do you?" I fake growled at him.

"Ha!" As if your Aunt Alice would ever let that happen." Dad scoffed.

"And if you think you can sneak by her—you're Aunt Rose will step in." Mom chirped at his side.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, I'm shaking in my shoes here." I added sarcastically.

"When did you get so cheeky?" Mother moaned.

"Mom," I whined. "Not all of us hate getting 'dolled up'. In fact at last count—you are the only one who NEVER likes it!" I said as I dodged her swat. She had quickly gathered up her foam bat again. She was grinning from ear to ear. I couldn't help myself though I hd so much fun teasing my Mom.

"Well, I want both of my girls looking sharp and pretty today." Dad said expansively. "Not just for Grandma either. Today is a big day for both of you. Today you both turn two."

"Okay, I get that Nessie is only two." Grandpa said in exasperation. "But I don't see where Bella gets in on the 'turning two' action." He had his hands on his hips and was slowly shaking his head. "You know her birthday isn't for three more days and then she'll be twenty one—not two!"

"Twenty one years on the earth Dad," Mother said in a careful qualifying way. "But Edward is counting today as my second year from changing after Nessie was born."

"Oh," Grandpa said a little shaken. "Say no more on that subject. I'll stick with celebrating your birthday on the thirteenth with everyone."

"No problem Dad," Mom replied smiling widely at him.

"I like the idea of keeping the days separate for a while too." Dad added as his arms wound their way around Mom's waist. "That way Bella gets a day all to herself to be the center of attention." Everyone laughed as Mom's face took on a pained scowl.

"Just great," She muttered. "I thought I was going to get around all of that. You know me too well."

"Well," Daddy said looking around at everyone before settling his gaze on me. "I know everyone is waiting anxiously up at the house for you Renesmee so we'd better get a move on. Besides that, we only have another hour before your Mommy will be sitting with Mia."

"Oh, is that the pregnant girl you were telling me about?" Grandpa asked Mommy.

"Yes, she is." Mom replied simply.

"Okay then let's go!" I said ready to see the rest of my presents. Then I thought about something else. "Hey, can Rex come with us?"

"Of course he can," Mother said quickly. "Only he may have to stay outside. I don't know if Grandma Esme will want a dog in the house."

"Hey!" Jake said in amusement. "She lets me in all the time."

"I'm glad you said that instead of me." Daddy told him with a grin. "I would have gotten in double trouble if I had said it."

***

There was an even bigger celebration at the big house that awaited our arrival. But before it could start, Aunt Alice had me whisked upstairs and presentable before anyone got an eyeful of me with what she referred to as 'bed head'. I wore a beautiful lavender pant suit and every hair was in place before I was released to meet my audience. Aunt Rose had a pretty hefty camera flashing nonstop. I guessed my bracelet was the theme for my presents that day. Every gift was tied to a charm that got added to my new-to-me silver links. Jasper put a charm of a tiny golden chess piece. It was the 'queen' piece of course. Then he handed me a beautifully wrapped present and of course inside was a chessboard. It had drawers underneath the playing area and inside was golden and silver pieces.

"Wow, Uncle Jasper! This is soooo cool!" I told him as he snapped his charm in place. He smiled widely. "Well, I am looking forward to showing you some new moves to try out on your father." He said in a sneaky way. You'll have to figure out how to keep him out of your head though."

"Already done!" I said while pretending to check it off a mental list in my head. "I'll have my mother shield me."

"Hey!" Daddy said in mock outrage. "That is so NOT fair."

"No," Emmett said grinning maniacally. "It is finally TOTALLY fair!" He gave me a wink as he corrected my Dad.

Aunt Alice gave me a special charm that was like a miniature crystal ball. Inside was a tiny drawing that I recognized as some I had seen before; of one's she draws from her visions. I could just make out that it was a drawing of a couple dressed in wedding attire. Wait, the woman had long bronze curly hair and the man was dark skinned with dark hair. I gasped and looked up at her with wide eyes. "You've seen it?" I breathed. I just stood shocked as she smiled brilliantly and shrugged her shoulders. I gave her a hug while hearing my father's exasperated sighs behind me. No one else knew what I had seen inside of the little charm. After she had secured the charm in place she pointed me to Aunt Rose who had another tiny charm dangling from her hand.

"This is a tiny mirror. I want you to always remember that you are the fairest of them all. And coming from me—that's really saying something." She raised an eyebrow as she glanced about the room as though daring anyone to try to challenge her. I guessed correctly that I ought not to point out that she was actually still very much the fairest of them all.

"Thank you Aunt Rose. I love you so much." I said giving her a hug. She held me tightly for a while and I was surprised to hear her breathing come out in a gasp. Why had we both become so emotional at the same time?

"I love you too, Nessie." She whispered. Then she attached my new charm while she added, "And I'm going to school with you tomorrow."

"What? Aunt Rose, you can't pass yourself off as a nine year old. I mean, we're talking fourth grade here!" I gently chided her.

"I know that," She mused. "I'm going to be a 'teacher's assistant' for the duration of our stay here. So I can be on hand to help you if you need it."

"Really!" I said excitedly. "Now I am even more ready to go tomorrow!" I was touched that she was so supportive of my education. Aunt Rose really loved me—ALMOST as much as my parents did. She was wonderful.

Emmett cleared his throat by my side and I looked up at him to see a charm of what was obviously an anaconda. I rolled my eyes. "Well, tell me you won't think of me every time you see this snake charm!" He laughed loudly. "And my main present is of course outside, but it isn't quite ready for the big reveal. The grand opening will be this Saturday when we officially celebrate your mother's 'human' birthday. Before I knew it the Anaconda charm was in place next to the mirror.

Then Seth came up from the back where he had stood with the rest of Jacob's pack and presented me with a charm of an Indian Thunderbird. They had told me the legend of the Thunderbird before and it was a great addition to my suddenly full bracelet. "Hey, thank you guys. You're the best!" I said as I gave him a hug but looked over to Quil and Embry too.

"Wait, don't forget about us," Leah said as she and Nahuel added a tiny black jaguar next to Jacob's wooden wolf.

"Wow, thanks Leah! Nahuel!" I said practically bouncing up and down.

"Okay, last but not least, it's our turn." Grandfather said as he and Grandma stepped forward. In Grandma Esme's hand hung a tiny green charm that looked like a brontosaurus of some sort.

"Oh, come on you guys, you're not THAT old!" I said sarcastically. Everyone laughed except Grandpa Charlie who looked confused before shrugging it off. "I mean a dinosaur?"

"No, Nessie, not a dinosaur. Well, maybe it is actually. It is a plesiosaur." Grandfather said patiently as Grandma affixed the charm to my wrist. "This particular one is in the likeness of a plesiosaur or 'sea serpent' that is believed to inhabit the waters of Loch Ness, Scotland.

"Of course, this creature is mythical and steeped in legend. But because there have been so many sightings, the people of Scotland have nick named her 'Nessie'" Grandma added fondly.

"Hey! That's my name!" I said in surprise.

"Actually it's a nickname that Jacob gave you." Mother piped up dryly.

"Yeah, nearly got my throat ripped out for that one too!" Jacob replied with a roll of his eyes.

"Okay…so I'm nicknamed after this supposedly mythical dinosaur that some people claim to have seen more recently than the dinosaur era then?" I asked trying to piece everything together.

"Yes," Jacob interjected quickly to placate me. "And I mean it as affectionately as the good people of Scotland mean it for their Nessie."

I gave him a look. I was trying for exasperated but what could I say. I couldn't be mad at my Jacob. Every time I looked at him—I was just--happy. Especially after what Alice gave me. My look was probably more like amused tolerance. Then he blew me a kiss and I blushed furiously. I had to gulp to keep from sighing. I turned back to Grandfather to focus on his words as he continued.

"So, we have decided to take the entire family to Inverness, Scotland to see this beautiful country and learn about this legend."

Grandma held up several airline tickets and I jumped up and down in anticipation. "When?" I nearly shouted.

"Well, it will probably have to wait until the next Spring Break. Your Mom and Dad are going to be carrying pretty full loads…" I cut Grandma off.

"That will be perfect. And my parents are geniuses too, so it shouldn't be a problem for them at all." I gushed. Then I caught sight of my Grandpa standing in the corner. He seemed sad about something. "But what about Grandpa? Can't he and Sue come too?" I asked with pleading in my eyes.

"I actually thought about that already." Grandma said as she pulled out two more tickets. "They meet us in New York for our flight from there. That is if you can get the time off Charlie…" She added looking at Grandpa's shocked expression.

"I-I'm sure I can." He stammered. "This is very kind of you to think to include Sue and I."

"Well Charlie, you're part of our family now." Grandma said gently. "Of course we want you with us."

"I can't wait!" I said buoyantly. "I'm going to find my name's sake. I'm going to find the Loch Ness Monster! Who wants to help me?" I asked breathlessly to a room full of raised hands.

**[A/N: The trip to Inverness, Scotland will not be included in my Fan Fiction—at least not at this time.]**


	50. Chapter 45

**Chapter Forty Five  
The Favor**

**Renee's POV**

I put my book, 'The Adoration of Jenna Fox' down for then tenth time in the last hour and stared out the airplane's window watching the gathering cloud cover. _'Forks, Washington here I come—again!'_ I moaned to myself. Well, at least there was a silver lining to this cloud and that would be seeing my baby girl again. It had been over two years since I had last seen her, at her wedding, and I was very anxious to see her now. I knew that she had fallen very ill on her honeymoon and had to be quarantined for several months and even spent time at the CDC in Georgia. I had packed my bags and planned to drive up there and demand to see her. It wasn't that far from Jacksonville to Atlanta and I knew they had those special suits I could wear so I could be with her without getting ill myself. Then Charlie had called me, letting me know she was back in Forks but still too sick to see anyone. Funny how no one else at the Cullen house had gotten sick though they were apparently all exposed and quarantined as well.

What was most alarming, were the results of her illness. She sounded different on the phone. Granted I had a new digital phone so that might have had something to do with it. Her voice sounded the same but often when she laughed or sighed, the tone changed to sounding almost musical. I knew for a fact, Bella had never sounded musical in her life. A new, higher, melodic tone had been more and more evident in her voice over the last two years. Maybe she had a surge of estrogen hit her system or something. She was pretty sick after all.

Then there were some physical changes as well. Dr. Cullen explained to me she was not supposed to be out in direct sunlight anymore because she had developed a rare photosensitivity called _Th1 disease_ that required a strict adherence to a regiment called the 'Marshall Protocol'. Bottom line was she had to avoid exposure to the sun or risk potential severe sudden cardiac conditions.

There were other changes resulting from her condition. She had told me, when she'd finally gotten better, that she had swollen up as a result of all of the sunlight on the Island and when the swelling finally had subsided, there had been some changes to her facial structure as well. Once again, I examined the wallet-sized photo I had received of her and Edward last Christmas. She definitely looked different. I had a hard time reconciling the happy woman in the picture to the daughter I had known and loved for so long. She was beautiful. I sighed as I ran my finger across the picture again. The Bella smiling out at me had glossy, thick brown hair. My Bella's was the same color but not so lustrous. Of course, that could just be an expensive shampoo. I mean, Bella did marry into money. Her skin was flawless; as was my daughter's but in this picture it was paler than my Bella's. That could be a direct result of staying out of the sun. And Edward's complexion was just as white. But, he was always pale. The Bella starring out at me from the photo had a golden tint to her brown eyes. They looked similar in tone to Edward's. From the photo I could see that his were a darker gold than hers. Huh, well, he'd always had some gold in his eyes. But then there was her smile. The smile that was on this Bella's face was the same smile I remembered from my Bella's. Of course, her teeth were sparkling white now. Perhaps the Cullens all went to an expensive dentist. I couldn't imagine Bella being vain enough to have veneers put on her teeth; unless, well, maybe it had been necessary because of her illness. That was the rub of it though. She had changed and I had to look beyond those changes to see the beautiful daughter I loved. She was there still and I was so thankful she was alive—even if she looked like a stranger now.

I would have to remember to not react to her colder embrace either. Charlie had explained that one to me. Apparently another side effect of her rare condition was the development of a thyroid condition referred to as Wilson's Syndrome. Her temperature was substantially lower than most cases; probably because she couldn't go into the sunlight. Oh, my poor baby. I couldn't believe I'd waited so long to come and see her. It was just that I didn't know how I would react to her and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. What was I thinking? I was an adult here. I could handle this. I mean, for goodness sakes, she's still my daughter after all! It's not like she grew four eyes or an extra set of arms or something like that! She was still my Bella. She hadn't turned into a monster. Maybe Bella was right and I shouldn't read science fiction—it just freaked me out! Like my last book 'Methuselah's Virus' and even watching 'Smallville' and all of its meteorite poisoning affecting everyone. I'd get something in my mind and think all sorts of crazy things as a result. It's a good thing that the' X-Files' wasn't on anymore. I shook my head ending that train of thought and returned my thoughts to my daughter.

Here I was, afraid to see her, worried about how I would react to her and that turned out to be only the half of it. Bella—a mother! I couldn't believe she would keep that from me. I mean sure, I didn't want to be a grandmother for at least another ten years or so, but it was an older child they'd adopted--Edward's niece. It wasn't like it was their own child. I could be an adopted Grandmother without it affecting my self-image right? So in the mean time, Charlie had gotten the scoop on me for two years. He had given MY granddaughter the birthday presents and gotten on her good side while I hadn't even been given a chance. Well, I'd fix that too. It was hard to put my finger on how I felt about this little girl—Renesmee. Funny that she had such an unusual name that sounded so much like my own. Well, I realized the feeling I had was hurt. I didn't understand why Bella had kept this from me. I was brooding this over in my mind as the plane landed in Seattle and I quickly departed the plane and was soon in my rental car headed for the last part of my journey--my drive to Forks, Washington—where my girls awaited me. I spent the long car drive focusing on the positives to help my mindset be free of the negatives. Bella was alive, she was happy, she was sort of healthy, she had a little family and I was a part of that. And I was about to become an even bigger part of that little family. And for icing on the cake, Charlie was tying the knot again. It was about time too. I was so relieved to hear that last week. Now I wouldn't feel so guilty when I saw him again.

Finally I pulled up in front of the huge white house in the deep woods. It seemed almost alive itself. There were sounds of laughter coming from somewhere in the distance. One was higher and child-like the others were an assortment of deeper rumbling sort of laughter. I closed my door and surveyed the front porch. As I did so, the front door opened and Esme appeared. Her smile was wide and she welcomed me. Before I knew it, I was up the steps and into the house.

This was only the second time I had been inside the Cullen home. The first time it had been filled with flowers, celebrating as my daughter became a bride and a Cullen as well. That was the last happy time before her terrible illness. Today the decor was in its normal state. There were white couches and chairs and pale ivory carpet. The walls were also a creamy white. There were two men in the room and they talked in quiet whispers. One was big and hulking with short cropped hair and the other was slightly shorter, his dark brown hair shoulder length. Even though they had chalky white skin, they appeared to be of Italian descent.

They looked up at my entry and stopped speaking.

"Renee, this is Felix and Demetri. They are visiting us from overseas." Esme said by way of introductions.

"Hello," I said politely. Apparently their house had a lot of visitors and I hadn't traveled the farthest. Where was my daughter? Surely she wasn't hiding from me.

"Felix, Demetri, this is Renee Dwyer from Florida. She is Bella's Mother." Esme said to complete the introduction.

They both gave me a nod. Our attention was then diverted as a beautiful young Indian woman with long flowing black hair quickly and gracefully entered the house through the large glass door to the back. Before I knew it she was at Esme's side.

"I'm here to spell Bella now." She said while apparently looking around for her. "Where is she?"

"Oh, she'll be here with Mia in a moment. This is Bella's mother Renee. Have you met her before?" Esme asked, making more introductions. And who was Mia?

The Indian girl shook her head once and full of poise strode forward and shook my hand firmly. "No, I have not met Bella's mother yet. It's nice to meet you Renee. I am Leah Clearwater. My mother is marrying Bella's Dad." That caught my wandering attention. I found myself focusing on this confident young lady before me. She seemed to be politely appraising me as well.

"Well, you are certainly a beautiful woman Leah. Of course you wouldn't remember me. I knew your parents before you were born—but only briefly." I said returning her smile with one of my own. Then there was suddenly an Indian man behind her with strong arms and a handsome face. He picked her up from behind and spun her around to face him. She laughed in delight.

"There is my woman?" He growled playfully. "What were you doing? Running off without giving me my good-bye kiss?"

"You nut!" Leah managed to get out before his lips found hers and silenced her name calling.

"This would be Nahuel from South America." Esme told me while fondly looking to the couple. "He is Leah's intended."

"Oh," I said feeling a little in the way.

"Oh Nahuel," Leah said breaking from his kiss. "This is Bella's mother, Renee."

"I see," Nahuel said taking one of his arms away from Leah's waist and extending it to me in a warm hand shake. "Bella is very excited to have you here." Then he looked around. "Where is she anyway?"

"I'm right here," Bella called from behind the stairs. Her voice was still high and musical. So it wasn't being distorted by my phone then. She came out assisting another young woman who was pregnant and appeared not to be feeling well. The girl had an arm around Bella's neck as they slowly entered the room.

"Mia," The pale man named Demetri said as he bolted to her side. "Are you alright, Sweetheart?"

"Yes," She said very quietly. "I feel much better now." He took her from Bella and lifted her right up into his arms like she weighed nothing at all. I could have seen the bigger fellow doing that but it surprised me to see the slighter man pull it off. Mia's eyes fell to me. "Oh, is this Bella's mother?" She said smiling warmly at me. Demetri sighed and brought her closer towards me.

"This is my fiancée Mia." He told me almost stiffly. "She is here under the care of Doctor Cullen and Bella was helping her in the restroom."

"Oh," I said. I was not sure why but it seemed like the pregnant girl was very happy to meet me and the good looking pale boyfriend was just the opposite.

"Hello," She said, "It is nice to meet you. You're daughter has been taking such good care of me."

"It is nice to meet you." I said. "When are you due?" I asked to show interest.

"Oh, in a few weeks." She responded with a weary smile.

"Well, you are carrying it well then. You don't look like your over four months along. When I was ready to deliver Bella, I was huge." I said with a shake of my head. The memory almost made me cringe. "It took me a whole year to get my figure back in shape."

"I'm going to take Mia back up to bed so she can get a nap before dinner." Demetri said curtly as he gave me a stiff nod and bounded up the stairs with Leah and Nahuel on his heels.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked in a whisper.

"No, he's just worried about his girlfriend. She's quite sick." This was from the big brawny man Felix, who had sauntered up with a grin on his face. "So this is Bella's mother. You are one fine looking woman."

I wasn't sure what to make of this man. The complement made me blush but his eyes almost leered at me. And for heaven's sake, he was a good ten years younger than Phil. Maybe he liked older women or something. Well, I'd just have to set him straight.

"Thank you, my husband thinks so too."I said turning back to my daughter who was standing beside Esme. "Bella? Is that really you?" I asked before I could call the words back. I was going to not call attention to her differences. She stepped forward. Her hair, always curly, had an extra bounce to it. Her face was more defined; more delicate in its features. Was it a created effect of expertly applied makeup?

"It's really me Mom." She said with a little catch in her voice. I knew that I had to reign in my shock. She needed me to accept the changes in her physical appearance.

"Oh, Baby!" I cried as I gathered her up in my arms and held her to me. "It is so good to see you again!"

"You too Mom!" She said and she buried her face in my shoulder.

"You're so cold Bella. You're not getting sick again are you Sweetie?" Dang it. I wasn't going to mention that either. But she was very cold and it was summertime. "I mean is this your regular temperature now from the Wilson's Syndrome?"

"Yes Mom, this is the new 'regular' me now—temperature and all." She said pulling away from me and biting her lip with her ultra white teeth. "Are you okay? With the new me, I mean?"

"Bella, if you're okay, than I am too. Oh I love you honey!" I said pulling her in for another quick hug and kissing her cheek.

"Thanks Mom, I love you too." She said sounding relieved. "I have really missed you."

"I've missed you too, baby. We're going to have to get together more often." I sighed. "But I guess Florida is off the table because of the sun." That reminded me. "How did you manage to stay out of the sun down in the Amazon?"

"That was very tricky but under the jungle canopy there wasn't that much sunlight coming through so I was okay most of the time." She said quickly.

"Well, it sounds like you have been pretty busy since your illness. Where's my son-in-law and my new grand…" I was cut off by a blur running in from the back door.

A high pitched girl's voice said urgently, "Mommy, Daddy says 'come quick'! And get Grandfather! Me and Daddy were doing the 'Pretzel Man' contortion and Uncle Emmett insisted on trying and he got STUCK! Hurry!" I looked down and beheld the most beautiful girl I had ever seen before in my life. I instantly knew she was my new granddaughter. She was pulling Bella's arm, frantic to get her outside. I was shocked to see her resemblance to Edward. It was uncanny. Well, she was biologically his niece after all. But there was something else. It was her expression. I had seen that look on Bella's face many times over the years and this little girl made the exact same expression. Had she learned it in the past two years? I couldn't see how. Even the eyes were the same? Renesmee's eyes looked more like the Bella's I'd remembered than the Bella who was now being dragged out the back door. I would have to keep that observation to myself. It might make Bella feel bad.

"Sorry Mom," She called back to me.

"I'll call Carlisle," Esme said. "He's almost done with his shift at the hospital." She whipped out a cell phone and hit a speed dial as the rest of us followed Renesmee out the back door, as though she were pulling all of us instead of just Bella.

I recognized Edward bent over at Emmett's side. As soon as I saw Bella's brother-in-law, whom I'd met at the wedding, I gasped in shock. At the same time, Felix started roaring with laughter. Emmett had his right leg pulled up behind his head and his foot was somehow caught in the crux of his neck on the other side. Edward was trying to bend Emmett's head even more to the right to unhook the foot but the rest of his leg was in the way preventing his head from moving in that direction.

"I already tried that Edward." Emmett was saying to him. "I hope we figure this out soon. This is starting to get uncomfortable. How did you get out of it so easily?"

I didn't know what Emmett's definition of uncomfortable was but I thought it was a bit of an understatement. Well, just because Emmett was a big man, it didn't mean that he couldn't try strange yoga positions; apparently, just not all of them.

"Emmett, what were you thinking?" Bella chided him in a worried way.

"Hello to you too, sister dear." Emmett said sarcastically. "This is your fault you know."

"My fault? How do you figure that?" Bella stammered back.

"Well, it was your daughter and your husband who were having so much fun seeing who could hold the pose the longest that got me wanting to try it for myself." He said sheepishly.

"Oh, well sorry then." Bella said sighing. "If it's any consolation to you, I think you've won the contest."

"Great! Thanks for declaring me the winner!" Emmett said sweetly. I couldn't figure out how he could talk so nonchalantly in such a painful pose. "That's what I like about you Bella. You always find the bright side. Now, where is Carlisle?" He asked looking at the crowd. Then he spied me. "Oh, hello Renee. It's a pleasure to see you again. I'd shake your hand but, maybe a little wave here will do." He waved his free hand. It nearly knocked him over. However it amazed me that he still managed to stay balanced on one leg, being so large and bulky. "How was your flight?"

It took me a minute to realize he was still talking to me. "It was great. Say, I took yoga classes once and there was a fellow that threw his back out doing something similar to what you have attempted and he had to take muscle relaxant to fix the ummm… problem. Perhaps that would help you get loose as well." I said trying to be helpful.

"Good suggestion," Emmett said, "Which brings us back to the question--where is Carlisle?"

We all looked around and found Esme and Alice very slowly approaching us from the house. They were deep in discussion as they walked. I was surprised to hear a moan come from Edward and I turned back towards him to see his hand covering his face, and his expression as well.

"What! You'd better tell me what is going on Edward—right now!" Emmett bellowed ominously.

"It's not good." Edward said to him. His face still covered in his hand. "Carlisle is on his way, but Alice sees the only way to get you free." He uncovered his face to look at his brother and his expression was grim. "And it's not good at all."

Emmett registered the look on Edward's face and his turned even whiter. "Oh no! There has to be another way! Try harder Edward! Push my foot harder--Please!" Edward started pushing harder until Emmett's shoe slipped off his foot and fell into about six pieces on the ground. All except for the heel that shot off like a hockey puck and landed in a stand of trees off in the distance.

"Oh no! I liked those shoes." Emmett said dejectedly. "Where is Rose?"

"I'm right here Emm…" Rosalie appeared from behind us holding a fourth grade science book and gasped, dropping the book. "Emmett, who did this to you!" She wailed and the most ferocious look I had ever seen in my life came into her face. She looked at Felix, who abruptly stopped laughing at the sight of her. I didn't blame him. She had me scared to death too. I could hardly believe this was the same young woman who had so beautifully played the piano at Bella's wedding. If I could have made my legs move I would have run for my life. As it was, it was all I could do to breathe in and out occasionally.

"Hey, don't look at me Rosalie." Felix said holding his hand up as if he could stop her. She looked as though she were about to knock his head right off from his shoulders. "I was nowhere near him. He did that himself! However…" he said cracking his knuckles with an evil glint in his eyes that made me stop breathing all together. "I'd be happy to help Emmett 'break a leg' to coin a phrase. I have a lot of experience in that department."

"That won't be necessary Felix," Esme said in an authoritative tone. "Carlisle will be here shortly and we'll deal with it when he arrives." At her pronouncement, Rosalie and Felix returned to their former postures. Rosalie bent down and retrieved her book and went to Emmett's side; kissing his cheek.

"Poor Emmett! Can you sit down?" She said sympathetically. "Who put you up to this anyway? Was it Jasper?"

"No, it was my idea--and sort of Bella's." He said somewhat abashed.

"Bella goaded you into trying this ridiculous stunt?" Rosalie's tone was skeptical. Emmett nodded reluctantly.

"I'm so sure!" Bella said indignantly. "I was nowhere near him. I have been sitting with Mia for the last six hours. Emmett here was trying to 'one up' Nessie and Edward. That's what's been going on. Keep me out of it!"

Emmett laughed.

"I can't help it Sis, you're so much fun to tease!" Emmett said before sighing.

"How was it Nessie?" Rosalie said turning towards my granddaughter whom I guessed they had nicknamed. Her face, that had scared the begeebers out of me seconds ago, was now the most gloriously beautiful one that I had ever seen. It almost hurt to look at Rosalie.

"It was great!" The beautiful girl, my granddaughter, enthused. Before anyone could stop her she wrapped her own leg up and around her neck and started hopping around on one leg as though it was a new dance move. Everyone laughed; everyone that was—except for me. My heart rate was still off the charts from the near confrontation between Rosalie and Felix. I certainly had newfound respect for Esme. She really knew how to handle herself around kids. I was having trouble coming up with a coherent thought when I noticed Edward was looking at me with concern.

"Renee," He said in a soothing velvet tone I had heard him use occasionally. "It is good to see you again. I think we can leave Emmett in good hands here and go back into the house." He put one arm lightly around my shoulder and the other around Bella's and towed us towards the house. Were my feet working yet? They must have been because I was moving forward. "Come on Nessie, you're with us." He called behind him interrupting Emmett's plea.

"Oh, come on Bro. I need you here for moral support."

"You're on your own Emmett." Edward replied shaking his head. "Besides I do not want my daughter seeing your uh, extrication procedure. It would give her nightmares for a month."

"I don't like the sound of that one little bit." Emmett said in a strangely sad voice for such a hulking man. I felt sorry for him. And how had tiny Alice seen what would need to happen to fix it? And how had Edward suddenly understood without her saying a word. It would seem as though Bella's new appearance wasn't the only thing different at the Cullen household.

"It is so good to see you again Renee. You are looking well." Edward said while we were still walking towards the house. His voice was strangely comforting and it was helping to calm me down.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's good to see you again too, Edward!" I said when I could catch my breath. "Are you sure Emmett is going to be okay though?" I asked while trying to look behind me but Edward's arm rose slightly to block my backward view.

"He will be fine. And Carlisle will be here in ten minutes anyway." Edward continued smoothly while he slid the large glass door aside for our entry. I was surprised when not just Renesmee followed us in but a big hulking Indian as well.

"Mom, you remember Jacob Black, right?" Bella asked me inclining her head towards the large Indian. This was Jacob Black? He had turned into quite a handsome man. But he was supposed to be a few years younger than Bella. He looked more like he was twenty five. And when did he get so tall? His father and mother weren't that tall. And even through his t-shirt, his well defined muscles were in evidence. When did he become a body builder? I remembered Charlie scheming with me to encourage Bella to continue her relationship with Jacob after Edward returned. I had reluctantly agreed because he had helped Bella during Edward's absence when no one else could. But secretly I had liked Edward better for Bella all along.

"Jacob, it's nice to meet you finally." I said straining to look up into his face as we made our way into the living room and Edward sat with both Bella and me still tucked under each arm. Jacob sauntered over to a side chair and dropped into it. The day's surprises continued as my granddaughter scrambled up into his lap as soon as there was one. "How is your father, Billy doing?" I hadn't seen him in years. Charlie had told me how his wife had died in a car accident and that Billy was now in a wheel chair.

"He's fine. Rachel and Paul are keeping him company since I'm over here all the time now." Jacob said matter-of-factly.

I thought I'd wait and ask Bella why Jacob was over to the Cullens house all of the time. Was it really appropriate for him to be here? He seemed to be doing alright with Bella being married to Edward, but Charlie had told me he had taken it pretty hard and even run away when he'd found out about their engagement. "Ah, Rachel is one of the twins right?" I asked to stay on a safe topic. Jacob smiled and nodded in approval at me. "And who is Paul?"

"Paul is her boyfriend." Jacob said rolling his eyes. He must not really like this Paul fellow much. "My other sister is living in Hawaii. She married a Samoan surfer."

"Well, I guess that's a change from Forks!" I said smiling. Then my gaze finally shifted to the little beauty in his lap. "I don't have to guess who you are." I said grinning in her direction.

"I'm Nessie!" She said as Jacob lifted her to her feet so she could better make my acquaintance.

"Nessie?" I asked. "Now, I thought your name was Renesmee?"

"It is both!" She chirped with a grin. Her grin was the same one I had seen on Edward many times but there was something about it that screamed 'Bella' to me too. What was it?

"Well, I like Renesmee, personally." I confided in her. "It is a beautiful and unusual name for such a beautiful young lady." I said as she inclined her head, suddenly shy.

"You look so much like your Unc…sorry, I mean, Daddy. It is uncanny." I said. I shook my head. I didn't want to make this poor girl sad on her birthday by bringing up memories from her traumatic past and her real parents.

"That's what everyone says." She said rolling her eyes. "But I look like my Mommy too." She continued as she went and kissed Bella sweetly and jumped in her lap. There is was again. She had the same expression on her face Bella used when she was speaking fondly of someone. Then she moved to Edward's lap and put her arm around his neck. She was certainly demonstrative with her feelings for Edward and Bella. Not like step-parents at all. Then she turned and smiled brilliantly at me and my heart melted on the spot. How did she do that? I didn't know, but suddenly it felt as though I'd known her for a lot longer than five minutes. And of course I loved her. I held my hands out hesitantly to her. Not sure if she would accept or not. I was after all, a stranger to her. But my worry was short-lived as Renesmee came eagerly to me without any hesitation at all. If Bella was cold, then my new granddaughter was extra warm. I didn't care. I was finally getting my turn to meet her and before I knew it there were tears in my eyes.

"I am so happy to know you." I told her as I closed my eyes and smelled her hair, holding her tightly in my arms. She smelled so wonderful. It was like a bouquet of flowers. I knew I'd have to figure out what shampoos and soaps Bella was buying before I left to go home. But more importantly, I was holding my new granddaughter in my arms. And here I'd thought I wouldn't enjoy the role of grandmother. Boy was I wrong. I got the most indescribable feeling holding that little girl. What was it about her?

"I love you Grandma Renee." She whispered in my ear and what was left of my composure melted and the tears rolled down my cheeks.

"I love you too, sweetie. I love you too." I whispered back. I opened my eyes to see Bella, Edward and Jacob all staring at me with smiles on their faces. No explanation was necessary. Clearly they already knew she was special.

Just then the front door opened and Carlisle stepped inside. "Where is Emmett?" he asked us as a group.

"He's out back milking his predicament for all the sympathy he can get." Jacob said with easy familiarity.

"Okay," Carlisle said as he took in the four of us on the couch. "Renee," He suddenly said warmly. "It is so very nice to see you again." He stepped forward and bent down to shake my hand. His was a little cold. He must have had the air conditioner blowing right on the steering wheel while he drove.

"It is very good to see you again too, Carlisle." I told him while I batted tears out of my eyes. "I was just meeting my granddaughter here." I said to explain my emotional state.

"Yes, she is a remarkable girl." Carlisle replied smiling widely. "She's got us all wrapped around her little finger and we couldn't be happier."

"I don't have anything or anyone wrapped around any of my fingers." Nessie said in confusion as she raised both hands out for our inspection. There were light chuckles in response. My stomach growled. Thankfully everyone's laughing covered it up.

"Ahh, Edward why don't you take Renee and your little family out for dinner so she can have some more time getting to know her granddaughter and eat at the same time." He said this while looking so intently at Edward, it almost seemed like he was saying volumes more with his eyes or something.

"Fantastic!" Jacob said rising from the chair. Apparently he considered himself part of Edward's 'little family'. "We should try out that new place "The Golden Gate Bridge"

"No! It's my birthday and I want to go to the Hard Rain Café." Nessie said definitively.

"Well Jake, I think you just got out maneuvered." Edward said looking at Nessie and then to Jacob.

"Mine was just a suggestion. What Nessie says—goes!" Jacob said in compliance

***

Later that night at the Misty Valley Inn, as I prepared for bed, I thought back on our dinner earlier that night.

We had a lovely meal at the informal café. Jacob put away a mammoth Mount Oly ½ lb burger like it was nothing. Edward had only taken one bite of his before he got caught up in our conversation and seemed to forget it. When Jacob finished his burger he started eyeing Edward's. Without a look in his direction Edward slid his basket over to Jacob who put that hamburger away just as quickly as the first. Bella picked at her french fries before asking for a to-go box. When we left, Bella had handed her food to Jacob. Maybe it was so that she could get Nessie in her seat. At least Renesmee really enjoyed her ice cream dessert and confided in me that she was very excited to start school the next day. I was perplexed as she was old enough to already have started school but Bella quickly explained that she and Edward had been home schooling her before. I had to say, I was impressed with what a good Mother Bella had turned into. Of course, she was always very mature. It would only stand to reason that she'd be an excellent mother at that.

I was glad that Bella had told me about the charm bracelet birthday present. I had enough time to go to the jewelers and find one for her and have it engraved. She had been delighted when I gave her the tiny box and she pulled out the little golden heart that had her name on one side and love, Grandma Renee on the back.

I was lying in bed waiting for sleep to find me as I reflected on that scene over and over again. There was something about the way she looked at me when she read the inscription. It was something about her face, her expression and her eyes--so Bella like. And then I faded into sleep.

***

I awoke the next morning refreshed only to find myself standing on a beach in the brilliant sunlight. How had I gotten there? I didn't know, but it was quiet and peaceful. There was a pleasant breeze that teased my hair away from my neck.

As I looked up I saw a bright light come down. It got brighter and brighter. After it was completely through the atmosphere it became darker and darker. It was a huge boulder--perhaps a meteorite. It landed behind me and the ground under my feet shook on its impact. I was almost knocked over from the rush of displaced hot air as it landed.

I could hardly breathe, the air was so acrid. I turned and walked a short distance from the beach towards the huge rock that had patches of iced over, areas smoking hot and laced with patches of silver, grey, gold and copper tinged with green that appeared to be metals of some sort. I wondered if it was like the meteorite from an Asteroid Nysa I had read about last week.

The rock began to shrink in size as I walked around it. I noticed that as it eroded some of the ice melted and some of the embedded metals melted with it. They seeped into the ground and contaminated the immediate area. I wouldn't even have been surprised if it had leaked uranium and gamma rays like the meteorite from the old Quartermass series did.

Finally, all that was left of the meteorite was a rather small unimpressive rock. Then I heard the sounds of laughter and turned my head towards it. It was back on the beach, but the shoreline had receded. It was now much closer to the site of the meteorite landing. Two figures immerged from the water holding hands—the source of the laughter. My breath caught. It was Edward and Bella. Only Edward's skin was sparkling for some reason. He grabbed Bella and she still laughing tried to wiggle out of his embrace. Strange, Edward's glittering didn't seem to bother her in the least. I must have been dreaming. What a strange dream. They were way too close to the meteorite site for my liking. I had to warn them somehow. In an instant I realized I was seeing their honeymoon on Isle Esme.

"Kids, you have to get out of here!" I ran towards them yelling. They were oblivious to my presence. They were lost in each other. They were so in love. Just—not here! "Please, listen to me!" I begged them. This must be why Bella became so ill on her honeymoon. Somehow, the sparkles protected Edward. Where did he get them? Maybe they were salt crystals from the ocean. Maybe they stuck to him because of his sunscreen and Bella didn't put any on. That explained a lot. They dropped to the sandy beach into an intimate embrace. I looked back to see their proximity to the 'crash site'. It was less than two yards. I had seen the melting contaminated ice go at least that far out.

I turned and looked up the beach a ways and a woman was walking towards us. As she got closer I could see that she had blonde hair and wore a blue and white sun dress. She held blue flip-flops in her hand. She had a beautiful smile on her face and she looked directly at me.

"Hello Renee, I've been looking for you." She said stepping right up to me. Well, I was pleased that someone seemed to know I was there. Perhaps she could help me warn Bella and Edward about the meteorite contamination.

"Please, can you help me warn Bella and Edward? They can't hear me for some reason." I stammered out immediately.

"Oh, they're fine and they can't hear you because this is the past. By the way, my name is Chandra. Come with me, there's something I want to show you." She said easily as she took my hand and almost pulled me along a jungle path.

"But the kids are back there." I said reluctant to leave them.

"No, they are up at the house now. This way…" She explained in a soothing manner. I didn't know why but I trusted her somehow. Soon we were at cozy beach house. Now how did something so big get built on a deserted island?

Chandra went right up to the door and opened it for me. Inside were Bella and Edward. Bella wasn't feeling well and Edward was saying something about getting an air-conditioner. Bella ran to the bathroom and threw up. She told Edward it was food poisoning. Then she lay across the couch in Edward's lap. She looked unwell. Edward was suggesting that she should go see a doctor in Rio.

I looked at Chandra. "Was this when she found out she was infected?" I asked looking at my daughter's clammy face.

"Oh, she found out she was infected alright--just not with what you're thinking." Chandra said dryly.

Bella then ran to the sink and threw up again. She told Edward she'd feel better in a minute and she ran to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. Then she started rummaging through a small box of pills and came across some tampons. Then her gaze became fixed and glassy.

When Edward finally came in to check up on her, he was as confused as I was until Bella announced that she was five days late for her period. Then it clicked in place for me.

"Why didn't they take birth control precautions?" I asked Chandra appalled.

"Edward did not believe he was capable of fathering a child. He was more shocked than Bella was." My dream guide told me.

I was horrified when Bella went to the mirror and raised her pajama top to see a baby bump already in place. Edward made a phone call and the next thing I knew, he was running around faster than I had ever seen anyone go before. Probably this Chandra lady, was somehow speeding it up again. Soon they had their flight arranged and there was a knock at the door.

An older couple came in and the lady carried a meal of some kind of fish. Before I knew it she was screaming at Edward and she made a motion of a belly bloated out. Edward, who apparently understood her, became very sad.

"What is she saying to him?" I asked my guide.

"She is telling him that this has happened to women before in this area and that the baby grows very fast and the mother is killed."

"What?" I choked out.

"Yes, Edward was frantic to get her home to Carlisle to remove the baby and save Bella's life." Chandra said sadly. "The only thing he didn't take into consideration was what Bella wanted. Come on." She said as she gestured to me to follow her out the door. When I did so, I was surprised to see that we were not back outside on the island, but we were now in the Cullen's living room; where Bella lay down on the couch while Rosalie and Edward looked on. Edward was beside himself and Bella was huge. She was also very sick. "This was two weeks after their return from Isle Esme." Chandra said in her musical voice. As I watched I saw Bella cry out and start to pant. Edward pulled back her sweatshirt to reveal a mass of purple blotches and an already carefully taped rib. Carlisle was suddenly there and directed the group upstairs. Edward gathered Bella in his arms and easily took her up to the second floor.

"What happened to my baby?" I wailed. "Is this why she was so sick? Did the meteorite make the baby grow too quickly, on top of making Bella so sick?"

Chandra pursed her lips and after a moment's hesitation she explained. "I am sorry Renee, but I am not permitted to speculate with you on the causes for the poison that entered Bella's system, the reason the baby grew and developed so quickly, why the baby was so strong or the process by which Bella's life was saved." I nodded my head in reluctant understanding. At least she was giving me more facts than I'd known before. I was pretty sure the meteorite had really been there and was the culprit, even if Chandra would not confirm it for me.

"Carlisle was away trying to secure needed supplies when Bella and the baby went into distress. She suffered a detached placenta and she and the baby both almost died."

We were suddenly in a library of some sort that looked strangely like an operating room. Edward was performing a c-section and Jacob Black was there giving Bella mouth to mouth. I stopped breathing as I watched Edward pull the baby out of Bella's contorted abdomen. Thankfully Chandra had removed the sound. Bella looked so lovingly at her newborn and then it was given to Rosalie and Edward worked so fast on Bella I could not make out what he was doing. I did notice that Jacob started CPR though. She really had pretty much die then. Suddenly, I was back on the now empty beach with Chandra.

"What happened to the baby?" I asked her when I could speak. "Did she continue to grow quickly?"

"Yes, she will continue to grow quickly for the next four years. Then she will stop. And you have met her today." Chandra said carefully. "The baby is Renesmee and she is 100% your biological granddaughter."

I woke up suddenly and found myself lying in my bed at the inn. I looked at the clock and it was 6 am. But I knew it wasn't a dream. It was a vision. And this Chandra, was my spirit guide sent to tell me the truth.

**[A/N: Not sure if you remember Nessie seeing the man 'stuck' in the Amazon or not, but on my page is a link that will hopefully work showing an actual man from the Amazon doing what I have dubbed, 'The Pretzel'.**

**Also the medical conditions I have mentioned in this chapter are actual illnesses. And the meteor was an actual one as well. So were all books, TV series, and places of business mentioned. Hope that you liked it. Let me know what you thought. The book left so many open ended plots and Renee was one of them that I had a lot of fun playing with.]**


	51. Chapter 46

Forty Six  
Decisions

Bella's POV

**Yesterday was quite the eventful day we had expected it to be. Renesmee loved her birthday presents and seemed to have a wonderful time. We planned to really celebrate her birthday more on Saturday with my 'human' one and the grand opening of the 'Renesmee Cullen Amazon Zoo'. We invited everyone we knew from town and the reservation to join us. It would be the last day of Renee's visit as well. I had been very nervous to see my mother again and to have her meet her granddaughter but Mom seemed to accept our cover story for Renesmee much easier than I'd thought she would. **

**I hoped Nessie had forgotten the promise her father had made to her that they would try a body contortion they had seen in the Amazon they had dubbed the 'pretzel man', but Nessie's memory was as good as a regular vampires and for her birthday she had apparently decided to remind Edward of their agreement. Of course, Emmett, not to be outdone by Edward and Nessie just about blew our cover when my Mom followed us outside to investigate. Honestly, what was Emmett thinking? He is not built the same way as Edward. Actually, I was surprised Edward was able to pull of the 'pretzel man' move but Emmett…well, he was just too broad in his build. I'd winced internally every time I'd thought about what he had to endure to get put right. When we'd returned home last night without Renee, he had seemed paler than normal—not like a vampire—like a ghost who had just seen a ghost. And his usual jovial manner was absent as well. I supposed Emmett wouldn't be trying 'pretzel man' again. He might be crazy but he wasn't dumb!**

**Point in case, was how Emmett picked his moment to tell Rose about the zoo. He had waited until last night after Rosalie, beside herself with worry, had been ministering to his pain in a very protective way. She had just held his leg in place for the last three hours while it worked to re-attach itself through all the layers of muscle and bones. Apparently the site had seeped venom that was acting as a kind of vampire glue when the tissue was correctly aligned. We hadn't been in the house for thirty minutes before Emmett; his voice still shaky from his traumatic procedure cleared his throat. He looked at Rose with the biggest puppy dog eyes and I was pretty sure it was no come on.**

"**R-rose," He started before clearing his throat again. "You k-know that p-project I have been working on for Nessie's birthday?" His voice seemed to improve as he spoke, but it still was weak and without power.**

"**Yes," Rosalie said as she put her hand tenderly to his cheek. "The Amazon Zoo, right?"**

**The whole family turned to stare at Rosalie in surprise. Even Edward looked amazed.**

"**You already knew?" Emmett asked adding confusion to the tone of his voice.**

"**Of course, I know everything you do." Rosalie said matter-of-factly. "That doesn't mean I like everything you do. But this was something you did for our Nessie so, what can I say?"**

"**How long have you known?" Emmett asked as he stared bewildered at his wife's calm face.**

"**Ever since that day you took her out on an 'expedition' and I went out to find the two of you while we were at Akahim. She sighed then smirked at him. "You should have seen how funny you looked wearing that baseball cap with a monkey's tail sticking out the back of it." She laughed at Emmett's sheepish expression.**

"**And you're not mad?" Emmett asked relief in his voice.**

"**Of course not; I mean it is clear that you are keeping them out of my hair--and I mean that literally. They aren't in my way or in my room jumping all over me. They are 'out of sight' and 'out of mind'. SO as long as it stays that way, what can I say?" Rosalie said with a shrug. I started to wonder if her calmer, softer demeanor might have resulted from Samon removing certain hurtful memories from her and a healing that had taken place. It made sense. I raised my shield and shared my thoughts with Edward who nodded thoughtfully at me in reply.**

**Speaking of Rosalie's gifts, this morning, I watched her walk out the front door with my little daughter in tow, headed for Forks Elementary School for their first day of school together. I was so nervous seeing my little Nessie leave that I had a hard time hiding it. She was so excited. Edward was only slightly less nervous than me.**

"**Now, don't forget Nessie," He'd said as he bent down and kissed her cheek. "You can't walk too fast, or lift anything heavy, or jump really high." Nessie had rolled her eyes and tapped her foot with her arms folded across her chest. Edward continued while ignoring her body language. "Also, don't show anyone pictures and keep yourself in control of your broadcasting!"**

"**D—ad!" She said in exasperation modulating her tone in a downward whine. "Are you going to let me try or are you going to stand here giving me a check list for the rest of the day. I mean come on! I only have fifteen minutes before school starts and even with Aunt Rose driving, I'll hardly get there in time to make friends!"**

"**Okay," Edward had said and I'd thought he was agreeing to let her go. I was wrong. "…about friends, make sure that you keep your thoughts to yourself today. And play nice with everyone and…"**

"**Good-bye Dad, I love you--even if you are a worry wart." Nessie said as I swooped in for a hug and kiss.**

"**Be safe sweetie and remember I love you. Don't let any bullies pull your hair or…"**

"**Good bye Mom, I love you too." Renesmee said sighing and then grinning up at her Aunt Rose. "Geeeesh, get a load of them!" And with that they were out the door.**

"**I can't believe she's really doing this. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Call Rosalie and bring her back." I'm embarrassed to admit that I was the owner of those words.**

"**Wow Bella!" Jacob said from the kitchen where he was having his second helping of breakfast. "You are such a Mom! Give it a rest!" And so I did--on the outside anyway. Inside I was a bundle of nerves and was relieved when 9am arrived and I began my shift with Mia.**

**When I went up and relieved Esme, Mia was asleep and Demetri was looking out the window. He turned to shoot me a level gaze when I entered the room. After Esme had left the room and I was sitting in the chair across the bed from Demetri he struck up a muted conversation with me.**

"**Bella, when you were human and dating Edward, were you ever afraid of him?" he asked. I tried to decipher his expression. I couldn't. "It's just that Mia seems to have an affinity with you and I am trying to understand her better." I wondered if something had happened between the two of them after my mother's arrival. Either that or everything she had been given of 'information overload' had finally sunk in.**

"**Well," I'd started thoughtfully as I tried to frame my response in a way that would leave him with some hope. Mia would need him to be emotionally strong for her. "There were a few times I was afraid of him. The first time was the first day in biology class. Of course, I was right to be afraid of him that day. He almost killed me. Even though I didn't understand at the time exactly how close I came to death, the look he directed at me throughout the class scared me so bad I nearly had a heart attack. Then later that same day it happened again when I'd encountered him in the front office." I said thoughtfully. **

"**That was when your scent was too potent for him to process?" Demetri stated, though his expression never changed. "Sorry, I remember this from your visit to Volterra."**

"**Hmmm, I guess that would be a clinical way to put it." I mused. "The way Edward put it, my scent made him deranged and he nearly killed the entire classroom, as they were collateral damage. He said the only thing that saved him was thinking of how it would disappoint Carlisle and his family." I shook my head as I recalled the other time Edward had scared me. "Then on our first date—this would be after I'd learned about his 'true nature', we had gone for a nature walk in the woods…"  
**

"**Wait," Demetri interjected. "After you knew what he was you went with him out in the woods—alone?"**

"**Yes, I did. Of course Edward wanted me to tell someone so he would have accountability as a deterrent from killing me accidentally, but I didn't and he wasn't too pleased with that. So we got to our destination." I didn't feel like telling Demetri about our meadow and how glorious Edward was or how enchanted I was by him either. "Everything was going fine until I got too close to him and he lost it. He ran away so fast. He was there and then he wasn't. That was when the forest seemed a little to still. When he slowly came back and sat down a little bit away from me my adrenaline kicked in and I became afraid. My heart sped up and I knew that wasn't going to help Edward get back in control. But he eventually did. He overcame a lot that day and I guess I did as well." I smiled at the memory and at how perfect the meadow had been made that day for us.**

"**What happened though, that made you be okay with him being with a vampire?" Demetri was struggling with something and as I finally deciphered his expression it hit me. Mia was struggling with the truth and Demetri was sad. No, he was more than sad. He was distraught.**

"**It was a process, Demetri." I told him. "Edward was nice to me the second time we'd met and then he saved my life from a car accident—before I found out the truth. When I put it all together," No need to fill Demetri in on Jacob's loose tongue either. "I did freak out. Then I thought about it and realized Edward did not behave like a monster. That a true monster would behave like one. That it was how someone behaved, not what their physical make up was, that determined their true nature. I know of a lot of humans that I would consider monsters before any of the Cullens. Edward told me that just because they were vampires it didn't mean that they couldn't choose to rise above their instincts and become better. Honestly Demetri, this would be a better conversation to have with either Edward or even Carlisle. They've been contemplating the issue far longer than me."**

"**I'm afraid I have scared my Mia." Demetri whispered in pain. "I'm afraid that now she sees me for what I am, an evil creature; I fear that maybe I am. For the first time in my existence, it matters; I don't want to lose her."**

"**Then choose not to be one Demetri." I said with a little steel in my voice. "If Mia is the kind of person I believe her to be, then she'll help you."**

"**Yes, I would help you." Demetri and I both looked down to the woman lying in the bed between us who was no longer asleep. Apparently our conversation that had started out muted, had not remained so. Mia took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving the sad Volturi guardsman. "I love you Demetri—even if I am afraid. I can't seem to help it."**

"**Mia sweetheart, I am so sorry to have woken you." He bent and kissed her lightly on the lips, then cupped his hand to her cheek. "Are you feeling alright?"**

**Her response was somewhat hesitant but then she swallowed and said, "Yes, but I need some time alone with Bella; if you would be alright with that." She was afraid of him. I could tell she was torn between her love and her fear of the known and unknown.**

"**Of course," Demetri said and gestured that I should escort Mia to the bathroom. I started to stand but Mia put her hand on my arm; A gesture for me to stop. I looked at her in confusion but she was eyeing Demetri warily. **

"**I'm sorry Demetri. I meant I would like to talk to Bella alone." She said cautiously. The look on Demetri's face as he processed her request was heartbroken before he composed himself and plastered a weak smile in its place.**

"**Of course my love, anything that will help you." He said in a choked voice.**

"**Ummm, I believe Felix is outside working with Emmett on the zoo if you want to catch up with him." I added trying to be helpful and cut the tension in the air.**

"**That's alright; I'll speak with him later." Demetri said eyeing Mia with a tenderness that crumbled his façade. "I think I'll hunt up Carlisle instead; perhaps it's time for a change." He picked up Mia's hand and kissed it before turning and walking out the door.**

"**What's up Mia?" I asked her as the door clicked shut. Of course Demetri would still be able to hear us if he chose but I could hear him knock on the door across the hall and Carlisle's answering reply so I knew he had every intention of following through.**

"**Bella, I realize you don't really know me very well but, there isn't anyone else that knows what I am going through right now. Would you mind talking with me for a while?" She asked in an apologetic manner.**

"**Of course, you can talk to me. You must be having a pretty terrible time trying to come to terms with everything." I said as I remembered a cool spring night when in the darkness I'd heard Jacob say the words that chilled me to my bones. '**_**Blood drinkers. Your people call them vampires**_**.' **

"**I can't believe that it's true. I know I have been calm about it for the past few weeks but honestly, I feel as though I am just waking up from a hypnotic sleep and seeing clearly the situation I have become entangled in for the first time." She hugged herself as she whispered, "I mean--vampires!" She shuddered. Then she looked over at me and her eyes got huge in alarm. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you are one too."**

"**Don't apologize to me. I have never been happier in my life. I love being a vampire." I said with a wry smile on my face.**

**Mia was clearly not prepared for my announcement. "You're kidding right?"**

"**Oh, no. I mean it." I stated firmly. "You see Mia. One of the differences between my human experience with Edward and your human experience with Demetri is simply a matter of time. I had time to let my love for Edward become strong and unbreakable. I had time to know what it felt like to lose him and time to know that being with him forever was the most important thing to me. You have not had the luxury of time to come to that understanding." I sighed and looked out the window for a moment before I looked intently at Mia as she sat up a little straighter in the bed. "I will tell you this Mia. From the look I just saw in his eyes, I am fairly certain that Demetri would die for you. When vampires find the love of their life, it changes them on the inside. Unlike a human relationship that may or may not last, a vampire's love is truly eternal. It does not change. It is set in stone and permanent. Demetri's love for you has worked that change in him. He is yours and always will be."**

"**But he hasn't lived the kind of existence that your Edward has. He has worked for that foul man, Aro and his caustic brother, Caius." She said with disdain.**

"**No, you're right he hasn't lived a life like Edward's. Demetri has lived a life that up until now, would be worthy of a nightmare, but your love has given him hope to change. Do you have any idea what a miraculous thing it is just to have him thinking about it? And I know that you do love him, Mia. I have seen it in your eyes and in the way you are together. Am I wrong?" I asked her quietly with a small smile on my lips.**

"**Of course I love him. I can't imagine being without him. He is the most important person in my life." She said while wringing her hands together in anxiety. "It's just that I don't know how he will keep his resolve to change when he gets back in THEIR clutches." When she said the word 'their', I understood that she understood the power and influence the Volturi leaders had over the entire vampire world and especially those they controlled.**

"**All the more reason he needs you to fight for him." I countered. "Give him a reason to be strong, Mia. You've already told him that you would help him. He's going to need a lot more than a friendly pat on the back. He has a lot to overcome." I looked at her staggered expression and I realized I had perhaps become a bit to zealous. "I'm sorry, I'm preaching to the choir here. I know you would do whatever it took to fight for Demetri's soul--the same as I would for Edward."**

"**I'm just afraid I'm not strong enough." She whispered in response.**

**I looked at her as she struggled with her own self-doubt. She couldn't see the goodness and strength of character that made her strong. "You know, you don't see yourself very clearly." I said surprising myself and I smiled broadly as I heard Edward's muted laughter from the first floor. "What you think of as weakness is actually your strength. As far as physical strength…well, that would change if you were to become a vampire."**

"**That was something else I wanted to ask you about." Mia said almost eager to change the subject. "What is it that you like the most about being one? I mean, you said that you have never been happier."**

"**Well, there are so many things I like about being a vampire. Let me think. Okay, there is a great deal more…ummm… 'intensity' in my physical relationship with Edward and at the time of my conversion my love for him became much deeper than it was before—and it was the strongest feeling I had ever had in my human life, so that is really saying something. I also love how my mind has been strengthened. I can think so much faster and clearer now. It is like a 'multi-tasking' computer that can have ten different things going on at the same time and I can focus on the one that needs the most of my attention while still mulling over the other topics at the same time."**

"**That does all sound fascinating." Mia nodded vigorously.**

"**But that isn't even the half of it." I said, my grin getting wider. "When I was human, I was so klutzy, I would have sworn if I were to look in the dictionary under the word, the definition would say, '**_**see Bella Swan'**_**.**

"**So your maiden name was Swan?" Mia asked.**

"**Yes, only a graceful swan I was anything but. I was too accident prone to be agile." I said with a soundless chuckle. "Anyway, since my vampire conversion, I am so much more dexterous. I never fall down. And it is so much fun running and jumping and just horsing around. There is so much freedom in my movements. After a lifetime of being awkward and ungainly, this has been strangely liberating!"**

"**You know, I never thought of it that way before." Mia said and for the first time today, her voice had a little more life to it. "I guess there could be some good things to take into consideration." She added almost to herself.**

"**Another plus for me has been that I can stay one step ahead of my daughter."I said with a sigh as I shook my head.**

"**Now what exactly do you mean about staying a step ahead of your daughter? Do you mean because you're faster than her?" Mia asked as her brows furrowed slightly.**

"**Well, that and also mentally. She was born able to understand human speech and able to reason and understand things. For example, she drank human blood as a baby—strictly from the blood bank—like you are." I looked at Mia, who nodded her understanding. "When my Father showed up practically unannounced, Edward explained to her she would be very thirsty when she met him but she must not bite him because he would not heal and he was very important to us. She was on her best behavior and she has never fed from a human."**

"**How old was she when that happened?" Mia asked. I could tell that as interested as she was about being a vampire, what her baby might be like was doubly interesting to her.**

"**She was three days old." I told her.**

"**That is really something." Mia said looking impressed as she rubbed her stomach. That reminded me.**

"**Say Mia, are you hungry? Here I have been talking your ear off…"**

**Mia interrupted me. "No, I'm fine." Her words were underscored by an angry growl from her stomach. I batted my eyes sweetly at her.**

"**It sounds like your stomach isn't in agreement with your mouth." I said with a laugh. "Does anything in particular grab you?"**

"**Well, If someone else is having soup and there are leftovers, I wouldn't mind a little." She said smiling while still rubbing her stomach. I could hear Esme move to the kitchen and start to open a can.**

'_**I'm getting it Bella dear,'**_** I heard her call up to me—not that Mia heard. **

"**Okay, so while that is heating up, do you need to use the restroom and have a shower?" I asked her as I looked at her hair that was flat and oily.**

"**That sounds wonderful." Mia said as I helped her up.**

*******

**After she was showered and had donned fresh clothes she sat in her bed and ate her soup. Yesterday she had eaten down in the kitchen but I could feel she wasn't done talking with me just yet. So I patiently waited for her to start again, after she'd showered and took her lunch in her room.**

**When half of the bowl of soup was eaten, Mia looked up at me and asked if she could have some more blood. I got some from the small room refrigerator Carlisle had put in the room and stocked.**

"**Hot or cold?" I asked her as I poured it into a cup with a straw.**

"**Cold I think." She said. "It's kind of hot today."**

"**Are you getting hot?" I asked her. "I had bouts of being hot and then cold when I was expecting Renesmee."**

"**Just a little." I handed her the cup and went to the wall and turned on the fan. She sighed contentedly as the breeze hit her face. "You know this reminds me." She said holding up her cup. "Demetri said something about you Cullens not hunting humans. That you only hunt animals for their blood?"**

"**Yes, we have made a choice to abstain from killing humans. To help us keep our humanity. That doesn't mean it is easy. And it doesn't mean that we're all perfect at it. Heck, for the last two years my throat has burned like crazy when I'm around humans but it is starting to abate somewhat." I said as I sighed.**

"**Demetri said animal blood tasted terrible when he came back from hunting with Carlisle and Edward the other day." Mia confided to me.**

"**I'd thought so too, my first time. But you get used to it. And it is definitely better in my opinion than the alternative. In fact, when I was human I'd thought being a vampire Cullen--style was pretty cool with no down sides!"**

"**Well, I think it would be the only way I would even consider becoming a vampire." Mia said definitively**

"**Yesl, that is a good decision to make." I said nodding my head thoughtfully. "But it does bring up another issue—that being what you can expect as a newborn vampire."**

**She looked confused. "You mean me or my baby?"**

"**Your baby will be a hybrid. You will be a newborn vampire and self control is supposed to be pretty tough for a newborn vampire." I said cautiously.**

"**Why do you say 'supposed to be'? Don't you agree then?" She asked.**

"**Well, I had pretty good control. Edward and Carlisle decided it was because I had prepared for it. Perhaps the more you understand, the better your control will be as well." I said tentatively. **

"**IF I decide to become a vampire, that is." She replied quickly.**

**I was pleased by the progress our conversation had made in alleviating her fears but I felt I needed to give her my gut feeling about her trying to remain human. **

"**Mia," I began taking a deep breath before proceeding. "I'm worried about what could happen to you and your child, were you to chose to remain human and able to carry through on that desire."**

"**What has you worried?" She asked. I could hear the dread seep back into her voice.**

"**Well, your death. Best chance scenario, you will age and die. This would leave your mate and baby alone without you for several hundred years. That would devastate them. If we went with another scenario, you would remain human and Aro would have you killed because you know about the existence of vampires and he might then steal your baby and force Demetri back into his service. You have to be on your best game with Aro so close. There can't be any weakness for him to exploit. Even if Aro were not an issue, you would not be as strong as your child. It would make it hard to control him or her. If you ever had an accident and were to bleed, they could kill you before they even realized what they were doing. Of course, there is also a very real possibility that were you to decide to remain human, that during delivery, if there was a problem, as there was with mine, it might be too late to change you, if the decision was not already made and everything was set up."**

**There was silence in the room as Mia looked down at the sheets of her bed. Then I noticed her face get a little green and I had the lined basket under her just in time for her to lose her soup and blood. When she was finished I handed her a clean cloth to wipe her face.**

"**So," She said in a gasp. "You said it was really fun to be a vampire then…running and jumping. How about singing?" She was trying to come to terms with my forthright assessment.**

"**My singing voice has improved astronomically." I said. "If your singing voice sounds as nice as your speaking voice, I'll bet you already sing good. You could be a fantastic singer then." I said in encouragement. **

"**Ummm, do you think I could brush my teeth again?" She asked with a disgusted look on her face.**

"**Of course, we can talk more later." I added as I helped her to the bathroom. She had enough to mull over for now.**

**I was just helping her back to the bed with her teeth squeaky clean, when there was a knock at the door and Edward and Demetri came in.**

"**How are you doing Mia?" Demetri asked her. He looked like a man who had just been confronted by his own demons. **

**Mia gave him a warm smile that instantly transformed him into a happier person. "I'm doing better now. Bella has given me a lot to think about."**

**He went to her side and kissed her soundly. "Well, then we both have a lot to think about. Carlisle and Edward have been giving me a lot of advice as well."**

**I looked at Edward, who stood just inside the door. He was smiling at Demetri and Mia but there was a slight tightening around his eyes and I knew something was up.**

"**I wonder if you would mind if I borrowed Bella for a bit." He said to the two of them. "Her Mother's rental car just pulled off the main highway and should be here in a few minutes."**

"**That would be fine." Mia said quickly. "Demetri can help me if I need up."**

"**Yes, and I would really like some 'alone' time with Mia." Demetri said dryly. "I haven't had her to myself since we arrived."**

"**Well, I'll be just down stairs if you need anything." I said before Edward ushered me out the door and across the hall into Carlisle's office. **

**What was he doing? Carlisle was reading at his desk and gave me a nod as Edward put his mouth right up to my ear and said, "You're Mother will be here in two minutes to tell you all about how she knows that Nessie is her biological granddaughter and something about a meteorite." **


	52. Chapter 47

Chapter Forty Seven  
Elementary

**Edward's POV**

"What?" Bella hissed in shock.

"All I'm getting from her mind right now is determination and...well, anger. Sorry Love." I said as I rubbed Bella's shoulder. "But a moment ago, she was thinking of how Renesmee was her biological granddaughter and she was upset because we had kept it from her. She also believes Renesmee's rapid growth is due to some 'meteorite's effect'."

'_But this could get back distorted to the Volturi and put my Mom at risk!_' Bella thought after she'd raised her shield to keep her message away from Demetri's sensitive ears. With her shield raised I also felt the panic for her Mother's safety and dread of the coming confrontation with her, all interwoven with that one thought. My sweet Bella's eyes looked so full of fear that I held her to me. She clutched me to her in response. "Meteorite—what fantasy/ science fiction story has she concocted now?" She wailed into my chest.

"Don't worry Love, I'm here. We'll face it together." I told her. Not sure exactly how we could face it together without it being overheard. I knew exactly how tricky yet important it was to keep Renee safe. Unlike Charlie, she wouldn't have the protection of a wolf pack at her back when she returned to Florida.

"May I make a suggestion?" Carlisle said. _'Renee does have a right to know her granddaughter but be careful that she not find out about any gifts or powers—especially with the present company around. If she let that slip…'_

"Please do Carlisle," Bella said with a sigh as she turned her head to the side to look at him.

"Well, perhaps like Charlie, this conversation would be best dealt with at your cottage. That should be far enough away for Renee to express herself." This was said in a very quick, quiet whisper. Carlisle continued in his fast, ultra quiet voice. "I'll retrieve our old canoe from the garage and put it out there by the river for transportation. If you walk at a regular pace it should only take you thirty minutes to get there and Renee will enjoy the fresh air and exercise."

"Knowing my mother, she probably would like the exercise." Bella said wryly. "Maybe I'd better pack her a sandwich before we leave since she will get hungry for lunch while we're there." She added thoughtfully. Then she almost laughed when Esme, calling out from the kitchen, said she already had it made. My mother was in her element playing hostess and 'mother' to so much company.

"Well, shall we go face the music then, love?" I asked as I stepped out of her embrace and took her hand. We bade Carlisle good-bye and made our way down the stairs.

"Oh, what about Mia?" Bella said aloud as we reached the main floor. "If we take Mom out to the cottage…"

"They can come fetch me if they need help," We heard Leah say from the dining room. Bella, with me in tow, ran over to see her, Nahuel and her mother Sue all sitting at the table with Alice. There were three huge wedding binders--all opened along with assortments of fresh tropical flowers that Alice had spread out around the table.

"Oh, hello everyone." Bella said a little surprised. "Hi Sue," She added stepping over to where Sue sat to give her a little awkward shoulder hug. "You don't mind?" She asked Leah.

Leah leveled Bella a 'bored out of my mind' stare and said, "Do I look like I mind?"

"Hey, stop that!" Alice chided Leah. "I promised I'd be done with you before your shift started. You're mine for the next three hours." She said with a scary little 'vampire stare' all her own.

"Bella," Esme called from the kitchen and we looked over to see her with a large platter of sandwiches she had worked on for the Quileutes on patrol, and for Alice's guests as well. There was also a platter of fruit and another of cookies. She handed Bella a brown bag. "This is for your Mother and I have a plate that I am taking up to Mia right now. So I will be available if she needs anything before Leah's shift. Good luck with your mother, dear." She reached over and kissed Bella's cheek just as the front door bell rang.

"Thank you Esme--for everything. What would I do without you?" Bella said with a sigh of relief. Then she turned towards the front door with my hand still firmly in hers.

"Mom!" She said as she opened the door and stepped out to give her a big hug. I managed to let go of her hand and had propped myself in the door frame. I was struck by how good it felt to see Bella giving her mother a hug. It was very satisfying to me that she was able to have her Mother, and so many others from her human life, while still having her new life with me. Renee's thoughts of being agitated and anxious momentarily dissolved in Bella's embrace. I thought perhaps I should direct the conversation before she got started.

"Renee," I said, genuinely happy to see my mother-in-law. She had, after all, fully supported Bella with her plans to marry me. "I am so glad you are here." She opened an arm to gather me into her hug with Bella.

"My kids," She said happily. "Oh, I can't believe I am finally getting to hug you guys like this. You have no idea how much I have missed you both!" She stepped back and looked us over. "Bella, you've changed and blossomed since the wedding. Edward, you haven't changed a bit!" She hadn't thought about what she was going to say first, so I had no warning. "Oh, don't worry about it Edward." She said quickly. She had misread my expression. "Trust me; it's great to look a little young for your age."

"Well you look fantastic too, Mom." Bella said pleasantly. "Oh, I am so happy to see you for a few days." She added exuberantly.

"Say Renee," I said as we went inside the house. "Bella and I have so many things we wanted to discuss with you before Renesmee gets home from school. Bella was also wanting to get in a little exercise; so, if you are up for a little nature walk, we'd love to take you out to our cottage."

Renee's eyebrows rose in delight. Her eyes seemed to sparkle. "You have a cottage in the woods?" Bella and I nodded together. "Well, what are we waiting for? Lead the way!"

"It's sort of out back." Bella said pointing to the glass wall at the other end of the house. We started towards it and Renee spied the group of wedding planners.

"Hi Alice! This does look familiar." Renee said as she eyed all of the wedding paraphernalia. _'I remember Alice FedEx'd me a binder when Bella got engaged. It was so much fun working with her on Bella's wedding, And I've used it to help some of my friends with their weddings too.'_ She'd thought warmly.

"Mom," Bella began. "You remember Leah and Nahuel from yesterday. But I don't know if you remember Leah's mom—Sue Clearwater." Sue stood up confidently and turned to give Renee a friendly little embrace.

"Hi Renee," She said. "It has been years. You look well." Sue also thought, '_Here I was worried about how awkward it would be seeing Renee again and it is fine. That is such a relief.'_

"So do you Sue. And I am so very happy for you and Charlie." Renee said pleasantly. _'Charlie is a lucky man. She's hot!'_ "Are you planning on a double wedding?"

"Yes," Leah said with a genuine smile. "A double Amazon wedding."

"Well, if anyone can pull that off, it would be Alice Cullen. She is absolutely amazing. Has Esme been helping?" Alice just nodded. "I'm so glad to see you took my advice about going into wedding planning. You are a natural." Renee sighed. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but I am going on a nature walk. It has been so nice to see everyone." She said as we led her to the back sliding door and made our way outside. '_Maybe she could take Bella under her wing and teach her how to plan such beautiful weddings.'_

In short order we had crossed the river in our canoe and were walking along the path that led to our house. Obviously we were strolling along at a human tempo. As we got closer to the cottage and I knew we were out of vampire earshot, I was eager to change the topic of conversation from 'how to visit Florida without getting sun exposure' to that of our daughter. But we would be at the house in three minutes and so I opted to wait until then. One thing was for sure, Renee had gotten a better handle on her mood with the walk. Then she saw the cottage and she stopped and stared in delight.

"THIS is your cottage?" She breathed.

"Yes, do you like it?" Bella asked excitedly. "It was a wedding present from the family. Esme especially worked hard restoring it."

"Oh, it's absolutely charming. Are you sure Thomas Kinkade didn't come out here and paint this for you?" Renee said to hide her amazement. _'This is a masterpiece. It's timeless and so--so Bella!'_

"Wait until you see the inside Mom." Bella said as she opened the door.

***

We were seated in our small cottage about to talk to Renee about our daughter and learn how a meteorite was part of her new understanding. I had only gotten snitches from her mental thoughts about it on the walk over as she had been focused on getting us to Florida for a Christmas visit. What I had heard involved a dream of some sort and a spirit guide. I felt a little déjà-vu as I remembered a similar conversation with Charlie just a few months previous. Of course, this conversation would not be as revealing as that one had been.

"Bella and Edward, there is something that I need to tell you." Renee said in a knowing way. _'How should I put this? I guess I'll just lay all my cards out on the table and let them know their gig is up.'_ She thought as she took a deep breath and continued, "I know that Renesmee is my real granddaughter—biologically speaking."

"You do?" Bella replied innocently. I had to give it to my wife. She was becoming a better actress all the time. "How did you figure that out?"

"Well sweetie, first of all she has your eyes and Charlie's curls. Plus she looks WAY to much like Edward to be a niece. There were more subtle signs as well. She has so many of your mannerisms. But the kicker was, well, I know this will sound crazy, but last night I had a dream that explained everything to me." As she said the last sentence, her voice took on a mysterious tone."

"A dream?" Bella asked in disbelief. "Mom, what have you been reading lately?"

"Now Bella, I'll admit that I have been reading science fiction again. But this has nothing to do with that. Before I say another word I want you to admit to me that Renesmee is my biological granddaughter."

Bella and I looked at each other and she sighed before turning back to her Mother and admitting reluctantly. "Yes Mother, she is your flesh and blood granddaughter, and I am so sorry that we didn't tell you, but…"

"No Bella. I asked for the truth—you gave me the truth. Now you're going to listen to my dream because I think I know more about what happened to you and your baby than you do." Renee said cutting off Bella's apology and bringing both Bella and I up short. _'Now how to say this so that they don't freak out.' _Renee thought before she cleared her throat and continued. "Well, I was on that Island where you had your honeymoon and I saw a meteorite land there from the asteroid Nysa."

"A meteorite from the Asteroid Nysa," Bella repeated skeptically. "Mom, we went all over that island. We never saw any meteorite."

"Well of course you didn't, silly. The meteorite landed a very long time ago and it melted close to the beach and contaminated the ground with uranium and gamma rays. You could have walked right by it and not even noticed it because it would fit in the palm of your hand now." She said as though she were a geologist in the top of her field. _'They still have blank looks on their faces. They don't believe me yet.'_

Bella backed up her thoughts by saying incredulously, "Uranium and gamma rays from the Asteroid Nysa contaminated Isle Esme."

"That is what I'm saying, sweetie." Renee said shaking her head. "So, I saw you two come out of the water and well…" _'How can I put this delicately?'_…"I'm pretty sure you got yourself knocked up right there on the beach. I tried to get you to move away from the crash site but you couldn't hear me. I didn't stick around because that was when my spirit guide showed up."

"You have a spirit guide Mom?" Bella asked and this time she almost sounded worried. "Does she meet with you often?"

Renee sighed and I could tell her frustration level was rising. "I only met her last night. Oh Bella she is so pretty. Blonde hair and blue eyes and she said that she wanted to show me something." I stiffened when I heard her next thought. _'Now Chandra only told me about the baby not the meteorite. But I don't need to tell them that. I know my assumption is correct '  
_

"Renee," I said trying to hide my surprise. "Your spirit guide sounds like a pretty interesting person. Can you tell us more about her?"

'_Well at least Edward believes me. Maybe he can convince Bella_.' "Of course," Renee said easily. "Let see she was wearing a blue and white sun dress and she had blue flip flops. She was very pretty and tall and slender. Oh, and her name was Chandra."

"Chandra? Your spirit guide was Chandra?" Bella asked with a sudden intensity. Then she turned her eyes to mine and I raised my eyebrows in response.

"Yes, Chandra. Have you heard of her before?" Renee asked us, now her own voice taking on a tone of wonder to it.

"You might say that we've heard of a Chandra before." Bella said reluctantly.

"Good, because she is real and she was in my dream and she took me to your beach house so I could watch you throwing up and realize you were pregnant and then the lady came with the fish and told Edward that the same thing had happened to other women and that you would die." The last few words were spoken in a whisper. _'I guess that is enough. No need to remind them how upset Edward was zipping along calling the airport and packing all at once. Besides Chandra was speeding it up anyway.' _"I saw how your baby was growing so fast that it bruised your stomach and Edward and Carlisle was going to perform an abortion but you wouldn't let them." Renee's face scrunched up as she continued. "Then you were sleeping on the couch and wearing huge gray sweats that really looked terrible and getting your ribs broken. Bella honey, I always knew you had grit but you are tough as nails!" She sighed. Bella looked on with her mouth gaping open. Oh, so was mine. I closed it promptly.

"Then Chandra explained that Carlisle was out getting supplies when you suffered a 'detached placenta' and both you and Renesmee almost died. Then she took me up to the library where you, Edward delivered your daughter and Jacob Black was performing CPR." She shook her head and then looked directly at me in amazement. "You saved them both Edward. How in the world did you know what to do?"

Now what should I tell her? I can't admit to having three medical degrees. "Well, there have been summers when Carlisle took us to the Amazon to help the indigenous people there and he often had me assist him in surgeries that had to be preformed locally. I know it was crude, and I was never meant to be the doctor of delivery." I said self-depreciatingly. Hopefully that would be enough for her. "Carlisle came back soon after and he made sure that everything was done correctly, so that was good.

Renee was looking at me in an appraising sort of way. '_Bella has really got a good man here. There is a lot more to him than just a pretty face. He is smart, sensitive and able to step up to the plate under dire circumstances. She has remarkable taste. She so reminds me of myself. I'm really glad he's part of the family. And all mothers want her daughter to be loved by her husband. And it's clear that Edward does love Bella dearly.'_ Renee's thoughts made me smile. I couldn't help it. Her approval of me for her daughter meant a great deal to me; even if she didn't know everything about me. I remembered a time when I'd thought no mother would approve of me for their daughter.

"So, you see kids," Renee said as she shook herself from her reverie. "I understand why Renesmee has been growing so quickly. I don't like it. But I also can sort of understand why you didn't tell me about her. I realize you just didn't want me to worry about her since she will have such a short childhood. But guys, come on! Apparently this is going to be my only grandchild." Then she thought in alarm, _'Oh dear, I hope I didn't just overstep my bounds. Perhaps I'd better rephrase this.'_ "I mean, I can't imagine with your illness, you can have anymore—nor should you try, since you're still suffering from contamination. It would be too dangerous for you and the baby." She sadly shook her head.

"You're right Renee; Bella is not able to carry another child." I said confirming her assessment, while also letting her off the hook.

"That having been said, do you really think it was fair of you to keep me in the dark about Renesmee?" she asked sympathetically but with a little steel. "My only granddaughter that I will ever have, and her childhood is in fast forward—and you were just going to leave me out. I'm sorry Bella and Edward but I am hurt—even though I do understand that you didn't want to burden me."

"You're right Mom," Bella said sadly looking down at our stone floor. "I thought I was sparing you pain and instead I caused you more." She sighed as she looked up to meet her Mother's gaze.

"Oh baby," Renee said as she stood and opened her arms again for Bella to embrace her. "I'm sorry too. I should have come sooner. You were so sick and had so many things to deal with. Let's just not keep each other in the dark about our lives any more okay?"

"Alright Mom," Bella said although she did cross her fingers behind Renee's back as she agreed.

"So Chandra told you about the Asteroid Nysa and the meteorite and the uranium and gamma ray poisoning too?" I asked Renee as the two of them sat back down.

"Oh," Renee responded quickly. "No, she said that she wasn't authorized to speculate with me on the causes for the poison that entered Bella's system, the reason the baby grew and developed so quickly, why the baby was so strong, or the process by which Bella's life was saved. But I just feel strongly, that it was the meteorite that did it. Why else would I have had the meteorite's landing shown to me in my dream in the first place. I am convinced that it got introduced into Bella's system." Then she turned to me and said. "You should have Carlisle check you out. You probably got some too you know, Edward." Then she added mentally, _'…just not nearly as badly because you weren't exposed to the contaminated sand as much as Bella was because of your position.'_ Yes, Renee was very observant and definitely had a simple way of viewing things. How embarrassing.

Oh she was waiting for a response from me. "Perhaps I will have Carlisle check me out. Thanks for the heads up Renee."

"Will Nessie continue to grow too fast for her whole life, or has Carlisle been able to find a way to slow it down?" Renee asked as she opened the brown lunch bag Esme had packed her and looked at her sandwich before returning her eyes to both Bella and me.

"Yes, he has been charting her growth and it is slowing." Bella said quickly.

"He also researched and found a few other children from that area and they kind of leveled out in growth, when their physical appearance was in their late teens. So she'll grow up fast but then stay there for a while." I added so we would have less to explain later.

"Well, at least it isn't going to stall out when she looks thirty or forty or older." Renee said simply. Then she changed the subject. "Are you guys sure that you aren't hungry? You hardly ate any of your dinner last night."

"Special diet, Mom," Bella said as Renee un-wrapped her sandwich and took a bite. "…probably due to the gamma rays." She added raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I can't even imagine how complicated it has been for Carlisle to figure out how to deal with all of these crazy side effects. I'm just glad that he has been here to take such good care of you AGAIN baby!" Renee gushed before she took another bite and chewed.

"You're right Mom, I am very lucky to have Carlisle for a Father-in-Law!" Bella agreed whole heartedly. Just then my cell phone beeped and I had a message from Rosalie.

_Just got back from school. Nessie and I are both dying to tell you all about it. I'm bringing her home. Hope you've wrapped up your conversation with Renee._

_PS Of course Jacob is coming with us._

"Oh, it looks like school is out and Nessie should be through the door in just a few minutes. She is very excited." I said to relay the message.

Bella actually started jumping up and down at the news. A habit she must have picked up from Alice.

***

**Rosalie's POV**

I didn't know who was more nervous walking into Forks Elementary School this morning, me or Nessie. We were both going to be in Mrs. Ramon's class. I had met with her yesterday morning and received my assignment from her for today. I would be teaching Science, Social Studies and reading a book to the class in the library. When Nessie and I entered the classroom, there was an audible gasp from the students who were getting ready for class to start. At first, I was worried we had done something out of place, but then I noticed the expressions on the little faces around me. It was the same expression I received every time I walked into any classroom for the first time--'The grand entrance'. I looked down at my sweet little niece to see her eyes get huge in reaction to the stares of her fellow classmates.

"Smile Nessie, they're going to love you!" I said to her under my breath. "In fact, at least half of them already do." We both put on winning smiles as we made our way to Mrs. Ramon's desk at the front of the room. Mrs. Ramon was a pretty woman in her late twenties. With dark brown hair that was swept back in a ponytail.

"Great Miss Hale is here and so is our new student Renee-s-m-ee. Well, how do you say it dear?" Miss Ramon asked as she smiled warmly at Nessie.

"Ren-es-may, but everyone calls me Nessie." She replied with an instant liking for her new instructor. I noticed how Mrs. Ramon's posture was as open and inviting as her smile was. Her eye contact was focused and interested. I realized I could learn a lot from watching her as she interacted with the students.

"Right out of legends! Well, Nessie it will be then." Mrs. Ramon said as she stood up and ushered Nessie to a free desk in the middle of the classroom. "We are so glad to have you join us. This will be somewhat different from being home schooled and we want you to have a great experience with us so please let me know if you need any help adjusting, alright?"

"Okay," Nessie said happily.

"We'll have you sit here." She said as she helped Nessie put her supplies away. I noticed that half of Nessie's classmates—the girls, were all eyeing her in curiosity. The other half of the class—the boys, were eyeing me in great appreciation. Great! Clearly they liked older women. I had hoped fourth grade came before puberty started making an appearance.

Class started and introductions were made. Nessie aced her spelling test and made friends with the two girls that sat on either side of her. Their names were Sarah and Nicole. Mrs. Ramon had me grade papers for her while she led the children through English and Math and then I was up for Science.

Today our lesson was on 'Changes in Matter and Energy' and I went through the common properties with the class. When I asked the kids, "What is the biggest source of energy used on the Earth?" I got a bunch of blank stares. Honestly, there were nine boys in the room whose gaze in my direction was more of a day dream than that of incomprehension. I had mentioned the answer at least twice in the last fifteen minutes.

Finally Nessie tentatively raised her hand. "The sun," She said confidently when I'd called on her. Unfortunately she continued, "And most energy is converted from light, heat, motion, chemical or electrical sources." All of which were correct but not material we had covered yet.

"True and we will be talking about those in more detail in the next few weeks." I said smoothly before continuing on with my lecture of why the Sun was the primary source of energy for the earth. I wasn't very happy with my own self-evaluation for my very first class presentation. No one—with the exception of Renesmee, really had a good grasp of the material I'd introduced, when I was finished.

During lunch, I sat with the staff in the far right corner of the cafeteria where I could meet and talk with some of the other teachers and keep an eye and an ear on Nessie, as she sat with Sarah and Nicole, and three boys from their class. Their names were Nathan, David and Luke. They asked Nessie all kinds of questions, from how long she had lived in Forks, which she truthfully answered--two years, to how weird was it to be home schooled by your parents. I was proud of her for sticking to our rehearsed answer of being adopted by her aunt and uncle; her real parents, being killed in an automobile accident. She was holding her own with this smaller group pretty good and I was starting to relax and answer a few questions directed to me from other staff members myself.

Then just before the bell rang for recess, Nessie told her friends about going to the Amazon and her Uncle Emmett bringing home all the animals and making her a zoo. It was clear to see that the boys were enchanted with the prospects as she described the jaguars and anacondas. The girls had doubtful looks on their faces. Nessie then announced we were celebrating her and her adopted mom's birthdays Saturday by opening the zoo and she invited them to come.

'_Oh great, now I'll need to give them invitations.' _ I'd thought. Then I realized, _'why not just invite the whole class?'_

So I'd left Nessie to her own defenses for recess and mentioned the party and zoo to Mrs. Ramon, who loved the idea and decided to work in some extra credit for class members who attended and gave an oral report on the things they'd learned about the different animals they saw while attending. I went to the Xerox machine and made flyers to pass out to the students at the end of the day.

When Nessie returned with her class after recess was over, she had four more girls with her, their names: June, Wendy, Tina and Lori. They were trailed by seven more boys from the classroom who appeared to be jockeying for the position directly behind my oblivious niece. Their names were Danny, Stephen, Andrew, John, James, Wayne and Bryan. In fact, Nessie seemed to have made friends with the entire class except for one big burly girl named Victoria. Maybe there was something in a name. This girl had long fire red hair and an air about her that screamed 'snobbish-bully'.

After we got everyone settled, they had thirty minutes for health class and then it was time for Library. So I marched my group towards the book depository in the center of the building, where hopefully the boys would check-out something other than me—or my niece!

When everyone had their newly acquired reading materials, they all gathered around me for story time. I picked up the book that was laid out for me to read and actually laughed out loud as I read the title to the class. "Eating Ice Cream with a Werewolf, written by Phyllis Green." The title was made all the funnier to me as I remembered just yesterday, Renesmee sitting in the kitchen sharing a large bowl of rocky road ice cream with Jacob Black. The story was a delightful tale of a baby sitter who'd brought along a book of spells that she used to practice on the kids she watched. I wondered idly where I could get one of those spell books. It might be fun to turn a werewolf into ice cream. Hmmm, just an errant thought—Nessie would not like that very much; Jacob wasn't really all that sweet either.

As I read the story, it was fun to have the entire class sitting spell-bound at my feet. Even Nessie enjoyed it. Of course on the way home from school, she'd analyzed it's plot for me, with how the 'moral of the story' was a practical life lesson even though most people didn't have spell books or become werewolves.

After 'Library', we returned to the classroom and had social studies. This would be my second class presentation and today we would be discussing 'The Great Depression'. How depressing—I should know. I'd lived through it. Even if my circumstances were better than most, it was still all around me.

Funny thing was that I really had the kids' attention. I told them about how hard it was and how most children went to school hungry and left from school even hungrier. I told them about how kids had to literally walk a mile or more just to make it to school and they usually only had one pair of shoes, if that. Of course, I got everything from my own memories; fuzzy though they were. It was kind of weird, but yesterday when I was reading about the depression, those faded memories just popped in my head. As I spoke with the class, I mentioned how men used to wear their empty pants pockets out as 'Hoover Flags' in honor of our President Herbert Hoover, whom they blamed for their empty pockets. I told them about 'Hoover Blankets' that were spread newspaper people used to try and keep warm and 'Hoover Wagons' that were broken automobiles pulled by mules. They loved the analogy of the Disney film 'The Three Little Pigs' that came out at the time, where the wolf was the depression and the three pigs were average citizens who were successful when they worked together. Whenever I paused, a hand went up with a question and I had a memory to pull from for every question they asked. Before I knew it the five minute bell was ringing for school to let out.

There was an audible moan from the class as they reluctantly closed their Social Studies books and got their back packs ready to go home. I gave Nessie a wink as I passed out the flyers for her celebration Saturday. She was practically jumping up and down in her seat.

We were both very satisfied with our experience at school and eager to share it with the family. Mrs. Ramon told me I had a knack for getting into my topic and that my descriptions of 'The Great Depression' were so vivid, it felt as though I had actually lived through it. If she only knew!

When we'd made it to the cottage, Edward, Bella and Renee were anxious to hear all about our experience. Nessie, of course, mostly recanted her tales of making friends. I was surprised to hear of an altercation on the playground with Victoria I had missed. So I heard for the first time, how Renesmee had stopped her from pushing their classmate, Rachel from the top of the monkey bars and Victoria had pushed Nessie off instead. As she fell she grabbed hold of Victoria to keep her away from Rachel, and brought her down with her.

"Don't worry Mom," She chided Bella when her look of mortification made Nessie roll her eyes. "I was fine. It wasn't that far, and I hit the bar going down not Victoria. So when the playground teacher came over and asked if we were alright, I said I was fine and Victoria wasn't about to admit anything if I didn't." She snickered. "You should have seen Victoria run off. I just told her to leave my friend alone. She must do that a lot because after that everyone wanted to be my friend. It was great!"

"Her name would be Victoria," Dad muttered under his breath.

"Oh, and you should see her head full of flaming red hair too," I added sardonically.

"Are you sure you're alright Nessie?" Renee asked. "You hit a bar going down. Perhaps your grandfather should check you out."

"Yeah, I'll check in with him later." Nessie said dismissing her concerns easily. "I'm tougher than that Grandma Renee!" Then she changed gears.

"Oh, and Jake, you have got to read this story Aunt Rose read to us about a werewolf. It was so awesome! And Aunt Rose can even tell real stories better than pretend ones. You guys should have heard her tell about 'The Great Depression'. It was so interesting! Everyone at recess was talking about how pretty she was, and she invited our whole class to come Saturday to my zoo's grand opening! Is that exciting or what!"

That was about when the phone started ringing, as parents from class called to ask if they could come with the whole family, or if only the children in Nessie's class were invited. It looked like we might need to buy more human food for the event. I sure hope Emmett will be ready. Saturday was getting bigger by the minute!

***


	53. Chapter 48

[A/N: I have on my profile page several links for this chapter. The first one is to my photo sight where you can click on a picture and it will pop up for you. I have one for all of the Amazon habitats mentioned here, as well as a picture of what I envisioned the 'dome' to look like. I also have links to several YouTube videos of animals from the Amazon Rainforest. Most of them are really cool and short. My personal favorites are the ones for the 'Howler Monkey', the 'Harpy Eagle', ALL of the fight videos, the 'Posion Dart Frogs, and the 'Vampire Bat' videos.] **Chapter Forty Eight  
The Amazon Zoo **

**Emmett's POV**

Today was finally here! And what a day it would be; the grand opening of my _Renesmee Cullen Amazon Zoo_ was about to commence. There had been a lot of work to do to prepare for a zoo opening. Much more than I'd ever imagined. Good thing Nahuel had come back with us! He not only knew the names of each specimen but also which animals would 'play nice' together and which ones would eat each other. Of course, he'd been slightly upset at some of my selections. For one thing, he was a little miffed, I had in my possession a newly discovered monkey.

"Emmett, do you even realize what you have here?" He asked incredulously as he helped me catalog all my newly acquired creatures a few days ago.

"Yes, I have a really cute little fellow here." I said as I gave the monkey a piece of an orange. I wasn't sure what Nahuel's problem was. "You're a monkey aren't you little fellow?" I said directing my attentions towards the primate who thankfully had become acclimatized to my presence through Nessie's gift. She had told all of the animals that I was their friend. So far it was working pretty well.

"This monkey was only recently discovered. It's so new it doesn't even have a name yet." Nahuel said incredulously.

"Sure it has a name," I countered defensively. Nahuel who had been very helpful just moments ago suddenly seemed a bit too much the 'Lord of the Jungle' for my liking. "His name is Miguel. I named him personally the day he joined my entourage."

Nahuel shook his head. "I'm sorry but this little fellow—along with a few other creatures have to be returned to the Amazon when Leah and I go back."

'_Sheesh, who died and left him in charge?_' I had thought in frustration. Then I remembered that as the Jaguar King, maybe he actually was in charge. In the end, he'd made me promise to return not just my friend Miguel, who'd turned out to be a new sub species of Saddle-back Tamarin monkeys, but also ALL of my black jaguars. That would take my jaguar collection from ten to five. Apparently jaguars were near-threatened but black jaguars were even more so, as both parents had to be black to produce the same color pigmentation in their off-spring. Nahuel was not just taking though. No, he was also giving--giving me an earful ,that was.

"Now Emmett," He'd began at one point that day. "What do anteaters eat?" He said as he'd rested his hand on one of my four specimens in question. I had rolled my eyes as I wondered if he took me for a dummy.

"Well Nahuel, my guess would be ants." I'd answered dryly.

"True. and where are your ants to feed them with?" He countered as he looked around as if to drive home the point.

"Wait, can't I just give them some Kitten Chow?" I'd asked with growing alarm. All of the animals had been eating cat food since I had snagged them. At least I'd thought they had. And where was I supposed to find me a supply of ants? Should I leave a trail of food going to the anteater display?

Nahuel sighed and closed his eyes. He started making a snorting sort of grunting sound. That had been unexpected. I was surprised when the anteater his hand rested on returned the noise. I had forgotten that Nahuel had a gift that exceeded Nessie's where animals were concerned. Sure she could broadcast to them but Nahuel could actually converse with them in a two-way conversation. I began to see some real possibilities and made plans to further his employment in my cause. He was a regular Tarzan.

"He says he tried your pellets with his fellows and they all got sick. They would be happy with some fresh fruit if you have any." Nahuel said while rubbing the side of the anteater. "He also says that you can call him Kebie."

"Oh, I can do that." I said getting excited as I ran to the house, bringing the entire fruit crisper from the fridge and returning to my zoo in a matter of twenty two seconds. "Here you go Kebie, those wolves won't even miss this stuff. They scarf everything down so fast that they hardly even notice what they're ingesting. In fact, I could give them your kibble and they wouldn't even notice it."

"I heard that!" Embry said from where he was working with Seth to fit a plate of glass, six inches thick, into place for my massive aquarium.

"Well," I'd said, thinking fast. "I meant actual wolves--not you guys, naturally."

"Uh huh, real wolves get into your refrigerator?" He'd asked while shaking his head and laughing.

In the end, Nahuel had been delighted to tell me little tidbits about my 'zoo residents' and get their thoughts about their new home. The Capybaras were pleased that they could go into their watering hole without having to worry about predators. The Anacondas and Black Caiman were both disgruntled that there were no Capybaras in their water. Nahuel did make me take the Jaguars out every three days for runs on our thirty acre spread I'd designated for them. It was extremely useful having Nahuel handy to explain the parameters for their 'cage-free' time to them and have them return when he 'called' them back. I wondered if I would be able to learn that call for when he was gone. Sure I could—heck—we were all friend now, right? He also had me find a supply of small animals for my carnivorous residents to feed on. It looked like I'd need to find a supplier of fruit as well.

The next day, to my good fortune, Felix came. It couldn't have gone better if I had actually planned it. What started out as a nightmare turned into manna from heaven for me. I'd needed to keep an eye on him and I'd also needed LOTS of help finishing the new habitats for my many 'guests'. Not only did I get the help of the big man Felix--although I must point out that despite his size, he still had nothing on my own strength, but I'd also received the help of BOTH wolf packs who'd wanted to keep an eye on our Italian visitors as well, without seeming obtrusive. I had more than enough hands to complete my work by today's deadline. I had taken the lemons thrown my way by life and made some incredible lemonade--and I didn't even drink lemonade! Could I cook or what? That was, if you cooked lemonade. It sounded right. How else would you get a lemon mushy enough to swallow?

Now if that wasn't enough. Yesterday, I was met by the county animal control inspector, whose daughter had brought home a flyer from school inviting her to the grand opening of our zoo. He'd brought along the county health inspector, unannounced, to inspect the facilities. Good thing all of those officials I had bribed at customs had given me documents for the animals. Three hours and fifteen minutes later, I had things completed to their satisfaction. Oh yeah, there were so many calls coming in from parents wanting to know if they could bring the entire family instead of just Nessie's classmates, we'd ended up calling the principals of all the schools and inviting everyone. Rose just loved that! She started working with Nahuel on a special tour for the kids so they could get an in-depth Amazonian experience with the animals. I was not exactly sure why she didn't just ask me, but I was pretty busy meeting with the town officials.

Rosalie was in the kitchen with Esme making a mega batch of cupcakes and cookies. Every now and then they would ask Sue and Leah who were at the table with Alice and her 'binders' about such things as 'lining' the cupcake pan and which cookies were best crunchy or chewy. Finally Sue got up and donned an apron herself and gave them a first-hand lesson in cookie making—much to Nessie's delight.

I couldn't believe my good fortune when Nahuel said it would be alright to 'wrestle' often with the Jaguars, Crocodiles and Anacondas, as long as they weren't hurt, to give them exercise in a confined space. Now there was something I could really get into! Jasper could sense when they were in distress so we'd known when to stop. We'd even planned to do some wrestling with the water predators during the grand opening. People wrestled those guys all the time so it wouldn't be too conspicuous. The Jaguars--well, maybe not when 'humans' were watching.

Our three hundred plus neighbors from LaPush began our festivities with their arrival en mass at ten AM on the dot. They were 'wowed' as Sam and Jacob both took turns going in the tank and each wrestling with one of my five anacondas. Paul, Jared, Seth, Brady and Quil all enjoyed matching their muscles against my five resident Black Caiman crocodiles. Little Claire started crying when Quil took his turn in the tank. Emily had to hold her to calm her down and show her that Quil was only play wrestling with the scary looking lizard. Nahuel and Leah walked through the exhibits with Sue and Charlie. They were soon joined by Sam, who was dripping wet and Emily. It wasn't long at all before almost everyone was following Nahuel around and it wasn't hard to see why. Nahuel was 'working' the crowd. He was sharing with them all of his knowledge about the animals from each exhibit. He came across as a naturalist, zoologist and Dr. Doolittle--an expert in his field. When he 'called' to a specific animal, it came to him and when it was safe to do so, he would often allow a child in the throng to hold the animal as he talked about it. Leah was eating up all the attention and respect her friends and family were lavishing on her intended. Even Sam seemed amazed by Nahuel's confident, yet easy going manner. Well, I guessed to be completely honest, I was pretty impressed myself. Good thing my vampire memory bank had cataloged and stored everything he'd said. I was determined to lead a 'tour' group through myself by the end of the day, and do so at least as well as Nahuel—Mr. 'Lord of the Jungle' himself.

After the Quileutes had finished their tour, they had lunch on the patio featuring hamburgers and hot dogs. I had put out a bowl of kibble as a joke for Embry but someone must have removed it. Sometimes a guy can't have any fun. Even with Alice and Leah helping her, Esme had employed seven extra hands to help prepare the fixings for such a crowd. The citizens of Forks had begun arriving an hour before Nessie's party. About half the new arrivals headed straight for the zoo while the other half went for the lunch first. The food supplies never seemed to deplete despite there being over eight hundred people in attendance. My little psychic squirt of a sister definitely did have her uses. Too bad she hadn't used them to look ahead to the rest of the afternoon.

Carlisle had been on hand with a first aid station. With as many human guests as were present amongst all the vampires, he'd felt it would be advantageous to take care of any bleeding immediately. Up to that point, his services had not been needed and he and Jasper had each taken a tour group through. I guess that I wasn't the only one making mental notes from Nahuel's dissertation. There were new groups going through every thirty minutes and somehow there was a member of my family, or a shape shifter ready to lead them. I guess over the last few days they had each become quite familiar with the animals as well. Demetri had Mia out in a wheelchair with a blanket and after she had eaten a hotdog, with a covered cup of blood clutched in hand, she was wheeled down to the zoo where a group was preparing to go through with Felix, of all people, volunteering to lead the tour. Well, he had earned the spot.

Nessie's 'birthday celebration' with her classmates (of two days), began at 2 pm. The party started out on the backyard patio with cupcakes and ice cream. Nessie was given even more presents. She seemed to get along pretty well with all of the kids. Rose was divine. Her face was alight with excitement as she interacted with the children. I guessed Nessie's teacher was there too, as well as Bella, Edward, Renee, Charlie, Sue and I. After the 'party' was finished, Nahuel arrived with a friendly squirrel monkey resting on his shoulder to help Rosalie and Mrs. Ramon escort the children through the zoo. Maybe I should've also gotten an animal to wrap around me. The children seemed to find it endearing. And I was all for making a favorable impression on Rosalie's kids!

Jacob must have taken a shower after his 'anaconda wrestling match'. Nessie was delighted to show him off as 'her cousin', to her friends. They seemed to buy it though she looked absolutely nothing like Jacob. She was stunning and delicately crafted while Jacob was--well, what could I say? Jacob was a dog. The girls all gaped after him open mouthed. I guessed that dogs could look adorable with puppy eyes. The boys seemed a little disconcerted by the attention this 'older man' paid to the birthday girl. Half of the boys quickly shifted the focus of their attention from my sweet little niece, to that of my hot little wife! They had better get over themselves. I wasn't going to share my Rose with a bunch of adolescent boys. After I'd thought about it for a minute, I had to admit to myself that I was actually in a way, sharing her with a bunch of adolescents (boys included). I couldn't blame them though, like them and so many other males before them, I was completely stunned and enchanted by the magic my Rosalie spun and I was caught in her web along with all the rest. I was just the lucky one she chose.

Before we left the 'party' area, Mrs. Ramon introduced Nahuel to the children. They had already gathered around him to get a better look at his 'little friend'.

"Boys and girls, today we are very lucky to have a real native from the Amazon Rainforest with us to take us on our tour of the zoo. His name is Nahuel Clearwater and he is from the Mapuche tribe in central Chile, a country in South America. He has spent his life researching the animals and peoples of the Amazon Rainforest. I was amazed she so easily deferred to Nahuel, who looked to be no older than twenty, as an authority on the jungles of America. The children were equally impressed. And why wouldn't they be? The monkey had already won them over completely.

"Good afternoon children. Today we are going to go on an exciting journey into the jungle to see the animals of the Amazon. The real Amazon Rainforest has one of the world's most complex ecosystems. The trees grow so tall and full that their leaves branch out to weave into what is known as a 'canopy'. This canopy is so thick that only about 20% of the sun's light makes it through to the floor." Nahuel said calmly in his melodic and accented English. His tone seemed to hypnotize his listeners and the children sat at his feet spell bound. Maybe he was using his gift of 'whispering' on them.

"What kinds of animals do you think might live in this canopy, high up in the trees of the jungle?" He asked them as five hands went up instantly. He was really good with kids and Leah wandered over to join us, as the lunch crowd was finally dying down. Nahuel called on a boy but asked for his name before he allowed him to answer. This boy's name was David. I had noticed him as one of the ones who seemed to take a liking to my wife. Now I had a name to put with the face.

"Alright David, what is an animal that might live in the canopy of the Amazon Rainforest?" Nahuel prompted him easily bringing the class for the answer.

"Birds!" David promptly replied very pleased with himself.

"That is very good David." Nahuel said approvingly. "Birds indeed. Did you know that one in every five of the birds of the world live inside of the Amazon Rainforest?"

"That's a lot of birds," David piped up.

"That is a lot of birds David." Nahuel agreed easily. "That is one-fifth of all the birds in the world. Some think it is as high as one-third. There are over 845 known species of birds within its borders. We'll be seeing a few of them today. Who else can tell me an animal that would live in the canopy of the rainforest?" A second boy raised his hand and Nahuel was quick to find out his name was Stephen.

"I think that Jaguars live in the canopy the trees provide." He said confidently. "They can climb trees." He added defensively when some classmates laughed at him. "I saw it on TV."

Nahuel smiled indulgently at Stephen. "True they do climb up in the trees sometimes to rest and sometimes to hunt. What might be up in the canopy that they might want to hunt?" He prompted. This time it was a cute girl with dark hair that raised her hand. Her name was Nicole.

"Monkeys!" She said with a giggle. The monkey wrapped around Nahuel had started playing with his ear. The entire class laughed in delight.

"That's right Monkeys and Sloths too. There are many animals, frogs and insects that live inside the tree canopy of the Amazon Rain Forest. This particular monkey is a spider monkey. They live in communities of about 20 monkeys and stay near large sources of water. They eat insects, flowers, fruit and fruit nectar. They also have many vocal calls that help them make warning sounds to protect themselves from raptors. They are active both night and day. We'll visit his habitat first and watch how fast he climbs up to the top of the trees in his new home." Nahuel stood up and motioned for the class to join him. "Come children." He said with a grin. He was instantly followed. _'Just like the pied piper.'_ I'd thought dryly as I brought up the rear. Maybe I would snag one of those monkeys to get some attention.

We approached the mammoth domed structure of my zoo and I beamed with pleasure when the children all 'ooh'd and ahhh'd' appreciatively. Nahuel led us directly to the Monkey display where I had an assortment of twenty different varieties of primates. The children were enthralled as Nahuel let out a whistle to the little guy on his shoulder and he took off and darted up the nearest tree and in a matter of minutes was dangling by his tail from the highest tree limb. With a few more 'monkey calls' he had a handful of furry friends huddled around and Rose passed out fruit to the children to entice the monkeys, who caught on immediately. Needless to say, everyone made fast friends and the class was sad when Nahuel said it was time to move on to the bird display. I hung back after everyone had left to collect a rather cute howler monkey to carry around for eye candy for the rest of our tour. I was fairly sure that he would help me get some attention before too long.

When the children had all entered the next display, the Aviary, I held back to explain my plan to the monkey.

"Okay, now, this is what I need you to do. Whenever everyone starts paying too much attention to Mr. Tarzan over there, just start hooting and calling attention our way so it gets spread around a little bit alright?"

I listened from there as Nahuel first called one of my three Toucans over to perch on his arm. The call itself made everyone laugh delightedly. It sounded like a loud toad's croak.

"There are over 40 different varieties of Toucans inside of the Amazon and their call can be heard for over a half a mile." To back him up the bird croaked loudly and the children covered their ears and nodded their heads in agreement with Nahuel's assessment. He then stroked the bird behind his head and the toucan moved appreciatively. "Their bodies are short and their tails are so long that its 50% of their entire body length. These guys mostly eat fruit and insects but sometimes they plunder other birds' nests and eat their eggs."

One of the little girls raised her hand and Nahuel found out that her name was Jess. She asked, "So do they really eat fruit loops?"

"No, but they do eat fruit and so the advertisers of the cereal put the toucan on the cover to show that their cereal tastes like fruit," He explained with an amused expression.

The class said, "Ahhh," collectively as though a light bulb had just gone off in their heads. He was getting entirely too much attention. It was time for me to take charge. This was my zoo after all, my wife and niece's class and my show. But then I stopped myself, was I getting jealous of Nahuel for getting attention? That couldn't be right. I paused in the hallway, to consider that, while Nahuel called loudly to another bird. The toucan left while three brilliantly colored Macaw parrots flew to him. He had one resting on each shoulder and one on his left arm. I thought that if he had an eye patch and a poet's shirt on he'd look about perfect for a pirate.

"The Macaw Parrots are one of the largest birds in the Amazon region." I heard him continue from the Aviary. "Most of them are from 35 to 50 inches long. Like the toucan, they like to eat fruit, nuts, plants and insects; like snails. They also like to gather on cliff faces where they feed on the minerals in the rocks. They do this because the minerals help them process the toxins from the seeds that they eat."

"Now there are many kinds of parrots that live in the Amazon Rainforest and some are even referred to as Amazon Parrots. They can live anywhere from 35-75 years in the wild. But most of them are threatened like so many animals in the rainforest as their habitat is destroyed by deforestation."

"Can they talk?" A boy named Andrew asked after Nahuel had called on him.

Nahuel looked at the bird for a few minutes and then said very clearly to the beautiful Macaw, "Can you talk?"

The bird cocked his head to the side. Nahuel repeated the question again and then the bird opened its mouth. Its black tongue darted out and a sound issued forth tentatively. Then the bird very clearly turned to the class and said, "Can you talk?" The children clapped their hands. The bird repeated his newly learned line. "Can you talk?" "Can you talk?" "Can you talk?"

The class was ecstatic. I was wondering if it could learn, _'Can you shut up?'_ No, that wasn't right. I was smiling too. The class was eating it up. And the smile on my Rose's face was worth taking a back seat to Mr. 'Lord of the Jungle' Nahuel.

Finally, he waved his arms and the three birds took off to perch, once again, high in the tree tops. "Now there is another bird here, I want to call your attention to. It is a bird of prey—a raptor. Does anyone know what that means?" Nahuel asked as he scanned the group.

A girl named Kara raised her hand and her answer was almost more of a question. "Ummm, are they dinosaurs?"

"Good guess Kara. They do call a lot of dinosaurs' raptors. They would be the carnivorous ones; the ones that hunt for meat. The same way birds of prey do. There are many kinds of birds of prey in the world, the bald eagle, the hawks, the falcons--to name a few. Today I would like to show you the Harpy Eagle. You can barely make him out up there in that one tree." Nahuel said as he pointed to a particular spot. Several class members whispered excitedly as they spotted the partially concealed bird.

"This is truly a magnificent bird. It is an adult and it stands just over three feet, but in a minute we'll watch it hunt and you can see that it's wing span is over six feet across. That is as tall as I am. Now, when this predator hunts, its powerful yellow talons enable it to lock onto its victim. They have no chance for escape. Their claws are five inches long. The Harpy Eagle is the largest and most powerful eagle found in the Americas. When it finds its prey it can fly faster than 50 mph and strike a crushing blow."

"Another interesting point to note is that artists used the Harpy Eagle as the model for the Phoenix 'Fawkes', and the hippogriff 'Buckbeak' in the 'Harry Potter' Movies." The kids nodded excitedly at that piece of information.

"Now we are going to have a demonstration of how a bird of prey gets his dinner." Jasper came in through the side door that led to our 'live food' cages. In his hand was a medium sized bunny. I loved to watch this on TV and had not seen my eagle do it yet at all. So I quickly entered the room to get a better look.

"Ahhh, look at the cute little bunny," The girls of the class all said adoringly to each other.

Jasper brought the rabbit to Nahuel and moved to the side. "Don't get attached to the rabbit, class." Nahuel warned them. "He isn't going to be around that long. He is dinner. Think of the movie 'The Lion King' and the 'Circle of Life' if it helps you." A few of the girls actually had tears in their eyes. Nahuel assessed their response. Most of the class bravely looked on. A few of the boys actually were rubbing their hands together in anticipation. "Okay," Nahuel said comfortingly. If you think this will be too difficult for you to watch, you can turn around and not watch." Five girls in the class turned and faced me. I grinned at them and displayed my howler monkey on my shoulder to make them laugh. Well, at least they smiled a little.

Nahuel held up the rabbit and the eagle was instantly alert. You could tell because its feathers around his face stood up. Nahuel then put the bunny on the ground and it sniffed the air and hesitantly started hopping away. The massive bird spread its wings and flew a large circle. It was incredible. I had not seen it like this when Nessie called it weeks ago. Now it was in its natural splendor. Then it made its dive. It was fast and it was sure. Its projection made it look as though it were heading straight toward us. But the rabbit was close. Some of the kids muffled screams as the bird came rapidly towards them with a malicious screech. I was fascinated and wondered if I looked as magnificent when I hunted. Suddenly, the bird blew right by my head. The howler monkey, perched on my shoulder screamed in terror as the yellow talons grabbed hold of his neck and tore him from my shoulder. The poor monkey tried to hold on but his nails just slipped off my stone neck. Well, I guessed that was the breaks.

Then I noticed that the kids who had the best view of the Harpy Eagles attack, were the girls who had turned away unable to bear seeing a bunny killed. Now instead, they had seen a monkey, possibly one they had just made friends with, killed before their very eyes. "Remember, circle of life--Lion King?" I said weakly as the girls wailed and the tears started. It was a strange mixture as six boys high fived each other and said how awesome it was.

"Uncle Emmett, why do you think we went to the monkey habitat first?" Nessie asked as I stared at the lifeless primate as it dangled from the grip of the now perched 'monkey-killer' monster Harpy Eagle. It began devouring its meal viciously. There were 'ewww's' and 'gross' muttered from the youngsters. "We went to the monkey's home first to put away the monkey before we came here." Nessie went on in resignation.

"Oh, I get it now. Sorry Nessie." I said repentant. "It's okay Uncle Emmett. I still love you." She gave me a small little smile. Well at least there was one less monkey to feed now.

Rosalie looked at me with a mixture of mortification and anger. "Rose, now you know that wasn't my fault." I looked to Jasper in a panic. "Jasper please help me out here." I pled as I felt a wave of calm hit the class. The girls started drying their eyes. One thing was for sure; I owed Jasper big. Good thing the humans in the room didn't know about Jasper's subtle gift.

Well, my Amazon Zoo was well on its way to being a total success. Nessie's class tour was off to a great start. We were through two of the nine habitats with only one small mishap. And Nessie's class could thank me for making their tour more authentic. Those raptors ate monkeys all the time in the wild. After all, how many bunnies are there in the Amazon Rainforest?

***

Well, so far so good. The kids seemed to have gotten over the traumatic experience of seeing 'survival of the fittest' played out in living color in front of them. This had been largely due to Jasper's calming influence that was, courtesy of Samon, able to stay with them even after he had left the room. Nahuel then sat the kids down and had a frank discussion with them about the law of the jungle. You know eat or be eaten. He must have been 'whispering' every one of them. When he felt they had sufficiently recovered, he moved our group, consisting of Nessie and her 24 classmates, Rosalie, Mrs. Ramon, Renee, Charlie, Sue, Leah, Jacob, Bella, Edward and me through to the next exhibit: The Mammal Habitat. Hopefully the kids would make it through this one unscathed.

Nahuel explained to the group about some of the mammals in my zoo and I was very happy to see that he allowed the class to interact with these animals. Rose was beaming from ear to ear and the children snapped pictures of each other as they snuggled up next to the anteaters, capybaras and tapirs. Nahuel even called to the three-toed sloths that slowly climbed down from their trees and joined in the love.

'_Why did it seem to me like some animals were missing? I was sure there had been three baby capybaras and two infant tapirs here. Did Nahuel move them? I couldn't see why. The kids would have loved them.'_ I'd thought disappointedly.

While the class enjoyed the animals, Nahuel explained to them facts about their new friends. For example, the capybaras were the largest rodents in the world; reaching 4 feet long and weighing up to 100 lbs. He showed them that the Giant Anteaters were toothless. I guessed that explained their choice in diet. Not much to crunch on with ants. Their tongues could stick out two feet. I'd have to remember not to take them outside during an ice storm. I'd hate to have to have to unstick that from a block of ice. Then on to the tapirs, Nahuel explained to the kids that they were the largest wild animal in South America; getting up to 8 feet long, 4 feet high, and weighing up to 600 lbs. They were also fast swimmers and runners. What Nahuel didn't tell the group was that of all the mammals of the exhibit, these had the best tasting blood of the lot. Of course that would have put them on 'too much information' alert.

Then he pointed out my collard peccaries and explained that while they were mammals, they were aggressive and for safety reasons, currently chained on a leash. I knew for a fact he had really just 'told' them to stay away from the group before we started the tour. I fought against my irritation that Nahuel knew so much about MY zoo. I was learning a lot with every question the children asked. Nahuel knew everything. He probably even knew more about the Amazon then Edward did. Edward didn't look at me he just shook his head and pulled Bella who was standing in front of him into an embrace as they watched Nessie play happily with her classmates and animals. Renee was feverishly snapping picture after picture. Well, I probably knew more about bears than Nahuel did. I mean, if he didn't cheat by talking with the bear, anyway.

Apparently, according to Nahuel, the peccaries were also known as javelinas in Spanish because their short straight tusks are like javelins used as spears.

"The Collared Peccary is one of the most widespread of Amazon mammals." Nahuel explained as the class looked over to the wild hogs. "They live in large herds of up to 50 individuals, foraging for a variety of food including fruits, seeds, leaves and small animals."

Hmmm, small animals? They will eat small animals? Well, I guessed I knew what happened to my baby mammals. '_Circle of life_,' I'd thought with a moan. Those stupid peccaries might be finding themselves returning home with Nahuel.

After we left the mammal display, we headed down to the first lower level. Felix and I had hewn this out with our bare hands the night of his arrival from Italy. Hey, I had to keep an eye on him. The kids seemed to like the atmosphere the hewn rocks gave the 'basement' level. It did make it seem more natural. Kind of like the cave going into Akahim.

First stop down here: The Amphibian Habitat. I was pretty sure that there were no killers in the frog display. Unless you count the poison dart frogs, of which I had nine. Still they were under glass with a heat lamp.

I walked up to Edward just to be safe and thought at him, _'Hey Bro, could you keep an ear out for any stray thoughts anyone may have about freeing those poisonous frogs over there?'_ He nodded once after his eyes got the size of saucers for a moment. It was really too bad that he couldn't have used his gift to figure out the target of the Harpy Eagle, but he didn't read animal minds. That was only Nahuel's territory; Nahuel who was getting ready to 'wow' the kids once again.

"We're moving into the habitat for the amphibians or frogs of the rainforest." Nahuel said as he led the children straight to the display I was worried about. "These are the poisonous ones here. You'll notice most of them are small enough to fit on a penny and they are very colorful. Their color is a warning to other animals that if they try to eat them, it will probably kill them."

"Those are cool!" A boy named Wayne said to another boy named John.

"I would love to have one of those to put in my sister's hair." John answered back. I looked at Edward in alarm. Getting a monkey killed was one thing. Getting some kid in trouble for killing his sister was another matter entirely. Edward shook his head at me and grinned. Apparently, it was an idle threat. That kid must have an annoying little sister. I couldn't imagine what that must be like. My little sisters were so much fun to mess with. And there's one right there. Huh, I haven't embarrassed Bella all day, and both of her parents are here. I'll have to think of something.

"The poison dart frogs are one of the most toxic animals on the planet." Nahuel went on ignoring the boy's outburst and threat. You know, if I had said something like that about one of my sisters, I would have been called on the floor for it—especially if it had been about Bella when she was still human.

Perhaps I should step in and admonish John, "You'd never want to put that in your sister's hair. She'd probably croak." Well, at least the class thought it was funny. _'I've still got it. Ahhh life is good.'_ I'd thought gleefully to myself.

"Now these frogs eat insects, like ants, termites and tiny beetles. The poison collects in the frogs from the insects they eat that have in turn ingested poisonous plants. They have special glands on their back that hold the poison and it coats their skin. So if one was to bite you, you would be okay, but if you were to bite them, you would not be so okay. Poison dart frogs are bold, aggressive and fearless." Nahuel said as everyone crowded around the little display.

"They're kind of like you Bella." I said over to my little sister. She rolled her eyes at me. Okay, that one was weak. I'd have to step up my game a bit.

"Over here we have some red-eyed tree frogs," Nahuel said as the children moved to follow him. There were assorted 'ohhh's and ahhhh's' as the students moved to the next display. I stayed by the poisonous dart frogs just in case John tried to make good on his 'sister' threat. Although, I was not sure how likely it was his sister would bite a tiny frog. Maybe if he double-dog dared her.

"These little fellows are bigger than the last frogs. They're about the size of a tea cup. And they are named after their beady red eyes. Although they are not poisonous, some scientists believe that their eyes are red to scare predators into believing they might be."

Very quietly under my breath I quickly muttered to Bella, "You kind of remind me of these tree frogs. You used to have red beady eyes too." I grinned and batted my eyes at her. She sighed and shook her head at me.

"I'm not biting Emmett," She said just as softly back. Huh? Maybe I have to strike at something else to hit her 'mortification buttons' today.

"The last one I want to point out to you is over here," Nahuel said as he moved to a third area.

"Oh, that guy is kind of scary looking." A boy named Luke said in surprise.

"I think he looks like an army soldier." His classmate, Danny responded. That was a good assessment. I thought the frog looked like he was wearing camouflage fatigues.

"This is the Amazon Horned Frog and as you see it is even bigger than the red-eyed tree frogs. They grow to over 8 inches and would cover a small tea saucer plate. The reason they get so big is because they will eat just about anything." Nahuel said.

"Just like you Brian." A kid named Nathan said in fun.

"Hey," Brian called back. "I can't help it if everything tastes good."

"Well, let me tell you about this frog." Nahuel said regaining their attention with ease. "Now Danny you said he looked like a soldier and you are right. His skin is camouflaged to hide him from his prey. He will hide in the mud or leaves and wait. When anything smaller than him arrives he will spring from the mud and swallow his prey whole; locking it in his jaws with his sharp teeth. These guys are so fiercely territorial and voracious that some have been found dead with the remains of an impossible-to-ingest victim still protruding from their mouths. Their ravenous appetite and huge mouths have earned them and other horned frogs the pet name of 'Pac Man frogs'."

"Cool," Nathan said elbowing Brian. "I'm going to call you Pac Man Frog Mouth from now on."

"Great!" Brian said sarcastically. "Maybe I should bite you and swallow you whole." Wow, talk about scary.

It wasn't until Nahuel was leading the group from the room that I let out a sigh of relief. I knew how much this little 'field trip' meant to Rose and Nessie and I was already on thin ice as it was. I brought up the rear once again as we moved to my next underground exhibit for bats, spiders and insects.

"Now children," Nahuel said as his voice took on a tone of excitement, we are going to go into the 'bat cave'." He held his finger to his mouth as the resulting sounds from the children echoed off the rocks that surrounded us. "Most of our bats are asleep so it is important to keep our sound to a minimum. Whisper only. You see how the rock amplifies your voices." He added quietly as he opened the door into a darkened room that had red and blue lights in strategic places providing low level illumination. Across the top of the enclosure were rows of bats. Only two boys spotted them. They of course were quick to point them out to Nessie in what appeared to be an attempt to scare her. She just rolled her eyes at them. They seemed dutifully impressed by her composure. If they only knew!

"As Luke and Stephen have already noticed, most of our bats are sleeping right on our ceiling here." Nahuel had pulled out a red laser penlight and he showed the bats as they rested on the ceiling. One girl named Tina actually gasped before her hand flew to her mouth. Perhaps she was imagining waking them up and having them attack her. "There are over 100 different varieties of bats in the Amazon basin and we've got five different varieties of them on exhibit here. The first variety I'd like to show you is not resting on the ceiling though. Our first species is the Tent Making Bat. We have four of them and they are over here on this banana tree." Nahuel went closer and turned his beam from red to amber, lightening the area even more.

There were my four 'boy scout' bats, as I had nicknamed them. All holed up in their make-shift tent. The class was good at containing their reaction but their eyes were alight. "Now this behavior is unique to just two varieties of bats in the rainforest. They makes their own home by chewing the center rib of a leaf and then folding it over like an upside down V. That is the roof of their tent. These bats have a little 'noseleaf' that many bats have to use as sonar. They are pretty cool little fellows."

"Regular little patrol leaders" Jacob said quietly, stealing my line and making the kids chuckle. Nessie beamed up at him.

"All but one of the bat varieties we have here eats fruit, insects and nectar. This is very important to the ecosystem as they eat mosquitoes that transmit Malaria among other diseases. They also transport fruit seeds throughout the rainforest and pollinate many species of plants too. We also have vampire bats." The class became nervous at the mention of vampire bats. Six girls in the class cowered into each other. I'd thought it was finally getting good!

"Bella has always been fond of vampire bats." I said smugly. There is was! I got the glare. I'd hit a nerve. I added so softly that only the most sensitive of ears would hear, "Or was it the other way around? You've always liked batty vampires?"

"Emmett!" She hissed before reaching over and smacking my shoulder.

"All right we're moving on to the blood suckers!" The boy named Andrew whispered menacingly to Kara.

"Cut it out Andrew." She hissed back. "That is just too…creepy!"

Then their classmate, Wayne joined in a poor Romanian accent said to them, "I vont to sock yawr blaaawd." That had half the group snickering until the bats overhead shifted restlessly. That was enough to quiet them down.

"You're still my favorite blood sucker Nessie," Jacob said so quietly that only us monsters could hear it.

"And don't you forget it, my big hulking wolf man!" Nessie shot right back at him just as quietly.

"Vampire bats are often misunderstood—thanks to fanciful tales of Dracula and Transylvania." Nahuel told the class smoothly in a quiet voice. I was stumped as to why he would mention that. I was pretty sure that Dracula was real and part of the Romanian regime the Volturi had brought down; if I remembered my history correctly.

"While they do feed on blood, their prey are rarely killed or even injured. Also, they do not, as Andrew and Wayne insinuated, 'suck' the blood they take. Vampire bats teeth are razor sharp and they bite and simply lap up the free flowing blood that appears. They also have an anti-coagulant in their saliva that scientists have copied in the laboratory to treat heart attack victims."

We were getting ready to go on to the spiders when Stephen's cell phone suddenly went off playing Lincoln Park's, 'Numb' as a screaming ringtone. He quickly fished it out of his pocket, the guitar and bass amplifying off the rock walls as it was freed from its pocket prison and he opened it up exposing the room to not just the sound but now a shaft of brilliant light aimed directly up at the now awake and agitated winged mammals. Suddenly Lincoln Park was drowned out by the flapping of leathered wings and shrieks that filled the small dark room; followed soon after by the screams of the group. The children ducked down low and the one boy who remained standing, James had one bat land in his hair. It was Nessie this time, who scooped up the bat from his head and then looked intently at it. My guess was that it was either her or Nahuel who calmed down the angry bats and returned them to their docile state of slumber once again.

After that little experience, the class practically ran into the spider part of the exhibit. Nahuel went through some of the spiders there pointing out interesting tidbits while the girls were dutifully 'creeped-out'. Everything was going fine until a big burly girl named Victoria, who had wandered around the room away from the large group clustered around Nahuel, did the unexpected. I really must remember to ask Edward what he was concentrating on that had him missing this kid's thoughts. She apparently went around to the cage for the Goliath bird-eating Tarantula and opened the cage door before returning to the group. With her was a little guest. Apparently she wasn't as squeamish as her fellow female classmates. Next thing everyone knew, Nessie had the hairy spider crawling on her shoulder. Most of the class—still spooked from the bats—screamed and jumped back from Nessie, who calmly picked up the tarantula and brought him over to Nahuel as if she were his assistant.

"Okay, thank you Nessie," Nahuel said with a wry smile on his face. "I see you have with you the lead in for our next spotlighted spider, the Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula. You know, there are some people in the Amazon Rainforest who actually eat these huge spiders."

He was greeted with disgusted sounds from the group. "Tarantulas eat insects, frogs, small snakes, lizards, and even rodents and bats. These can eat small birds as well; thus earning their names. Their venom is usually not lethal to humans, although the Goliath's inch-long fangs can cause severe pain, nausea, and profuse sweating. They can also release tiny hairs from their body, at any creature they feel threatened by, that can be extremely irritating to your skin eyes or mouth. So it's best not to scare them. These tarantulas can make a hissing noise that's so loud it can be heard from 15 feet away. Tarantulas can be fearsome predators. Unlike some other spiders, they don't weave intricate webs or leap great distances. Instead, they use stealth and strength to sneak up and pounce on unsuspecting victims, inflicting fatal bites with venomous fangs."

It was after this ominous pronouncement that there was a gasp from the back of the group as Renee, who had moments before been 'photo-happy' began screaming with a big brown hairy tarantula on her arm. There was another scream from Mrs. Ramon as a third one was hissing at her from her leg. Who had let the spiders out? From her gleeful expression I knew it was Victoria. I should have known I couldn't trust a redhead—no matter how old they were. I was able to close the cage door thus preventing the remaining two from escape. Where was Jasper when I needed him? Then I heard him talking as he led another group through the beginning of the zoo. It was Edward who reached over and relieved Renee of her tarantula. I was pleased as punch to see my Rose remove the one attached to Mrs. Ramon. She was getting more comfortable around my animals already! In short order we had the furry creatures back where they belonged. Perhaps they weren't the best choice for a 'hands on' adventure. Thank goodness that little red-haired vixen didn't open the giant centipede's cage too.

We went on to the last underground habitat on this side of the zoo. It was my aquarium. The children loved to see the many fish that swam in its waters, from the piranhas to the electric eel. There were many cichlids and Oscars as well. Nahuel talked non-stop about the different aggressive fish Nessie and I had caught. They were some of my trickiest acquisitions.

Of course, there were also some non-aggressive residents. I had two large Amazonian Manatees. The class was particularly delighted by the antics of my three pink dolphins. They were quite the show offs. It was good to see Nahuel get so deftly out-staged. I really liked those pink little pranksters.

"Now these Pink Dolphins breathe air from the surface but then can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes at a time. How long can you hold your breath Danny?" Nahuel asked a quiet boy in the back.

"Oh, I guess about five minutes or so?" He said as a question. Wow he must have 'aqualungs'.

"Now Danny, it you can hold your breath for that long then your mother was a fish! The average time for a nine year old to hold their breath is about a minute. No more than two." Nahuel said as he grinned at the boy who shrugged his shoulders and smiled sheepishly. "The Pink Dolphin can turn its head 180 degrees, all the way around, because it has an un-fused vertebrae. They get their amazing pink color from the kind of water they live in, and the kind of food they eat. The Pink Dolphins are very friendly animals and they have 40% more brain capacity than humans do.

As we started to climb the gentle slope back to the main floor of the zoo I was anticipating the reaction of the class for the last two habitats. Our next stop was the big cat display. Edward looked excited as well. Nahuel lined his audience out along the front of the glass enclosure and he clipped a microphone on his lapel. This would allow him to be heard from inside the glass. "I'm going in to bring our next residents close to the glass for you to get a better look. If you look to the back of the habitat in the left corner you can make out our three ocelots. These smaller cats are about 20 to 30 lbs and run a lower chance of survival here in this cage than they would in the wild as one of their main predators are Jaguars—their habitat roommates." He added with an incredulous look in my direction. Okay, I might need to change the sleeping arrangements a bit there.

Then Nahuel turned back to the class and continued. "And just so you know, these Jaguars are man killers. I have been trained to work with them and they know me. If you were to meet one in the Amazon, hope he has just eaten. The jaguar is a stalk-and-ambush rather than a chase predator. It is very difficult to locate a jaguar so in the wild, you may not see him but that doesn't mean that he doesn't see you."

Nahuel left the class there inside the safety enclosure while he entered our security-coded side door and strode fearlessly out among the seven large felines who'd sauntered over to meet him. The three babies were close on the heels of their mothers. One of Nahuel's favorites, a large black male whom he had nicknamed Anhanga, meaning 'the devil' came right up to him and leaned his massive paws on Nahuel's shoulders.

"As you can tell by my friendly Jaguar here, they can get up to 6 feet long. This big guy weighs 350 lbs. though most weigh no more than 250 lbs. They are the largest cat in the Panthera family on the American Continent and third largest in the world; the only larger cats are the lion and the tiger. You may notice that I have a total of ten jaguars here. Five black and five dark yellowish-tanned color with large rosette markings. They are the same species though. Just like your hair is blonde," he said while pointing to Sarah and Wendy. "And your hair is brown," He said pointing now to Lori and Jess. "But you're all still human beings." Nahuel reached over and patted the head of a tan colored Jaguar's head as she nuzzled Nahuel's leg. Nahuel had named her Scyleia, meaning 'leaper'. "These cats are the same despite their coloring. They mate with each other too but the only way you can get a black cub in the Jaguar family, is if both the father and mother are black. So the Black Jaguars are not as common as the rosette-colored Jaguars are. Even rarer is the albino jaguar." The Jaguar, Anhanga, dropped back down to all fours and sauntered towards the back of the group. A third Jaguar, named Tereis (piercer) came up to Nahuel's side and sat staring at the children curiously.

"Jaguars can kill their prey as other big cats do with a deep throat bite and suffocation technique. But the Jaguar has a unique kill technique due to its huge jaw. It usually grabs hold of its target between the ears with its mouth and crushes down with its canine teeth piercing directly through the skull and into the brain." As Nahuel spoke he used his hand to open Tereis's mouth and showed the class just how large the jaguar's mouth and jaw were. Needless to say, the kids were impressed. Heck, I could have done that.

"There is one more cat here that I would like to briefly point out." Nahuel said while the ten large cats moved back nonchalantly and my one puma came to the forefront. Edward had tried to tell me that he'd hunted these all the time but I knew there was a difference. After all, I had captured mine in the Amazonian rainforest. Mountain lions didn't go down there. And now Nahuel would set Edward straight once and for all! "Who can tell me what this animal is?" Nahuel asked the children. After two minutes and a hushed conversation between Nicole and Brian, they raised their hands. Edward was grinning over at me with a smirk on his face.

"A cougar?" Nicole supplied with a question.

Nahuel just smiled and turned towards Brian. "What do you think it is Brian?"

"I say it's a mountain lion." Brian said confidently.

"Well, those are both very good guesses. In the Amazon Rainforest, these cats are called Pumas. Puma" is the Quechua word for this animal. But they are also called cougars and mountain lions, depending on where they are located. The scientific name for all three nicknames is: _FELlS CONCOLOR. _ Their range is from the Yucatan in Canada, through the western United States and down throughout South America. So while this guy came to us from the Amazon, you may just as easily spot him over in our own Olympia National Park or at Mount Rainer.

I had my head in my hands. I had just spent over two thousand dollars bringing that specific cat from the Amazon to Forks, Washington and it was a local. Why did Edward always have to be right? I sighed and shook my head out. '_Well, don't say I never gave you anything, Edward,'_ I thought at him as he grinned appreciatively back at me. _'But we hunt for bears next time!'_ I added as an afterthought.

That was when I heard my Rosalie gasp and sputter. I turned towards her as my thirty foot yellow anaconda named Fluffy, wrapped around her neck three times while his back half still dangled from the ceiling rafter. Dang it, how did he get out? "Oh Rose, he's just trying to give you a little kiss." I said as I quickly started unraveling my over-friendly pet. It was a good thing there were children present. Rose may have a calmer disposition now but she was still one scary monster when provoked. And at the moment the proximity of her students was the only buffer I had from the wrath that was now named Rosalie. It took both Edward and I, using all of our vampire strength to uncoil the muscular snake from its stranglehold. Jacob pulled down the tail end and held it a ways off.

"This is not funny, Emmett." She said in a low dangerous voice.

"That is the freakin' biggest snake I've ever seen!" John said as he went to stroke its scaled side between where Jacob held its tail and Edward and I finished extricating its top fourth from my angry little wife.

John was quickly joined by the rest of the boys from the class and four of the girls—Victoria included, who wanted to feel the snakes scales. They muttered appreciatively to each other in fascination.

Nahuel came out of the Cat Display and walked up to the head of the group that was now faced away from the cats and congregated around my wife and her living train. In short order he had the anaconda wrapped loosely around himself and he held the head in his hand.

"Well, this anaconda is actually part of our last display. I was going to wait until we got there, but we can get started right here for a moment first. Now John, you had said this was the biggest snake you had ever seen and that would be correct, even if you lived around all the snakes of the world. This particular snake has been named…" He looked at me in a mocking way and continued, "Fluffy." Now the entire room burst out in laughter. Good, even Rose joined in! This could be salvaged before my 'student buffer-zone' had gone home.

"Uhhh, Bella named that one." I said to divert attention. Everyone's amused faces turned from me to my little sister. Mission accomplished!

"Fluffy weighs 535 lbs." Nahuel continued when the laughter had died down. "Anacondas are the heaviest snake in the world, with the widest girth. It vies for the title of longest snake with the reticulated python. These snakes kill their prey by constricting and suffocating their victims. They can climb, as Fluffy has demonstrated rather well, and they have razor sharp teeth that they use to latch on to their dinner and drag to the water where they can more easily take it down. Later, Emmett here will demonstrate wrestling an anaconda for you. First though, I would like to show you our resident Black Caiman crocodiles." Nahuel said as he came close to me and Fluffy happily slithered himself around me like a slinky, thus freeing Nahuel to lead the class into the last display area, the reptile habitat.

As Nahuel led the group to the top of the split level reptile habitat to see the Black Caimans, I dropped Fluffy back off at the anaconda tank and looked to see how he'd gotten out. Nothing jumped out at me. So I made my way back to the group shaking my head at how clever my 'little' escape artist was. Nahuel was already into his spiel about the crocs when I arrived at the back of the group. Rosalie looked over at me and I flashed her a sheepish grin. She tried to fight a smile that crept onto her face. Was she already over her murderous rage? Or is she trying a jaguar technique; sly, ambushing an unsuspecting prey—me. She was dangerous. Just the thought made me zing with anticipation.

"The black caiman is one of the largest reptiles in the world. They are air-breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates that have skin covered in scale as opposed to hair or feathers. They are the largest member of the family Alligatoridae. They can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to 3,000 lbs, making them the largest predator in the Amazon Basin. Because they have been hunted to near extinction, and only older males would be large enough to accomplish it, there have been no known human deaths in modern times due to the Black Caimans."

Finally two hours after our tour began, Nahuel led our group down to the last display; the bottom half of the reptile habitat. He first showed them the many different snakes Nessie and I had collected before turning us towards the Anaconda tank! Sam, Jacob, Jasper and Felix had all had a go at wrestling with the anacondas for the crowds and now it was finally my turn. Of course, I was the best, having already wrestled them like a pro down in the Amazon. The trick this time would be to not hurt them in any way. I winked at Rosalie who smirked back at me before I lowered myself into the water to the amazed whispers of the class. They could see above and beneath the water through the 6 inch thick glass wall that faced them.

Fluffy came over to play with me first and she quickly wrapped herself around my leg and tightened her grasp. Then her two sisters, Bobsy and Mopsy joined in the fun as well. Of course I was used to this particularly friendly greeting from my snakes. The problem was that I had to wrestle them with no more strength than a very fit, strong, muscle-building human would have and of course, not hurt them. They knocked me off my feet and I was underwater. I would have to surface and take in a big breath soon or pretend I had drowned. No, better forget about that second option. Rosalie would kill me if I pretended that in front of her students. Gee, then it wouldn't be for pretend—I'd really be dead. I regained my footing and rose up for my first breath.

"Oh, he's so strong!" June said to Nessie.

"You have no idea." Nessie replied without batting an eye.

"Do you think he needs help?" Tina asked worriedly.

"No, he does this all the time." Nahuel responded calmly.

"He's pretty strong to hold his own against those three humongous snakes." Andrew said impressed.

I thrashed back and forth in the water; partly for the show and partly because they were really trying to work me back under the water. I stepped on Mopsy's tail end and she tried to bite me with her teeth.

Then, to keep the kids from noticing her now broken tooth, I pushed her head away from me. She unwound herself from my neck and went for my arm next. I flung her from me. Unfortunately she wacked against the glass and it started to crack. Dang it, I was sure that six inches was thick enough. I jumped out and saw Nessie concentrate as she looked at something invisible to the rest of us and then I was sure she'd sent a silent broadcast to the anacondas; probably telling them to release me and return to the tank. That got them off pretty fast. We quickly got the students back up the stairs away from the cracked glass. It looked as though it would hold temporarily anyway. Next time I'd have to get it in a 12 inch thickness.

Well, at least I didn't sink a boat this time!

When we finally emerged from the zoo, only Jasper's tour was left inside. Edward quickly told him to skip the lower level of the reptile exhibit. I thought the day had gone by quite well. The kids all seemed to be excited. I certainly had learned a few things. Doctor Doolittle was adored by everyone under 5 feet tall. Rosalie and Nessie were the center of attention and my Renesmee Cullen Amazon Zoo was a great success.

I was basking in the euphoria of my well-done project when Nahuel walked up to me. I thought he was going to get after me about putting the Ocelots in with the Jaguars, or the monkey incident, or the tarantella or bat mishaps, or overdoing it with the anacondas. I was wrong.

"You know that big egg of yours down in the hatchery?" He said under his breath. That was unexpected. It had sat there under the light for the last two weeks without moving once.

"Yeah," I said slowly as my eyes turned to meet his. As I registered the excitement in them my own enthusiasm grew as well. "Well, I thought I was hearing something unusual with my mind. I just followed the sound and it came from your egg." He said. I knew he was using his talent of talking to animals when he was listening with his mind. Was it similar to when Edward heard Nessie before she was born?

"I don't think it will be much longer now." He said to me in parting as Leah came over and took him away from me and my zoo with plans of her own.

***

**[A/N: I know that was a little different and you probably really liked it or really hated it. The next chapter is called 'The Consistency of Change' and it will be told by Demetri.]**


	54. Chapter 49

**Chapter Forty Nine  
The Constancy Of Change**

**Demetri's POV**

There have been many times, in my almost limitless existence, when I have felt I was in love. More often than not, it would turn out to be nothing more than an illusion. Sometimes those illusions were literal--thrown my way by Heidi when she needed me to track someone down for her. There were three times, however, when I'd thought I had found a love that was as eternal as I was. But the feelings 'love' evoked never persevered the way a mated-vampire's love would. No, my loves in the past always expired like old milk that had been left to curdle and sour.

Last night, as I watched over my sleeping angel, I realized that I would never love another woman again. I had not set out to find a love that was everlasting when I courted Mia. No, the mere thought of giving my attentions to a mortal soured my appetite. I'd only acted to prove my loyalty to Aro and have an opportunity to 'one-up' Felix, whose attempts at 'interspecies' relations had proved to be such a dismal failures. No, I had not set out to find a love that would bring meaning to my worthless existence. It found me.

How had she done it? What was it about her that made me want to protect her from Aro's evil designs—even though she was brought to them by me? What was it about her specifically that made me ache at the thought of her pain? What was it that made me want to throw myself in the face of any danger, suffer any consequence, bear any burden, just to see her smile up at me with her eyes full of love and tenderness? What was it about this woman that made me feel alive for the first time in centuries? I didn't know. I only knew that I could no longer live without her. I could not even imagine her being parted from me. I now understood love deep enough to cause Marcus to mourn the loss of his Didyme for the last two centuries. I understood Edward's trip to Italy when he believed Bella had killed herself. Now that I had basked in the warmth of Mia's presence, I simply couldn't return to my life of darkness. And there it was. Her love had changed me. Her faith had given me the courage to change from who I was, into a new creature.

While Felix was kept busy with Emmett's project, I had been free to have some rather enlightening discussions with Carlisle. His non-judgmental approach helped put me at ease to discuss my choices, my options. I knew Aro would not be pleased by my decision; nor would Caius. I wasn't even sure how Felix would react; leaving me no choice but to keep my decision from him until after the baby's birth.

I knew I would never expose Mia or our baby to Aro's ministrations. I had witnessed firsthand his brand of enlightenment. No, I would take them to the ends of the earth to keep them safe from that. I hated putting the Cullens in danger because of my choice and Aro's wrath, but I would need help to keep my family safe.

Over the last week I had come to know and respect many of the members of the Cullen household—peculiar though they might be. It had been a strange concept of 'family' for me to wrap my head around, after being subservient to the ancient's form of 'family' for so long. But the term 'family' Cullen style, extended out to the wolf packs and some humans as well. As a result, there was a sense of 'home' within the walls of the house that had made it a true sanctuary, with a sense of belonging that never existed for me behind the stone walls of my castle abode in Italy.

It had also been an environment that had put my Mia at ease. I would be forever in Bella's debt for her frank and open discussions about her future. With the affinity they shared, a bond was formed. She'd patiently listened to all of Mia's fears and then addressed each one of them to Mia's satisfaction. All the while not pushing too hard but allowing Mia to make her own informed decisions. And make them she did!

Last night to my relief, she agreed to becoming a vampire. To my astonishment her one request was that I marry her first. And so tonight, after living on the earth 1559 years, I stood ready to marry the love of my existence, my mate in every way, my salvation, my Mia.

Carlisle had somehow acquired a minister's license and was prepared to officiate at our nuptials. As I waited for Mia to join us with her entourage, consisting of Alice Cullen, Bella Cullen, Esme Cullen, Rosalie Hale and Leah Clearwater, I looked around at the small group of new friends that surrounded me. Friends that felt more like family than anything I had ever known.

There was Carlisle himself, who was the kind of individual I wanted to try to pattern my own life after. His empathy and compassion did nothing to lessen his manhood, it strengthened it. It felt as though when he looked at me, he looked beyond my physical being and directly into my soul. Then he took that soul and knew just what kind of healing it needed. Finally he gave me the encouragement, and infused me with the strength, I needed to enact those changes.

By my side was Felix, my brother at arms. I had known him for the 884 years he had been in the service of our masters. How that word twisted in my mind as I thought it. I had truly been their slave. Would Felix see it too? He did not have the catalyst of becoming a husband and father to shatter his illusions. After all those years of service together, I was shocked at how little I really knew the man Felix, who now stood by my side as my best man. I knew his mortal father had been a tyrant of a man who had beat him along with every other member of his family. I knew he had run away to join arms with the Venetians against the Genoese-Pisan alliance, fighting for control of the trade cities in Northern Italy. He had been spirited away and changed one night in 1117 AD by a female vampire desiring a male escort for a celebration in Volterra. He had returned eight years later to join our ranks. The only piece of vengeance he had exacted from his mortal life had been to oblige his father in kind for the many injustices he had suffered at his hand. His father had not survived. I knew it to be so, because it was I that found his father that day for him. His father's blood had flown through his veins once more.

Carlisle's three sons stood in front of me as I faced the stairs waiting for my bride to descend. Jasper, another soldier, was the easiest for me to relate to. He thought like I did. I 'got' him pretty good. Of course, that could be his gift exerting itself. Emmett was superficially like Felix. They were both competitive. Emmett had beaten Felix four out of six arm wrestling matches which had irritated Felix to no end. They were both massive vampires with overpowering strength but that was where the similarities ended. Emmett had a heart of pure gold. He was living proof that having brute strength didn't make you a 'brute'. Edward had always intimidated me because I knew he was inside my mind—listening to my private thoughts. Now I felt an affinity to him because of our own shared experience of caring for a fragile human mate. His suffering had quite possibly exceeded my own, as he had been convinced that his love would be killed for carrying his offspring. He had become a true friend to me in the past week.

Of the shape shifters from the Quileute Reservation, I had only truly made the acquaintance of three besides Leah. They were Sam, Jacob and Seth. Sam had only briefly stuck his head in to say 'hello' and he seemed wary of my presence in Forks. He was only slightly less so the other day when he shadowed me while I took Mia out to see the zoo. I guessed he had his reasons. He considered me Volturi and a threat to the humans of the area. But I was trying this new life style, no matter how repulsive the diet was to me. If it made Mia happy, got me out of the clutches of Aro, and helped me maintain a level of humanity, it would be a small price to pay.

Jacob had come in with Renesmee a number of times, when Bella was 'on duty' with Mia, and I became much better acquainted with him. For a young man, his size was nothing short of daunting. But his personality was fun-loving and full of sarcasm. It was from seeing how he interacted with Bella's daughter that I first learned about 'imprinting'. I was amazed to learn from Bella, after seeing how comfortable he was with Edward's little family, that Jacob was not Edward's favorite shape shifter. That honor fell to Seth Clearwater. Edward was so cozy with Jacob; I realized that he must really hold Seth in high regard.

So I made a point of focusing on Seth when he came in to visit while Leah was on duty. He was even younger than Jacob; having just graduated from high school last June. I found there was a 'freshness' to his outlook on life. He had not become disenchanted like so many do when life takes their dreams away from them. Yet despite his youth he had become acquainted with sorrow. His father had passed away; he had transformed into a shape shifter shortly thereafter, and already killed a vampire pretty much single handedly. Still he remained true to himself, his ideals and his values. He was a remarkable young man. I didn't think Seth Clearwater had a mean bone in his body—well, his human body anyway.

Next I looked over at the human; Charlie Swan, Bella's father and Chief of Police here in Forks, Washington. He seemed nice enough as humans went. He was practical and down to earth. He also believed us to all be some kind of super heroes. Well, maybe the Cullens were. I didn't know what Felix had been up to, but much to Bella's horror, Felix had made a point of insinuating himself into Charlie Swan's inner circle of friends. Whenever Charlie came over, Felix would plop down on the couch with him to watch sports and talk about their likes and dislikes. He had even suggested that Charlie teach him how to fish. Needless to say, whenever Charlie Swan was here, Bella and Edward practically stuck to him like glue. I wouldn't put it past Felix to carry on in such a manner as a charade--a charade with a threat--a Volturi threat. The same kind of threat I hoped will never be used against Mia's family back in Italy. Perhaps I should speak to Carlisle about their safety. Carlisle did seem to be well connected.

Beside Charlie Swan was his intended, Sue Clearwater—human mother to both Leah and Seth Clearwater. I did not know her at all but if her children were any reflection on her character, I would guess her to be loyal, articulate, educated, true, loving and made with nerves of steel; all qualities that had not been lost on the man with the badge.

With them was Charlie's granddaughter, the vampire hybrid Renesmee; although he didn't know about her true nature. What he did know seemed to be just enough to have allowed him to fit into the Cullen's world without endangering his life.

Renesmee had captivated Mia from the first time she'd met her. Of course, I was captivated too. She was so beautiful and charming, much like the immortal children. However, an immortal child she was far from. I had seen the scourge of their kind and been forced to clean up after many of their rampages. Even though it had been a thousand years ago, the images they'd left in my mind were forever imprinted there. No, Renesmee, poised with the grace and intelligence of an adult and understanding the morality of discretion, had been taught to only hunt for the blood of animals. She was the most self-possessed two-year old I had ever seen. And that was no exaggeration. I hoped I would be able to teach my baby the same kind of values; another reason to keep my family far away from Italy.

Nahuel was the last of those present that waited for the 'bridal party' to descend the staircase. He stood beside Seth and they quietly joked about Seth's recollections of embarrassing things Leah had done when they were kids. I guessed they were about to be 'family' too pretty soon! Nahuel was a full-grown vampire hybrid and I found I liked him much better than his three sisters whom I'd met when I went to South America with Aro to help him locate Joham. His sisters, while no worse than most vampires I had known, were very haughty and self-absorbed. Nahuel was open and sincere. His sister's were more like vampires than the Cullens were. Only their appearance belied their true nature. Nahuel was very confident, a true leader, empathetic and wise. He had more humanity than I could ever hope to have, though I was still going to try.

By the time I made my visual sweep of my witnesses, there was a flurry at the staircase and I saw a collage of pastel colors as Mia's five attendants brought her to our wedding. In front were Alice Cullen and Rosalie Hale. Then was my beautiful bride, my Mia. As soon as I saw her my breath caught in my throat. She was the only one who could help me change who I was; a process she had already begun. There she was, coming to me to be my wife, my mate, my heart. I was barely able to register the fact that she was carried by Bella Cullen and that Esme Cullen and Leah Clearwater walked behind them. As soon as Mia's eyes found mine they had filled with tears. I hoped that they were tears of happiness. She didn't seem to be in pain. Then she smiled and any doubt I had vanished. She was happy. Somehow she had found a way to forgive me and love me, and there she was smiling at me, her future. I smiled back at her. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen because she was beautiful from the inside out. She was a master creation, an angel sent to save me from myself. She was my life, my Mia, my bride.

Bella sat her down by my side and Mia grabbed my hand in hers. I had no idea where Alice had managed to find a maternity wedding dress in less than twenty four hours but there she was, every bit a bride in a beautiful white gown. My only regret was that I had not done this before she had become pregnant with my child, before I had taken her away from her family, before I had doomed her existence. I shook that thought away. It did no good to dwell on my mistakes; only to rectify them. An action I took great joy in at that moment. Mia was radiant. She was a vision and as her warm hand held my own, I felt such a jolt inside of myself that I thought for a moment that my heart had started beating again. I had a hard time turning my attention away from her as Carlisle began the ceremony that would officially tie us together as one.

***

I had never had so much trouble focusing on other distractions as when I held my 'wife' for the first time and kissed her tenderly to the applause of our small company. Today had been too good to be true. Since her announcement last night she had not looked back once. She had seemed more at peace, more serene. I hoped she would be ready for the changes that would come to her life when her transformation was complete. I hoped that she would still be able to love me. I needed her strength, and she would need mine as well.

We cut a modest wedding cake and I 'fed' Mia a piece. Since mostly everyone there was aware of my dietary restrictions, I passed, but did pose for a picture of her putting it in my mouth before I spit it out in a napkin. I took her for a very careful first dance before I carried her upstairs to rest for the remainder of the evening. We were even able to be together as husband and wife that night. Something that would not be possible again until after Mia was delivered of the baby. While the act was nothing new to me after existing for so long, it had never held the meaning it did tonight with Mia in my arms. It transcended the physical plane as our hearts and souls joined, along with our bodies, to make our marital union complete.

*******

**Edward's POV**

It was a good thing Demetri married Mia yesterday. Today would have been no good. Already her unborn child had stepped up its activity level and broken two of her ribs. I could hear them break from the first floor where I played my piano. Of course, Bella was up there with her. Nessie and Rosalie were back at school for the day.

"Mia Sweetheart, you're hurt." Demetri said worriedly.

"Carlisle?" Bella called out. "Pretty sure we've got some broken ribs here."

Carlisle was there before she had finished speaking. "Let's take a look." He said while Mia muffled a sob. Next there were the sounds of the X-ray machine followed by the taping. I shuddered as I remembered Bella's 'confinement' and how it felt as though my own bones had broken when I'd heard the sound of hers snapping.

Mia was starting the last week of her pregnancy with a bang. The poor girl; I wondered if Hypnosis would help at all. She was as brave and determined as Bella had been. She didn't want to be a bother but she needed help. She was in trouble. We had no guarantee things would go well. I felt a familiar pang of anxiety as I thought of the road ahead--not just for Mia but Demetri as well, for at least the next seven days. I went in several times a day to see if I could _hear_ anything from the fetus; so far—nothing.

Renesmee and Rosalie returned from school shortly after Bella's shift with Mia was over. Bella and I were both anxious to hear about the students oral reports from their zoo experience.

"Mom! Dad!" Nessie said as she burst in the door, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Rosalie was in on her heels, a huge grin lighting up her beautiful face.

"How did it go, baby?" Bella asked as Nessie leapt into her waiting arms. Bella spun her around and kissed her forehead before stepping into my embrace so that I could reach out to give my daughter a welcome home kiss of my own.

"You would not believe how cool all the reports were!" Nessie gushed.

"Cool?" I asked, my head cocked to the side. "Not sure your vocabulary is improving from your experiment." I teased her. My daughter rolled her eyes and smirked at me. _'Yeah Dad, I wonder where I got that from?'_

"Like father like daughter" Bella muttered under her breath, for all to hear.

Just then Emmett came zipping in through the back sliding glass door and had Rosalie in arms in a second. "Rose, how's the world's hottest teacher's assistant doing today?" He cooed as he snuggled her nose and kissed her exuberantly.

"Doing great!" Rose replied happily. "Just getting ready to hear Nessie's narrative of the oral reports we had in class today from their trip to the zoo."

"Oh COOL!" Emmett said as he rubbed his hands together. _'I'm just in time.'_

"See Dad, I didn't get my vocabulary problems from fourth graders." Nessie added dryly. I couldn't help but laugh. Apparently I wasn't the only one. _'…just someone who acts like one. Uncle Emmett is such a nut. He's the best!'_

"Well go on then," Bella demanded in mock exasperation. "Inquiring minds want to know."

"Okay, first Stephen gave his report. It was all about 'How to make a Howler Monkey Howl'. It was basically about becoming the Harpy Eagle's lunch. But it was funny somehow. Then Tina gave her report on 'Bats-Another Reason to be Afraid of the Dark'. She did a pretty good job of having her report be suspenseful." Nessie said with conviction.

Rosalie was nodding her head in agreement. _'There's one kid who will have at least a few nightmares starring bats and cell phones.'_

"Lori came next. Hers was on 'How to Survive Jaguars if you are an Ocelot'. It was a twisted tale of cat and mouse. It didn't end well for the little fellow. Then David gave his on 'Our Brave Teacher's Aide's Fearless Snake Embrace', he was pretty impressed with Aunt Rose's composure." Nessie said as her bronze curls bobbed with her head shake.

'_Smitten is more like it.'_ Rosalie thought to herself. I was surprised to hear mere humor in Rose's thought. A remark like that from her in the past would have been smug, perhaps even with a tinge of contempt. She was changing on the inside.

"Of course Victoria reported on, 'The Attack of the Killer Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantulas'." Nessie said sarcastically as she rolled her eyes again. "Wendy, Jess, Kara and Nathan all gave reports on "The Circle of Life". Wendy's made me cry. Jess had us all wanting to sing songs from 'The Lion King', Kara's made me sigh and Nathan's…well, his actually made me want to go out and hunt." Nessie admitted sheepishly.

"It was pretty detailed," Rose confirmed. "Lots of blood and guts." _'And it made me thirsty too.'_

"Well the last one was done by Andrew. His was pretty funny. It was titled, 'How to Properly Play with your Pet Anaconda Without Getting Cracked Up'. Everyone was laughing as he recounted Uncle Emmett's exploits in the tank." Nessie said laughing as she put her hands over her mouth in an attempt to stifle a fit of laughter. It finally burst out of her. Her eyes teared up and her face got red as she continued between gasps of air. "He suggested you take scuba gear in with you next time." She held her stomach and grabbed another gulp of air before continuing, "And duct tape for the glass." She and Rose were now both having laughing convulsions.

"I don't see what's so funny about that." Emmett said only marginally offended. Then he became thoughtful. "Actually the duct tape is a great idea. I have to wait a week before my order for twelve inch glass comes in." And with that, he darted back out the way he had come.

"Well, I'm going to change." Rosalie announced as she started for the stairs. "Jacob is out working in the shop and I'm going to give him a hand. I'm sure he'd love to hear all about your day, Nessie_." 'I know he would. It's right up his alley.'_

"Great idea, Aunt Rose!" Nessie said and she back flipped out of her mother's arms and raced out to the auto shop.

"Don't get grease on your school clothes. Aunt Alice would not be pleased!" Bella called after her.

"Right," We heard Nessie mutter under her breath as she was already outside. "She would just use it for an excuse to take me to the store and buy me three replacement outfits."

***

Charlie came over after work and was greeted, once again, by Felix who had just popped the Chief some microwave popcorn and turned on the big screen TV to another football game.

"What do you think Charlie? Will the Patriots win this one? Tom Brady is looking mighty fine?" Felix asked as he handed the bowl to Charlie and took a seat next to him. I immediately sat on Charlie's other side. Bella reluctantly took the chair to the left.

I was determined to figure out what Felix was up too. So far his thoughts had only shown genuine interest in Charlie. If he were masking his true intentions, he did so very well. Charlie on the other hand had a lot of thoughts.

'_Since when did Edward start liking sports?'_ He thought as he looked my way. _'Oh, I keep forgetting he can hear what I think. So…then, when did you start liking sports so much Edward?'_ he directed his thoughts directly at me then. _'This is the third time you have sat with us here and watched the game. Bella too.'_

"I thought it would be a great way to get to know you better Dad," I said. I made sure Felix heard my personal address for Charlie. He was family. It held a warning to Felix that he had better behave himself. "You know, find out what it is about the sport that is so interesting. Male bonding…" I wandered off. I was a great liar but I was much more interested in the power play Felix was trying for.

"Well, okay then." Charlie said mollified. His thoughts showed clearly how astute he was though. _'It's this Felix guy here isn't it? He's sort of a rogue—dangerous somehow right?'_

I nodded my head twice. Felix couldn't see the movement from the other side of Charlie and Charlie wasn't near as used to one-sided conversations as Alice was.

With a mouth full of popcorn, Charlie settled in for kickoff. He and Felix both hooted and hollered as their team made the first touchdown. All the while, I kept my constant vigilance on Felix's thoughts. I was shocked by the turn of the conversation during half-time.

"So Charlie," Felix began. "We really have a lot in common."

"Is that so?" Charlie said dubiously. _'I certainly hope not. There is something menacing about you.'_

"Yes," Felix began. "You're in law enforcement and so am I" _'I have so much in common with this man. He could be like a father to me.'_

"Really? You're from overseas right? Italy? What kind of law enforcement are you with?" Charlie asked carefully. _'Mafia hit man maybe?'_

"Yes, I'm from Italy but I am on a highly trained international special operations task force.' Felix said with pride. _'That should impress him. Bella is so lucky to have him for a Father.'_

"You mean like an international Navy Seals or the Marine Force Recons or the Army Rangers, Delta Forces or Green Berets? Charlie asked with interest. _'They would be dangerous, but still good guys.'_

"Yes," Felix said as he smiled broadly. "…only from a secret international security agency." _'Oh, I did make a good impression on him. I think he does approve of my line of work. That means so much to me. Now I'll tell him about our other shared interests.'_

"Well, that's something." Charlie said with growing admiration. _'Maybe you're over exaggerating Edward. He does seem like a nice guy. At least on the surface.'_

I shook my head at him once and gave him a leveled stare. I had to make him take the threat seriously. I was starting to get a clearer picture of what his game might be. Felix was for some reason looking to Charlie as a father figure. It could be harmless. Then again, what would happen if he didn't get the fulfillment he desired from the relationship? Hadn't Carlisle told me Felix had killed his own father? I noticed Charlie had looked over to his daughter who was poorly concealing her anguish.

'_Huh? Bella believes Felix to be a threat too. Well, she could shield me if he becomes a problem.'_ It would seem as though Charlie had just enough information to give him a false sense of security.

"I really like you Charlie." Felix began again. "Bella and Edward are so lucky to have you for their Dad. They probably don't even know how lucky they are." He meant what he said. He truly believed that Bella and I took Charlie for granted.

"I know exactly how lucky I am, Felix." Bella fumed. "Thank you very much."

Felix chuckled. "You like to fish. Do you also like hunting? I enjoy hunting." _'Not as much since I arrived in Forks to be sure. But still, going out to track down your next meal...'_

"I've been known to go hunting. Haven't gone much since Billy's accident, but I wouldn't mind going again--as long as Edward tagged along." Charlie said conversationally. _'I wouldn't get caught dead out in the middle of nowhere with you by myself. I trust Edward.' _ "I've been meaning to get him to show me the ropes. He is a much better outdoorsman than I am. All of the Cullens are."

No, Charlie was no dummy. "I would love to come." I replied without missing a beat. I saw Bella slightly relax in her seat.

Felix got up and got Charlie a soda from the kitchen along with a sandwich_. 'This should impress him. Bella and Edward didn't get him anything to eat. I am like a good son.' _He handed them to him while he said out loud, "And you could teach me how to shoot a gun."

Felix was a 915 year old moron.

Charlie's eyebrows furrowed as he said, "You mean to tell me that you're on an elite international task force and you don't know how to fire a gun?"

'_Shoot! I blew that. I've had no need for a gun. Damage control….'_ "Well, not a rifle. We have sharp shooters for that." Felix replied smoothly.

'_That may be…'_ Charlie thought before saying, "Okay, you're on. Edward and I will show you how to fire a rifle and then we'll go hunting."

'_Great, now I had to learn how to fire a rifle. Well, I can pilot an aircraft surely it wouldn't be hard to learn how to work a rifle.'_ I'd thought as I nodded in assent. "I'll bet that my brothers will want to go too." I said as if it were an afterthought.

'_I don't care if ALL the Cullens come. Just don't get in my way. I invited Charlie. He's MY guest.'_ Felix thought at me. Oh dear. He meant it.

***

Charlie left an hour and twelve minutes after the game was over. Bella looked as though she would die from a pending panic attack. Felix announced he was going hunting and Carlisle and Esme went with him. Demetri came downstairs with Mia for a visit, being careful of her broken ribs. I listened again but still nothing from the baby's mind. Seth was just getting ready to tell us about the 'scoop' over in LaPush regarding their upcoming November Tribal Council Bon Fire when Emmett burst through the back door and upon spying Bella perched on my lap grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the front door.

"There you are. We've got to go now, Bella!" He said, so excitedly it was very nearly anxiety.

"No Emmett, I just got comfortable. Where are you trying to take me anyway?" Bella moaned as she grabbed my hand to help her from being whisked away.

"Shopping Bella! Hurry!" He bellowed in his deep bass voice.

"You have got to be kidding me Emmett. I get that enough from Alice; not you too!" Bella said while rolling her eyes in exasperation. "What is it you want to go shopping for exactly?"

"Books! We've got to get to the book store Bella—Now!!!" Emmett was frantic.

"Oh, a bookstore. Why didn't you say so in the first place." Bella said releasing my hand and planting a big kiss on my surprised lips before heading out the front door with Emmett.

Of course I wasn't surprised by Emmett's request for Bella to accompany him to the bookstore. What had me so surprised was the image in Emmett's thoughts. It was a picture of his huge egg hatching with a reptilian head poking out. I grabbed Nessie and headed outside for the zoo.

**[A/N: If you haven't had a chance to read my one-shot about Felix's past, it will help what is happening between Felix and Charlie make a little more sense. The next chapter will be told by Jasper. Thanks for reading. I appreciate your comments :D]**


	55. Chapter 50

**.**

**Chapter Fifty  
Imprint**

**Jasper's POV**

I had hoped when Emmett's grand opening for his 'Renesmee Cullen Amazon Zoo' was over and Renee had departed for Florida, things would have calmed down a bit around here. To say it hadn't been easy for me to deal with the emotional output of close to a thousand people in eight hours would have been an understatement. I had made a point of hunting the night before to be on the safe side, having found that with the right mental focus and preparation, I was better able to control my thirst around humans. Thanks to Samon's gift to me, I was getting a better handle on the impact other's emotional states had on my own. Last Saturday was my first real test and it had been a roller coaster to be sure, but still I was able to handle the ups and downs much easier than anticipated.

Speaking of Emmett, and gifts from Samon, a certain egg hatched three days ago. I'd never thought Emmett could keep a secret, but it was a good twenty four hours before Rosalie became suspicious that there was anything amiss. I was monitoring her growing irritation with Emmett's aloof and secretive behavior. Everyone in the house could hear her from her bedroom two nights back when her frustration found a voice.

"Emmett. Just tell me what is going on with you. Why are you acting like this?" She demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Rose. Do you think I'm acting strange?" He asked sounding slightly offended while his true emotions had really been calm and calculating, even amused at Rosalie's temper.

"Oh come on Emmett, since when did you take up reading so much?"

"Well, I have to stay one step ahead of your fourth graders, Rose. And I DO read, when I find something that catches my interest." Emmett said defensively but his emotional state remained amused—excited.

"Fantasy? Emmett since when do you read anything other than sports statistics in the paper?" Rosalie countered.

"Rose, you cut me with your assumptions. I read more than stats in the paper. I read 'Sports Illustrated' too." Yes, Emmett was definitely playing it up.

"So how does sports translate into "Eragon", "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", "The Dragon Riders of Pern", "The Hobbit"…" She continued as the sound of books dropping were heard after each name. She presumably had a stack of books and named them off as she went. "And what about this one? The 'Monster Manual' For Advanced Dungeons and Dragons?"

"I am expanding my horizons, Rose. You can't fault a guy for that right?" He added in false sadness.

"You're up to something. I know it." Rosalie sighed. "Just tell me now, Emmett. You know it will go much better for you if you're just straight with me. I will find out. You know I will and if you don't tell me first—it won't be pretty." Oh yes, she meant it.

"Actually, it's funny you should mention the books because…well, I was just getting ready to tell you my secret." He said conspiratorially. His emotions began building in anticipation.

"Uh huh? Your secret?" Rosalie said in a scolding tone that you might hear a fourth grade teacher use on her students.

"Yes, my secret." Emmett's excitement could no longer be contained. "Come on Rose, let me show you. It's out in the zoo!"

"This would be an animal secret?" Rosalie now asked wearily.

"Absolutely, and it's a special gift. And the 'it' is a 'her'. And her name is Aurora" Emmett said with flair.

"Emmett," I heard as he led her down the stairs and out the back door with the rest of us on their heels. "This animal isn't going to try to wring my neck or leave its guts glued to my hair or hiss at me, because I'll snap her neck if she tries anything out of line. So help me I will."

"No Rosalie, this animal is a baby and she won't hurt you. She is so cute and precious." He told her reassuringly as we all neared the zoo.

"So who is she a gift from?" Rosalie asked as Emmett held the door open for her. He grinned as the rest of us filed in.

"Samon," Emmett said quietly after making sure that our Volturi guests were not among our numbers.

With that he led us swiftly to the hatchery and to his newest pet. As we approached the hatchery door I could feel a strong anxiety from the other side.

She was light red and the size of a small dog. Her reptilian head had long spikes that flowed from her head and neck like a mane. When she saw Emmett I felt her anxiety turn to relief and happiness as she leapt into his arms. Her skin color changed from red to that of a light green. That was when I saw clearly her leathery wings as they outstretched automatically with her spring. Aurora was a dragon! More to the point, if I was reading her emotional state at seeing Emmett, this dragon thought he was her mother. Much like geese did upon hatching, this dragon had imprinted on my hulking brother.

Rosalie was quick to mask her surprise as the baby dragon took in the rest of us with a wary eye. She was quite at ease with Renesmee and Edward, having already made their acquaintance, I surmised. Emmett had the rest of us get bits of ground hamburger from the small refrigerator in the corner of the room and offer it to Aurora. It wasn't long before we were all captivated by her. She was one of a kind, 100% mythical and I was at a loss for words. The wonder of such a creature left us in a euphoric state for the rest of the day. Rosalie was the last to befriend Emmett's newest acquisition. But after she had fought against her own curiosity and Aurora's 'cuteness' factor for as long as she could, a reluctant smile finally spread across her face and the dragon beamed with happiness at her. I wasn't sure if everyone could read the little dragons expressions as well as I or if sensing her moods had helped me alone make deductions.

"She is very happy to meet all of you." Emmett said proudly. "And she said that you are very pretty, Rose." Then Emmett turned back to little Aurora nestled in his arms and petted her reptilian head. "I know," He told her in agreement. "I know she is very beautiful too."

"Wait," I said shocked. "You can converse with your dragon?"

"Well, sure." Emmett said off-handedly. "How else would I have known her name and what she liked to eat?"

Everyone but Edward, who had no doubt heard both halves of the conversation was dumbfounded. It seemed Emmett and his little 'pet' were mentally linked as part of their bond. From Edward's composure it would appear this creature was intelligent enough for Edward to hear her thoughts.

***

Mia's condition had continued to worsen. Yesterday her unborn child had moved in such a way that her two broken ribs were joined by a third. She was as brave as Bella had been about enduring without complaint. I knew the truth though. Her emotional state was off the charts as she tried to maintain a calm façade for the rest of us and keep her growing fear, that she would not be strong enough to live through much more battering, to herself. She was like a volcano building up pressure waiting to explode. I went in to see her at least three times a day to help her and hopefully her fetus settle into a calm state so they could rest. Although it was hard to 'feel' the fetus at all, as its emotions were tangled up with Mia's.

Demetri and Carlisle had discussions about Mia's transformation and whose venom would be used. Demetri had assumed Carlisle would take care of that. Of course, Demetri was unaware of the fact that Carlisle no longer carried venom in his system and would not be able to create a new vampire. In the end, Mia made the choice for them. Like Bella, Mia wanted her husband's venom to enable her change. Edward handed Demetri a large stainless steel funnel and tube with which to 'collect' his venom to inject directly into her heart to facilitate the change as Edward had done himself during Bella's transformation.

With Mia's baby not expected for at least three more days, and Edward not picking up a sound from the baby, we had decided to take a short 'hunting' trip today with Charlie and Felix. In preparation for the event, yesterday, Emmett and I had joined Edward to quickly go over the parts of a rifle—as we were supposed to be experienced outdoorsmen. We were all concerned about Felix's agenda with Charlie and didn't trust him one whit. The feelings coming from him when he interacted with Bella's Father were a mixture of admiration, determination and of a strange longing. Edward told us, when we were far away from the house breaking in our new rifles, that his thoughts were consistent with what I had read from his emotional state. He thought of Charlie as a father figure and wanted to prove himself to be a 'good son'. What had brought it on and what the end result would be were questions that had us baffled. We only knew it could easily become an explosive situation. We had made a habit of silently protecting Charlie Swan long before he'd even really knew us; we would make sure he continued to be protected. Only now, we could do it openly, with him aware of our presence.

So it was that today I found myself in the deep woods of the Olympic Mountain Range, along with Charlie, Edward, Emmett and Felix. It was hunting season for black bears, mountain lions, geese and mourning doves. Charlie's eyes got huge as we unzipped our duffel bags to reveal our shiny new 'toys'. Had we done something wrong already?

"You boys expecting to find some really big game out here?" Charlie said with a low whistle. Emmett had acquired our rifles yesterday. Had he gotten the wrong gear?

"We just don't want to miss anything." Emmett said back with a grin.

"Hopefully there'll be some animal left to take back and clean." Charlie said as he examined Edward's T-Rex .577 Rifle. "This is usually used to hunt big game in Africa--like charging Rhinos or elephants."

"Oh," Edward lied smoothly to cover his tracks. "Huh? This is the rifle I've always used." He said fingering his toy of one day.

"And this one," Charlie added pointing to Emmett's Two-Bore Custom Rifle. "Powerful and with a double punch."

"Gee, I just thought it looked pretty." Emmett said a little sheepishly.

"Jasper, you've got a genuine Weatherby Mark V. That's the rifle most copied by other gun makers in the world." He took it from my hands and looked it over appreciatively. "That is a real beauty." He clucked as he handed it back to me before looking at Felix's gun and chuckled under his breath. "Who picked out your gun for you?" He said with suppressed amusement. He was a smart man and knew better than to openly mock the fearsome menace.

"Emmett gave me this yesterday. Does it work?" Felix asked Charlie, quick to defer to him as the expert.

"I'm sure it works." Charlie said as he looked Edward's way for a moment. Then he returned to Felix and said. "This is a Daisy Red Rider BB Gun. They must really want to challenge you to keep up with them. My Dad gave me one of these when I was a kid for Christmas. It really brings back memories." Charlie seemed to be taken over by a wave of melancholy. Felix's emotions went from anger to smugness as Charlie's mood went from amused to wistful.

Then Charlie seemed to snap out of it and reach into his own bag to pull out a pretty impressive looking 'toy' of his own.

"What kind of rifle do you have there, Charlie?" Felix asked amiably.

"Oh this baby?" Charlie said while he snapped the loaded cartridge into place with the finesse of a practiced rifleman. "This is a .700 Nitro Express Bolt Action Rifle. Most powerful rifle there is." He grinned as he eyed the fire power around him.

"Where'd you get it?" Felix added in amazement.

Charlie looked over at Edward with a fond smile. "A present from Edward, a year ago for my birthday." He responded without missing a beat. That comment left Edward with a feeling of satisfaction while Felix felt agitated again. I walked casually closer to him and sent a subtle calm his way. Felix was unaware of my gift or how it worked and I aimed to keep it that way.

Charlie started to examine the ground. "Let's see if we can find some animal tracks." He muttered. While his head was lowered, we reached out with our senses to 'smell' the woods around us and sense where the animals were. I knew instantly there was a heard of Elk about a half mile to our west. It was hard to reign in my instinct to actually 'hunt' with Charlie so close by.

"I think I heard something to the west." Emmett whispered. "Let's check it out." He added cocking his long barreled Church Rifle. We all padded off into the trees, guns readied. Walking at a human pace, it took us a good eight minutes to advance with Charlie in the lead. He stopped behind a tree when he'd spotted the herd. Then he pulled his rifle stock to his face and lined up his sites. The report of his rifle as it blasted in a deadly path for the elk that was the farthest away echoed through the silence and scattered the rest of the herd.

"Yes!" Charlie said, happy to get the first kill. At the same moment another scent was carried to us on a breeze to the north. It was black bear and it smelled like more than one. Emmett was getting excited now.

"Hey, I gotta go find a tree to water. Carry on and I'll find you guys when I'm done." Emmett said with a significant look at Edward and me. We nodded back at him. Edward and I would have to stick close to Charlie just in case. The bear did smell fairly far away…

"I have to go too." Felix said suddenly. "And I don't want to get lost out here." He trailed after Emmett and as soon as they were out of sight, they were gone. Charlie deftly took charge of the kill while Edward and I tried to control our thirst and look like this were an everyday occurrence at the same time.

He had Edward and I haul the carcass and meat back to our base 'camp' where it was laid out to await our departure. Shortly thereafter, Felix and Emmett returned sated and with faint trace of color to their cheeks.

"Felix, looks like you fell and ripped your shirt there." Charlie observed.

"What? Oh, yeah. Emmett pushed me." He replied shrugging it off.

We set out to the south and happened upon a small lake teeming with a flock of geese. We took turns shooting at them. I could see what Charlie meant about 'shredding' the animals with our high-end guns and ammo.

It pleased Felix as he brought down three geese to present to Charlie.

This was about the time that Emmett got bored and decided to make it more fun by throwing 'trajectory' probability into the fray. This would also slow the bullet down somewhat.

"Okay, I think I can shoot at this rock, have the bullet bounce off and then hit that tree over there before angling up to hit one of those doves.

"You're on." I announced. I knew there was no way he could accurately predict where the bullet would land when they were hitting uneven surfaces.

Emmett lined up his sites and with the flick of his finger sent his bullet soaring. It hit the rock, went to the tree and the remains of a squirrel dropped to the ground. "Well," He said with a shrug. "Not exactly a dove, but it was a flying squirrel.

Edward tried next. The recoil of his T-Rex almost sent him backwards into Charlie but he managed to stand his ground. His bullet split the boulder in half to Charlie's low whistle. He would have been impressed with his daughter's boulder splitting left-hook the day she'd awoken to immortality.

Then Edward took his turn feigning a 'call of nature' when the scent of mountain lion came in from another gust to the north. I thought I'd join him but didn't want to leave Charlie with only Emmett in case Felix decided to try something. We spent the next hour trying to one-up each other with our ricocheting bullets. When Edward finally returned we were tiring of the game. And since everyone else had hunted, I felt a little unsatisfied. In the end, I wandered off to do a little hunting on my own.

I finally found the scent of yet another bear that I took down and then finished up with an elk before I found the others back at our base 'camp' waiting for me. As I got closer, I realized Edward was really upset and shirtless. Emmett was sullen about something. Felix seemed unaffected but Charlie was panicked. I wondered what in the world had happened.

"Good! There you are!" Charlie said as soon as he spied me. I guessed that whatever the crisis was, Charlie had taken charge as the 'oldest' person there. "We need to get to Carlisle. Emmett just shot Edward's ear off."

That was when Edward turned his head to me, where on his left side he held his t-shirt wadded up with blood on it to his ear. He rolled his eyes at me in exasperation. Okay, the blood, which smelled of elk, was clearly a prop, as was the shirt. But had Emmett really shot off Edward's ear? Just an hour ago, I had watched as a bullet cracked a granite boulder with the force of its explosion.

It was possible that with the small amount of tissue connecting the ear to the head, that with sufficient 'firepower', it might 'chip' off. But it would have been extremely painful. Also at point blank range, Edward's sensitive hearing might have caused him even more discomfort.

I focused all of my attention on him. "Are you alright?" I asked him slowly as I grabbed hold of his right arm to strengthen the wave of calm I sent out to him.

He smiled faintly as he turned his head away from a hovering Charlie and briefly removed the wadded up T-shirt to show me his ear, reattached with an angry red line down the side. The venom had yet to complete the healing process but it was definitely on the mend.

"He stood right behind me and took his shot." Edward muttered darkly.

"I wasn't aiming at his ear, I was shooting for a goose in the sky--got him too!" Emmett said too brightly. Then almost as an afterthought and much quieter he added, "I just forgot about the double barrel."

"What in the world were you thinking Emmett?" I hissed at him. I loved Emmett like a true brother but his horse play had hurt my other brother.

"Relax Jasper, and don't worry about reading me the riot act. Charlie beat you to it." Emmett was getting over his sullenness and his regular unruffled demeanor was returning. "I didn't mean to. Have you ever heard of an 'accident'?" Emmett shrugged. "Anyway, I owed him for the' leg pretzel' incident.

I worked to calm myself while Charlie's temper flared apparently for a second time. "I have a mind to take away your hunting license Emmett and maybe your gun permit too. You seem to have no regard for your brother's injury. Maybe with your father being a brilliant surgeon, you feel he can stitch together anything, but guns are dangerous. I'm surprised at you. You act as though you've never handled a gun before and never been taught about gun safety. You should never shoot a high-powered rifle with someone that close and in the front of your gun's barrel. You don't even appear to be sorry for what you've done."

Emmett sighed. "Sorry Bro." He said as he clapped Edward's shoulder.

His mood was not remorseful, just his expression. This was a show for Charlie's sake. I could change that. "Man oh man, I wouldn't want to be around when Bella sees what you've done." I was ready to send a healthy dose of fear his way but apparently it was unnecessary. At the mention of Bella's reaction to his handiwork, his mood matched his now horrified expression.

"I'm taking my gun education seriously." Felix said in an obvious brown-nose move. Everyone turned and fixed a stare in his direction. He shrugged and held his Red Rider BB Gun as though he were Davey Crockett himself.

We quickly loaded up and headed back to Charlie's Escalade when we noticed high above us, a large bird circling our clearing. As it got closer, Charlie got his rifle out and almost shot the flying animal when Emmett pushed Charlie's gun barrel downwards and yelled, "Stop! It's Aurora!"

Sure enough, Emmett's dragon flew lower and lower, finally landing on Emmett's shoulder. She was very pleased at locating us. It took me a fraction of a second to realize that Charlie and Felix had never seen her and they were both in shock.

"Is that what I think it is? Charlie asked incredulously as the little dragon licked the side of Emmett's face with a quick dart of her snake-like tongue.

"A dragon," Felix murmured. "You got this in the Amazon?"

Emmett cocked his head in thought before responding, "Actually I did get it in the Amazon. She thinks I'm her momma." He added proudly. Then he looked intently at her. "What's that?" He listened to her unspoken words and both he and Edward's eyes grew in alarm as she delivered her message.

"No!" Edward moaned. "We've got to get back to the house at once!"

Then Emmett added, "The baby is coming now! And Alice sees trouble arriving."

***

**Alice's POV**

It was Thursday, September 18th. The sultry summer days continued beneath the canopy of gray. I had foreseen that the coming storm would hold off until dusk. So the boys had left just before noon to hunt in the Olympic Mountains with Charlie. They had me look into Mia and her baby's future, but even though I could now see the wolves and half-breeds much better, Mia was a blur to me—much like Bella had been while carrying Nessie. Their future was so precariously interwoven and it shifted from moment to moment by random chance.

I had big plans today. Rosalie and Nessie were off to school. Jacob was working on his 'rat racer' over in the auto shop. Carlisle was in his office reading medical journals. Bella was upstairs for her shift with Mia. And Demetri and Nahuel was out working in Emmett's zoo while Esme and I were having Leah and Sue over for the first fitting of their wedding dresses. Then we would all sit down to design their veils. I already had an idea to run past Leah, who had wanted fresh tropical flowers interwoven into a headband with a filmy white trail behind. I hoped she would approve of my sketches. I had 'seen' that she would, but Leah won't give me as free a reign as Bella had. Her choices had already altered my visions for her wedding more than once. Still, I did love a challenge!

Esme and I had just finished pinning their hems, with Seth's goo- natured wise cracks to keep us laughing, when Mia cried out.

"It's okay," I heard her say in a strained tone. The baby's just stretching."

"Don't move too quickly." Bella cautioned her. "Demetri, grab her under her arms and let her stretch out. Maybe that will give the baby a little more room for a moment without being in Mia's ribs too much."

"Like this?" Demetri asked tentatively. "How is that Mia? Does it help?" He added solicitously.

"Maybe," Mia responded in a small tired voice.

"How is my favorite patient doing?" Carlisle asked above us as he moved into Mia's room.

"Fine," Mia responded promptly.

"You know, you're almost 40 cm across in your abdomen right now. I'm surprised Edward hasn't heard the baby yet." Carlisle mused. "Well, take it easy and try to remain still.; no sudden movements. Demetri, can I talk with you in my office?"

I could hear the noise as Carlisle walked with Demetri into his office while Bella asked Mia if she was hungry for some lunch. She was and Seth stopped Esme from darting into the kitchen, leaving his mother in a half-pinned dress.

"Relax Esme, I've got this one. I was going to make myself a sandwich anyway. Anyone else?" Seth asked with a grin.

The grin was for the fact that the three of them had just eaten a rather large human lunch just an hour ago. Seth had a bad case of 'bottomless pit' syndrome. I had heard it was quite common with teenage human boys and apparently shape shifters as well.

"Okay," Esme said agreeably as she continued with Sue's dress alterations. "The sandwich meat is…"

"Esme," Seth cut her off. "I know my way around YOUR kitchen." He shook his head in amusement and quickly went into the kitchen and stuck his head into the refrigerator.

For the next hour Esme and I finished our measurements while listening to Seth from the second floor. He had taken both his and Mia's sandwiches upstairs and was regaling her with tales from Quil's antics with his young imprint Claire. I had to admit, they were funny. I could have really gotten into Claire's princess birthday party, too. Of course, that was two years ago. Perhaps it was about time for her to celebrate again? He had Mia laughing and begging him to quit as her laughter was hurting her ribs.

"Seriously Mia, you're bigger than Bella was! You still cold?" Seth asked cordially. Apparently he had been keeping her warm as well.

"I'm much better now. Thanks Seth, and thanks for the sandwich too." Mia added as she yawned hugely.

"Well, I didn't think my stories were boring enough to put you to sleep." Seth said in mock consternation. He sighed. "I'll let you take a nap while I think of some more topics to bore you with later."

"Boring? I may need to check that definition again in the Italian to English Dictionary." Mia said under her breath. "I thought the word 'boring' meant 'monotonous and tedious'. But Seth makes it mean 'exciting and interesting'."

Seth was coming down the stairs when my vision suddenly came. One minute Leah was handing me her pinned wedding dress, and the next _I was looking from our darkened front room, a violent thunderstorm raging around us, the sounds of angry thunder accented the scene, and through the window, jagged lightning slashed across the sky. Suddenly the front door flew open and in the frame stood a darkened figure in a hooded cloak. I could not make out his features in the gloom of the vision, but there was no mistaking his words or the menace they carried with them._

"_Where is my hybrid?" The figure demanded before the entire vision faded back into the light of day and I was returned to reality._ Only now I was sitting on the floor, Leah's dress tossed to one side. Esme and Carlisle were both kneeling on the floor beside me while Leah, Seth and Sue looked on anxiously. I glanced out the window to see the clouds darkening. The storm was already approaching. The vision was coming soon.

Nahuel had come up from the zoo and heard about my vision. When Esme failed to reach our hunting party by cell phone, he darted out the back door muttering about an idea for getting a message to Emmett.

…

An hour later Renesmee and Rose returned from their day at school. Jacob had come up from the auto shop to greet them. Bella had traded shifts with Leah and was with us too. Nahuel and Seth had joined Leah as she took her watch upstairs. I had a brief worry over Renesmee; she was a vampire hybrid too. Everyone was anxious about who was coming and what it meant. There was no mistaking the danger the cloaked stranger presented or the threat in his tone. Bella clutched Nessie to her while Jacob paced back and forth. Rosalie was biting her lower lip in worry.

"Can you see anything in your stone?" Carlisle asked.

"Yes, Aro is in Volterra and he's on his cell phone talking to someone." I said as I once again stared into my translucent stone. "Maybe he's speaking with whoever is coming."

"Esme," Carlisle said calmly with pursed lips. "Have you been able to reach the boys on their cells yet?"

"No, they must be out of range." Esme said with a frown. "I have left them all messages and I have been calling them every five minutes."

"How much time do you estimate that we have left, Alice?" Carlisle added in haste.

"It's hard to know precisely. It looked as though the power had gone out at the house, so the clocks were stopped. But I think we have at least three or four more hours."

"Okay," Carlisle said.

"I don't like it." Jacob said still pacing. "Aro has to know that Mia isn't quite due yet. Why would he send someone now? This could be someone after Nessie."

The conversation was ended by Mia's cry of pain from upstairs.

"Carlisle, the baby needs to come now!" This urgent statement was made from Seth, still upstairs.

"But Seth, Edward hasn't even heard the baby yet." Bella told him.

"And I can't get any kind of a mental lock on it either." Demetri added.

"I don't know about any of that." Seth said dismissing their objections. "But the baby is in distress and is ready to be born RIGHT NOW. Carlisle, come quick!"

Seth surprised me. I had never known him to be unreasonable or demanding before. This was out of character for him. I watched as Carlisle literally flew up the stairs.

"Calm down, Seth," He said with authority. "What makes you think it's time already?"

"The baby is coming now. I can just tell. Can't you?" Seth said urgently.

There was a pause before Carlisle replied. "You know, I think you're right Seth. Edward's not here, so maybe Nessie can help us communicate with the baby. Nessie!"

When Nessie arrived upstairs a fraction of a second later, Carlisle explained that he wanted her to send the baby a 'thought' message, telling the baby to be calm and we would get it out safely. Nessie had to broadcast the thought out as she had no 'energy of light' associated with the unborn baby. Then Mia was moved across the hall and into Carlisle's office that Esme had just finished prepping for the C-Section.

Then I had a second vision. In this one, I 'saw' Aurora landing on Emmett's shoulder with a mental message to get home. Edward heard it too. Why Edward was holding a bloody shirt to his ear wasn't clear to me.

"Okay, I can use the assistance of anyone who can deal with the blood." Carlisle said taking charge. I knew I was out. I wasn't planning on hunting until after we were done with our wedding planning for the day. I could handle it from here if I concentrated but I wasn't about to become a liability upstairs. I looked over at Esme and knew that she was in the same boat. Sue might have been a good choice, but she had left right after my vision. Jacob had taken off to run patrols around the house to see if he caught any unknown scent. Bella and Rosalie walked quietly up the stairs to assist Carlisle in the birth.

***

**Seth's POV**

Things went in fast forward after Mia was moved into Carlisle's office. Her room quickly emptied leaving Nessie and I staring at each other with bewildered faces. Across the hallway, I could see Mia laid out on an operating table with a green sheet draped over her. Carlisle had deftly administered an epidural catheter directly into her spine that caused her to lose sensation from the waist down. He had Bella putting on surgical gloves so she could pass instruments to him and Rosalie was up near Mia's head monitoring readouts from the machines and preparing a baby blanket. Demetri was putting his collected venom inside a metal syringe before he went over to Mia's side and took her hand.

I was about to take Renesmee downstairs. Clearly this wasn't something for her to see, and it didn't look as though Mia would need to hear any more 'funnies' from my ever growing repertoire any time soon. It was definitely time for Nessie and me to exit stage left.

Carlisle turned to look at us from the opened door of his office/operating room as we entered the hall from Mia's room. With his great powers of deduction, he guessed my plan. "Where exactly do you two think you're going?" He asked in surprise.

Did I miss something? I'd just finished my glorious high school career. Now, maybe some big fancy high schools have a set-up for learning emergency surgery procedures. But over in LaPush in high school, we counted ourselves 'with the times' by making an awesome canoe and crafting a really wicked totem pole--the end.

"Carlisle, I was absent the day we dissected rats in Biology class." I explained with a shrug. His office was already crowded anyway. Plus everyone in there looked like they knew what they were doing—even Bella. Bet she never missed a day of Biology class. She was a pretty smart cookie even before she went all vamp on us. "And Nessie is kind of young…" I added letting my objection trail off as I realized Carlisle had a specific assignment in mind for me.

"Edward is not here. We need you and Nessie to keep the baby calm while we work to get it safely born."

"You need Nessie to broadcast some more?" I asked in confusion. I didn't feel as anxious as before, or was that as a direct result of Nessie's broadcasting. I hadn't thought of that!

"I need you two to sit in the corner over there out of the way." He told Nessie and me as he gestured to the desk that was pushed back against the window. "You were the first one to notice the baby's distress, so watch out for it, and if it happens again, have Nessie send out her calming wave. We have to get the baby out fast once we start." Then he looked me in the eye and added, "And I may need you to step in if someone here loses control."

I nodded and took Nessie to the window and sat down with her in my lap at Carlisle's desk. I started to wish I had paid more attention to medical shows, like 'House' and 'ER'. Surely they would have prepared me for this wonderful experience.

"Okay Mia," Carlisle began in a comforting tone. "You will feel a tugging sensation but you shouldn't feel any pain. Let me know if you do, alright?" She nodded apprehensively while Demetri leaned over and gently kissed her forehead.

"I love you," He quietly reminded her. She smiled warmly at him.

"I love you too." She told him. Her voice faltered. She was scared. Of course, I was scared too. And I was about as much of a spectator there as possible.

"Alright, I am going to make our first incision. There will be some blood, so if you need to take a deep breath to hold, now is your moment to do so." Carlisle said looking at each vampire in turn before Bella handed him the scalpel and he bent to Mia's lower abdomen.

Things seemed to be going well. I mean, no one 'freaked ou't having a blood lust and Carlisle didn't say 'Oops'. That would have been bad. Only once when he used his vampire teeth to cut the vampiric amniotic sac (a new word I learned just today), did I sense the baby's apprehension as the sound of tearing metal screeched though my ear drums. I had Nessie send out another wave of calm. The whole thing was going pretty smoothly—as far as I could tell. I was glad that me and Nessie could help keep the baby from hurting Mia now. Renesmee and Nahuel—as hybrids--were pretty cool and I knew that Nahuel had been haunted by the memory of his mother's death. No, Mia and Demetri's baby didn't need to have that kind of baggage to carry around. Plus, Mia was a pretty nice lady. She'd make a great Mom, but only if she lived, of course.

I was startled out of my reverie when the baby was out and Rosalie was vacuuming out it's lungs with her funny bulb. It had only taken about five minutes. What an amazing doctor! As the baby cried and Carlisle pronounced it a girl, I realized, in wonder, that I had just witnessed the miracle of life.

Carlisle cut the cord and Rosalie had her wrapped in a warm blanket before she passed her into Mia's waiting arms.

"My baby!" She said as the baby looked up into her eyes before burrowing into Mia's arm. I immediately felt the baby's hunger and quickly explained to Nessie to broadcast to the baby to wait and not bite her mother. I'd almost missed that one.

Demetri laughed in delight. Carlisle and Bella were working quickly to finish up the operation so Mia's transformation could begin.

"She's beautiful! Hello my little Ava Isabella. I'm your mommy." The baby looked at Mia and smiled. I didn't know if I'd say she was beautiful. She was covered in bloody, slimy stuff so it was kind of hard to tell. It must be a mother thing. "This is your Daddy." Mia crooned as the baby wrapped her hand around Demetri's finger and looked over at him with another smile. I had to admit, even with the grossness factor, it was still really cool.

I was just starting to think that Mia had gotten off pretty easy, considering Bella's ordeal, when her luck ran out. She got a dazed look in her eyes and pushed the baby towards Demetri. "Take her." She said with as much force as her weak voice would allow. Demetri immediately took his daughter from Mia as she sunk into unconsciousness.

"What's going on?" Demetri asked in alarm. "Mia? Sweetheart? Can you hear me?" His cries were accented by a bolt of lightning that hit so close by, it shook the window next to Nessie and me and caused us to both jump. Mia's heart, that was beating a steady rhythm, just moments before, faltered and stopped. "No! Mia you can't leave me now."

Rosalie immediately started CPR and kept Mia's heart going.

"Demetri," It was Carlisle's voice. "It is time for you to enact her change. Hand the baby to Seth. Seth, take Ava and Renesmee downstairs, now."

The next thing I knew I was handed the bundled up baby and had Renesmee's hand in my free one. I was only too glad to get out of there. We were going WAY out of my comfort zone, to say nothing of the trauma this could pose for Nessie.

The baby seemed content as we made our way out of the room and the chaos that surrounded Mia's transformation. Alice and Esme met us at the foot of the stairs. Esme took the little bundle from me with a smile and took her into the kitchen where a plastic wash tub was set up with warm water. Before I knew it, little Ava was startled at being lowered into the warm water but seemed to enjoy the bath after the surprise of it was over.

Like Renesmee, she seemed more advanced than your normal newborn. She smiled up at Esme as she was washed clean. As the slime washed off, I could tell that she had a full head of hair; shoulder length and straight black. It was as dark as my own. Alice came over with baby pajamas. The outfit was a one piece with attached socks. There were beautiful pastel colors throughout it and a designer tag on the left side. Trust Alice to be prepared with trendy newborn clothes!

My attention turned to the noises upstairs as I heard Carlisle give Demetri a command to focus while I could hear him bite and moan as the blood must have tempted his resolve--a frenzy threatened him. '_Hold it together man!' _I thought to him as though I could send him my own resolve.

That was when a thought hit me. Nessie could send him a thought of focus and resolve. "Nessie!" I yelled as I turned towards her. I quickly explained my idea to her and she nodded her head.

"I can give that a try." She said as she closed her eyes and a look of deep concentration settled on her face. When she finally looked back up at me, we could hear Carlisle's voice from the floor above us.

"That is much better Demetri! There you go. You're doing great. Rosalie, you can stop your CPR, Mia's heart is working on its own again. Let's get the epidural out. She should wake up any time now. (A longer pause) Demetri that will do; Mia will be fine now." Carlisle reassured him. I heard Demetri sigh in relief. His sigh was echoed by those of us on the first floor.

"Okay Ava Isabella, your Mommy is going to be okay now. Let's get you all dressed up and fed. Are you hungry?" Esme said gently with a touch of a tone adults seemed to use when speaking to babies. Apparently Ava agreed with the need for food. It was clear to sense her anticipation of being fed—something I could definitely relate to!

"She's ready for the good stuff!" I piped up as I started rummaging through the cupboards. "Where are the steel bottles at?"

Esme looked at me quizzically. "They're in the dishwasher. I just finished sterilizing them." I spun around looking for her built in dishwasher. "I thought you said you knew your way around my kitchen, Seth!" She added in a soft teasing tone.

"Hey, I'm the dishwasher at my house." I replied in self defense. "Now where's the blood?" I added as I turned to the refrigerator and brought out a bag from the very back. Jacob came in and showed me how to warm it up for a baby and assemble the bottle. I guessed he remembered the trick to it from when Nessie was little. Good thing too, since now as an old dog, he couldn't learn any new tricks.

I was somewhat startled when I felt some more emotions coming from the new baby. She had heard my voice and was anxious for me to hold her. It was very unsettling. Perhaps it was because she knew I had her food.

"Look, little Ava is looking for Seth!" Esme said sweetly. I looked over to see the little head of dark hair turned in my direction. No, on closer inspection, she was leaning out of Esme's hands in a strained effort to get my attention. "We need to feed her before she goes back upstairs to be around her Mother." Esme said matter-of-factly. "We don't need her biting Mia. Seth, it looks as though you've been chosen for the honors."

I held up the steel bottle triumphantly now full of warmed blood and ready for the little blood sucker.

"Go sit down on the couch and I'll bring her to you." Esme said as Alice handed her the blanket to wrap around the now clean and dressed baby girl. _'As if I'd drop her'_, I thought as I rolled my eyes but went to sit down in the front room.

Esme, Alice and Jacob all hovered as I took baby Ava into my arms again. Jacob showed me how to angle the bottle just so. Okay, so maybe he felt responsible as my Alpha or something, but it was a little annoying. I HAD successfully completed my 'baby' training in High School health class where a plastic baby about the size of Ava had been the boss of me for an entire week.

Of course, Ava was nothing like that 'robotic doll' baby. Ava was soft and warm. Her heartbeat was a soft fluttering beat; same as Nessie and Nahuel's. And she was so happy in my arms that it was hard to focus on anything else. She was so adorable too, with chubby baby cheeks and brown eyes with tiny flecks of green in the center—and her eyelashes, so thick; they really set her eyes off beautifully--eyes that took in everyone around her before they settled on my own.

I hadn't realized I had stopped breathing as I looked at the wondrous little person I held in my arms and she sucked down the bottle of blood. She was the most exquisite creature I had ever laid eyes on. And I knew her—somehow. I felt as though I'd known her my entire life, or perhaps that my entire life had only just begun now--with her. I wasn't sure. Nothing else existed for me in that moment except for my newest family member; my charge, my sister, my friend, my soul mate--my little Ava Isabella. But I knew suddenly that she was my responsibility to love, to cherish…to protect. TO PROTECT!!!!!!

I felt an icy cold fear stab in my gut as a dread seeped over me. "Alice! When is the stranger coming?" I asked alarmed. "I've got to get her out of here!" I said as I abruptly stood and held her protectively to me.

"At least another hour, but the boys will be back in two minutes so we can come up with a plan of action." She said relieving my tension.

"Where are you taking my baby?" Demetri said. He had left his 'still unconscious' wife's side and hung at the top of the stairs where he looked down at me.

"Demetri, someone's coming for Ava!" I replied frantically. "I have to hide her."

Demetri's eyes narrowed. He slowly walked down the stairs, staring at me the entire time. He approached me and confusion crossed his face. He reached out for his daughter and I reluctantly handed her to him.

"Hello little Ava," He said as he kissed her forehead and then her cheek and inhaled. I presumed to smell her sweet aroma. A small frown crossed his face. Then he put his forehead to hers and held her in his tender embrace for a protracted moment. His eyes closed. Ava was as content in his arms as she had been in my own.

Jacob gave me a loaded glance and mock punched my arm. I rolled my eyes and sighed. He'd guessed correctly, I had just imprinted. But the joy of it was overpowered by my unease at Ava's danger from an unknown enemy. Or was the threat unknown? I knew Aro had many resources at his disposal.

***

**Edward's POV**

With a screech of brakes Charlie's Escalade pulled to a quick stop in front of the house. I had to give it to my father-in-law, when there was a need for speed he showed no hesitation as he broke out his portable flashing police light and siren and took the back roads to the house at speeds that approached 100 mph. Once home, we quickly exited the SUV. None of us tried to put up a façade for Charlie's sake as we whizzed into the house at break-neck speeds.

"What is going on?" I asked as I scooped up Renesmee automatically and checked her over for any signs of trauma.

I was able, through Jasper's gift, reading from his mind that everyone meeting us in the room was tense and frightened. This feeling was accented by the low moans of pain that issued from Carlisle's office up stairs. I could hear Mia's thoughts about fire and burning. Nahuel and Leah were with her and it was Nahuel whose calm voice tried to sooth her distress. That momentarily distracted me as I read into his thoughts.

'_Mother, I could not save you but Mia I can help…and so I will. In honor of your memory, I will watch over Mia as I could not watch over you. I love you Pire.'_ Nahuel was certainly very resourceful when it came to finding ways to bring more focus and meaning into his actions.

'_We have a situation Edward.'_ This was from Carlisle's thoughts. _'It may involve Aro.'_ Already? Even we had not known the baby would come early. How would he have known? Felix was with us and we had no cell phone signal. Neither were his thoughts on anything besides hunting and my father-in-law.

Just the thought of Aro and his last visit to Forks made me look over with worry at my Bella who had just come down the stairs. She would not want Nessie in harm's way and I wouldn't want either of them facing danger. I simply could not bear to have them hurt. I looked back at the little bronze-haired beauty in my arms. "Are you alright?" I asked Renesmee as I clutched her to me and kissed the top of her head while rubbing her back.

"I'm fine Dad," She mumbled into my chest but the relief was in her voice as well_. 'I'm really glad you're back. Everyone's been acting strangely. Oh, and me and Seth got to be there when baby Ava Isabella was born. It was so cool! And you should have seen Grandfather and Mom! Did you know Mom was a surgeon too?'_

I caught a thought that stood out; another's sense of relief. It came from Seth. _'I already knew the instinct to protect was pretty strong for Edward; I just never understood it until now.'_

Jasper had already sent a calming wave into the room to help everyone relax enough to think. He was surprised that it had little effect on Demetri or Seth. I focused on them.

Demetri's eyes were closed as he held his baby, their foreheads touching. _'Why can't I get any kind of reading on you, my sweet little one? No mental tenor to pick up, no scent to track either. Oh, I hope there is nothing wrong with you. And what is Seth going on about? He seems as upset about the threat of danger to Ava as I am. I wonder if they will mind if I take her and go back up stairs to be with Mia. Well, in a minute. I want to ask Edward if he can hear my daughter at all.'_ An interesting question because I could not hear a thing from her; which would explain why I'd missed her advanced development.

Seth stood directly to Demetri's side and every so often, his hands would involuntarily move towards the baby before he would pull them back. If his actions didn't give him away, his thoughts certainly did.

'_How can I possibly protect Ava? She is a Volturi hybrid. But that is not her fault. And yet because she is, she needs the most protection there is. Somehow I have to find a way to provide that protection. Somehow I must be strong enough…somehow.'_ Now why would Seth be so concerned about the newborn?

Everyone had filed into the front room by then and Alice explained once again about her vision. As she recalled it, I pulled it straight from her head into my own. There was a loaded minute of silence that was broken by Felix, who stood closest to the door.

"Someone's coming for their hybrid?" _'Aro doesn't waste any time. Does he suspect foul play?'_ He asked as his eyes got bigger and he looked over at Charlie, who was a little overwhelmed by the turn of events. "It could be someone sent by Aro. I've got to get Charlie out of here!" Felix's thoughts were in line with his words. _'No, I just found Charlie. I have to keep him out of harm's way.'_

"No," Charlie said. "If there is going to be trouble. I need to stay. I am a trained policeman." He said grimly. _'No one's going to hurt my family. I know enough to understand Nessie is probably this hybrid in question. But if some random stranger thinks they can threaten my kids, they've got another thing coming. Bella, Edward and Nessie only get hurt over my dead body.'_ While his thoughts were heartwarming, they chilled me to the bone. His last remark had an ominous undertone.

"These guys are bullet-proof Charlie." Felix said, willing him to accept his pronouncement's inherent danger. "Where is there a safe place for Charlie to go?" Felix surprised me. He was speaking truth. He was determined to 'hide' Charlie, if necessary, from Aro—his master.

"LaPush," Jacob said in consternation. '_And if you don't mind Edward, I'd feel a lot safer if you'd let me take Renesmee there as well. You know that with two packs of werewolves, we are well up to the job.'_

I nodded my head as I looked my daughter over. I wasn't ready to let her go with danger coming; even though I knew she would be safest, out of harm's way, with Jacob .

My mind picked up another thought from Seth. _'I know how Edward feels. I feel the same way about little Ava now.'_ My eyes flashed to him again as he looked at the newborn still in Demetri's embrace. Seth slowly turned probably feeling my gaze on him. I cocked my eyebrow in question. There was only one reason Seth would have for becoming so fiercely worried and protective of the new little life. He nodded once and he released his guard unable to conceal his mental anguish. _'How can I possibly keep her out of harm's way, Edward? Her Father will never understand what has changed for me. She's a newborn baby on a collision course with peril.'_

"Maybe your right Jacob. Give me a minute first." I said in answer to Jacob's suggestion of LaPush.

I walked over to my beautiful wife. As I approached her, Renesmee leaned out of my arms for her mother's. She seemed to sense her departure. I leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on my Bella's lips. "Thank you for helping Carlisle today sweetheart," I told her softly. Bella was the most remarkable woman I had ever met. As I stared into her eyes I was struck again by just how lucky I was to have her be mine. I hugged her and Nessie briefly before I patted her back and continued on to Demetri.

"Is this your new baby?" I asked Demetri quietly.

"Yes," Demetri said as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at me. His face was a mixture of joy and distress. I completely understood his feelings. "This is Ava Isabella. Edward, I can't get any kind of a mental lock on her whatsoever. I can hear her heartbeat, see the color in her cheeks, but I can't smell anything from her. Can you?"

"No, I can't 'hear' anything from her mind. For some reason I cannot catch any scent off of her either. Jasper?" I inclined my head towards my brother. "Can you feel any emotions coming from little Ava?"

Jasper came forward as though testing his senses. I knew his answer before he spoke it. "No, though I can feel everyone else's in the room."

"I can feel her emotions." Seth said quickly. Every face turned towards him. "She is happy in her Father's arms, though she is wondering where her mother is."

I looked at him more intently. "If you can tell that she is 'happy' to be with her Father, yet 'wondering where' her Mother is, then you are doing more than feeling her thoughts—you're reading her thoughts as well." I pursed my lips. "Can you smell a scent around her?"

"Sure," Seth said earnestly. "I'm surprised no one else can. She has a smell of cinnamon and peaches with a hint of jasmine. It is almost intoxicating." Seth said with a smile as he looked at the baby girl who turned her gaze at him and smiling held out her tiny chubby hand to hold his. "There's nothing wrong with this little girl. She's perfect!" Then he directed his statement directly to her. "Aren't you Ava? You're special that's all."

From the exchange Seth was having with the newborn, the rest of the room was starting to see the truth of the profound experience Seth had just had. The word 'imprint' echoed in everyone's mind. Everyone's except for Felix and Demetri's. Already Esme and Bella were showering Seth with hugs of happiness and his sister even flew down the stairs, having heard in Seth's voice what we all had. She whooped and ran at him, picking him off the floor and spun him around.

"My little brother!!!!!" Leah said proudly. "Congratulations!" She finally put him down only to turn to Demetri. "May I?" She asked with a huge grin as she gestured to his daughter.

"Oh certainly," Demetri replied as he carefully moved Ava into Leah's waiting arms. _'Why do I feel like I'm missing something here? Well, at least Seth seems to be able to 'hear' and 'smell' her. At least that's something.'_

"She is beautiful Demetri." Leah breathed as she eyed little Ava with an almost gloating expression. "She looks so much like both you and Mia." Leah glanced up the stairs for a moment before retuning her glance to Demetri. "Do you mind if I take her up to see her mother? It might help her, and Mia has been asking for her."

"Yes, thank you Leah," Demetri said happier than before. "And will you tell Mia that I will be there in just a few minutes?"

Leah nodded before turning to kiss her brother affectionately on the cheek and taking the bundled baby up to see her mother.

Demetri followed their progress up the stairs and into the office. "Mia, look who I have brought to see you." Leah said from above us.

"Oh, my baby!"Mia crooned, her voice laced with pain and weariness. "Will you help me hold her?"

Demetri's eyes were closed as he listened to the exchange upstairs. A small smile played across his face. _'My sweet Mia, so brave, so pure. And she has given me such a gift—me…a FATHER!'_ Then Demetri opened his eyes and they fell on Seth's anxious face. _'What is going on with Seth? Something isn't right? And why can he hear and sense and smell my little Ava Isabella when no one else can? He knows why--they all know why.'_ "Explain," He said as a command, directed at the young shape shifter.

"Yes sir," Seth said hesitantly_. 'Feel free to jump in at any time here, Edward!'_ He'd thought my way before continuing his conversation with his new imprint's father. "Well, do you remember what I told you about Quil and little Claire? And also about Jacob and Renesmee?" Demetri gave him a stiff nod in response. His eyes seemed to darken imperceptibly. "Were you able to grasp the concept of how we, as Quileute werewolves imprint to find our other halves—our soul mates?" Demetri wasn't making it easy for Seth and he started to falter in his attempt to explain.

Felix let out a low whistle from the other side of the room. "How about that, Demetri! You get your complete family package when you come to the Cullens place! Two days ago your girlfriend became your wife and today you get a daughter and a son—all at once! What a deal!"

"Silence Felix!" Demetri commanded. He held up a hand in the big man's direction without looking at him. His face remained intent on Seth. "Are you trying to tell me that you have gone and done this imprinting ritual on my daughter—without my permission?" He was getting angry. _'How dare he?'_ I shot Jasper a look then I very pointedly turned my gaze from Jasper to Renesmee. I hoped that he would get my meaning. Thankfully he did. Jasper went over to Nessie and silently took her from Bella's arms. They went off to the far corner in the room where Jasper put his lips directly to her ear and explained what needed to be done. While they worked on some magic of their own, I interceded on Seth's behalf.

"Demetri, you are looking at this all wrong." I said in a conciliatory way. "Seth didn't do this on purpose. It's something that happens on its own. There was nothing that he did deliberately or behind your back. Plus, if you are worried about keeping her safe from Aro, she will need all the protectors she can get. This is a good thing; if you will give it a chance. Believe me! I know exactly how you feel!" I shot Jacob a glance in remembered irritation. _'Only Seth didn't make your life hell first!'_

I could tell the moment Nessie's 'Jasper enhanced' thought message hit him. Demetri's expression shifted from fury to sullenness and finally to thoughtfulness. He sighed and seemed to exhale all of the anger from his being. _'Well, I do like Seth. He is a good kid and he clearly loves my daughter.' _ "I'll consider this. But when she gets older SHE decides who she will love. And Mia and I are in charge of her life until then. If I ever feel that you are behaving yourself inappropriately around her, so help me it will be the last thing you will ever do." _'Let him sweat a little first, and know I mean it. These are so many new and intense emotions. Is it like this for all fathers?'_

Though Demetri's thoughts were directed to himself, I nodded with a wry expression on my face.

"Sir, I want to assure you that I by no means, have any inappropriate feelings towards your daughter. Her safety and well-being are my primary focus for now. And I am sorry about how this all happened so fast, with her being your newborn daughter and all, but if I ever were to behave inappropriately around her, I would come to you to face your wrath. You wouldn't need to track me down." Seth's promise was fervent and sincere. Demetri couldn't help but be touched. He nodded and gave Seth a small smile in response.

"Well, I guess if I'm going to be seeing you around more, you'd better stop with the 'sir' stuff right now." Demetri said reluctantly.

"Yes Sir," Seth said in relief. Then he laughed at his mistake. "I mean, Demetri."

'_Edward,'_ This from Carlisle. _'I'm pretty sure Ava is doing the same thing Nessie did with the gifts.' _ I nodded as Carlisle came forward to present his theory to Demetri. "I'm fairly certain that your daughter is doing the same thing that Renesmee does. She has reversed your gift."

"What do you mean exactly?" Demetri said. _'Reversed my gift--of tracking?'_

"You can find anyone," Carlisle said before silently adding, _'…except for Bella.'_

"And no one can find her." I finished Carlisle's thought as I put together his reasoning aloud.

"Right!" Carlisle said agreeably. "And somehow, as his imprint, Seth has an unusual link to Ava that allows him to find her. He alone seems to be able to catch a scent to her--quite unusual really." He mused.

"So if I, being a highly gifted tracker can't find her…" Demetri said as he began to slowly pace the floor. "Then Aro shouldn't be able to either."

"It would stand to reason." Carlisle responded.

'_How much do I trust Seth? Could I trust him to keep Ava safe from our threat? A threat that could be here in as few as thirty minutes?'_ Demetri thought as he paced back and forth before finally deciding and standing before Seth. "How far away is this LaPush location? _'If he tried to double-cross me, I could still track him. But somehow, I don't think he would. No, Seth is completely trustworthy—I'm sure of it. And he is completely loyal to my little Ava. This could work.'_

"From here LaPush is about twenty minutes away in a car. Thirty minutes running, but only because you have to go around the town of Forks." Seth said.

"If you were to take Ava to LaPush with Charlie…"

"And I am going and taking Nessie too," Jacob interjected. I sighed and nodded my agreement. Bella stiff stance relaxed at the knowledge Renesmee would be out of the path of unknown danger.

Demetri nodded absently. "Then with Ava gone and there being no scent or evidence of her arrival, if the threat coming is Aro or someone sent from Aro, they will have no way of knowing Ava is alive and well."

"We could say she didn't survive the birth." I said catching up to the page Demetri was already on. He was thinking out loud so there were no thoughts to read before he spoke.

Demetri continued, "I doubt that I could keep it from Aro for long, but this would buy us some time to get Mia's needs addressed and come up with a better solution."

"I like it," Jasper said with his first real smile since we'd returned from our hunting expedition. "With an untraceable Ava, it has every chance of working. Excellent strategy, Demetri," He added in admiration. "There's more to you than just tracking."

"I've just been with the Volturi too long to not pick up their battle sense." Demetri added dryly before turning again to Seth. Though he was so much younger than Demetri, they looked the same age, with Seth a good foot taller than the vampire. "Are you willing to take my daughter and go with Jacob and Charlie?"

"Absolutely, I'll go to my mother's house." Seth said earnestly. "And I have the cell phone Edward gave me. He can give you the number. You can call me when the danger has passed. Then I'll bring her back." _'Thank you for allowing me to take care of her. I won't let you down. I won't let little Ava down!'_ He added mentally in relief.

"Good," Demetri said before clasping Seth on the shoulder and bringing him in an awkward near-hug. "Give me a minute with Mia, and I'll bring her down to you."

And with that Demetri was back up the stairs.

…

It was ten minutes later when Charlie's Escalade roared to life with Charlie, Jacob, Seth, Renesmee and baby Ava inside it. The storm raged on as they left to make their way to the tiny reservation on the coast. We listened but only heard the sounds of rain, distant thunder and Mia's frantic heartbeats from Carlisle's office that competed in volume with her low moans and gasps. We waited on pins and needles. Demetri was back at Mia's side. Felix stared out the front window with arms folded. His thoughts flickered between worry for Charlie and anger at Aro for checking up on them. My family tried to appear as normal as possible, though they fooled no one. I sat at my piano and quietly played the tune I had written for Renesmee last Valentine's Day.

After a few minutes Bella came and sat beside me. She wrapped her arm around my waist and whispered to me. "So, when were you going to tell me what happened to your ear? It looks as though it's half healed from being torn from your body. What happened?" She sounded suspicious but also concerned. My little tiger kitten was so cute!

"Emmett needs to get better aim when he shoots, that's all." I said in an off-handed voice.

"Are you telling me Emmett SHOT OFF YOUR EAR!!!!!!" Bella was no longer a tiger kitten with tiger kitten rage. She was a Mother she-cat. And I was apparently her injured cub.

"Uh-oh!" Emmett said slowly, a fraction of a second before he was bodily thrown through the front window. Felix barely stepped out of his path as shards of glass rained down on him. Emmett was thrown much further than I'd realized when with a loud crash he'd broken through the electric pole. I had to admit, I was impressed. Of course, the pole toppled over plunging the house into darkness.

"You'd better run Emmett! I'm not through with you yet!" Bella screamed in fury at him. Felix fell to his knees in a fit of laughter.

From outside we could hear Emmett's voice through the sheeting rain, "Rose, help me out here. Please!"

"Ha!" Rosalie said smugly. "Just be thankful you hurt Edward and not Renesmee—or you'd have both of us to run away from!"

"There's never a dull moment around this house is there?" Felix asked again as he caught his breath before the laughter began again.

I ignored him. Esme was already sweeping up the glass, the darkness not slowing her progress in the least. "Bella Love, I am fine, really." I said to console her, though I had to admit, there was something about the whole incident that made me grin from ear to 'healed' ear. The levity was a nice distraction too. So much so, that everyone was focused on Bella in an effort to calm her down.

We were shocked when suddenly a cloaked figure slammed open the front door, the lightning that jagged across the horizon lent an ominous tone to his presence.

"Where is MY hybrid?" The hooded vampire demanded of us.

*******

**[A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I wanted to let all three of the original wolves that protected the Cullens to have hybrid imprints to strengthen their blood lines. Also, I have links on my profile page for this chapter. One is to my picture page, where you can click on a picture and it will pop up. There is ones there for Emmett's dragon and each of the rifles the 'hunters' took with them. I am not a hunter and I have no gun expertise to speak of, so I hope my research was adequate. On my profile page, I also have a few YouTube Video links dealing with the report of a few of the guns. Thanks for commenting and reading my fan fiction!]**


	56. Chapter 51

**Chapter Fifty One  
The Building Blocks of Life**

**Carlisle's POV**

Thursday started out as a regular day—well, as regular as days can be around my home. Edward had still not heard any thoughts from Mia's unborn baby and so he had left with his brothers to 'babysit' Felix on an afternoon hunting trip with Charlie—human style.

Everything was as ready as could be expected for the arrival of another newborn into the household. Actually, there would be two newborns if everything went as planned; just different kinds of newborns. I was sitting in my office reading an article on research involving 'Amniotic Stem Cells' from the latest copy of 'The New England Journal of Medicine'. As always, I became engrossed in the possibilities the article touted from these special cells, characterized by their ability to renew themselves through mitotic cell division and differentiating into a diverse range of specialized cell types. The article explained that stem cells found in the Amniotic fluid were multi-potent and very active, and as such, they could be developed into many different types of cells. Also within the cord blood were stem cells that acted as progenitor cells; cells that acted as a repair system for the body, replenishing specialized cells, but also used to maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs, such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues.

I found it curious that since I had awoken to my new existence as a perfected being, I had already had instances where my studies had taken on a new dimension, a heightened awareness of possibilities. And as I sat there reading over the article that Thursday, it had been no different. I sat in reflective contemplation, and allowed the theories surrounding these stem cells—the building blocks of life—to percolate in my mind and deeply ponder how they could be used to improve the quality of life. I was thinking of how the adult body might be stimulated to produce more of its own stem cells to regenerate healthy tissue when Alice had her vision.

A stranger was coming for his hybrid. The only one wanting 'his' hybrid that I could think of, was Aro. But he already had his guards here. As far as I knew, he didn't suspect anything amiss yet. I was still trying to assess the threat inherent with the vision when a cry of pain and Seth's urgent voice called me to Mia's side. Seth was adamant that the time had arrived for the baby to be delivered. He felt the baby's distress. I knew how quickly things had become critical for Bella once the baby was ready and so I took Seth's comment seriously. As I concentrated on the life within Mia's womb, I had seen a new 'aura of light' that seemed to emanate around her abdomen that had not been there before. I could feel the sense of urgency that seemed to color the aura, sending it into a frantic pulse.

So, I began the preparations immediately for the C-section delivery that would bring little Ava Isabella into the world. As I worked at vampiric speeds to reduce the threat of death to both mother and child, I noticed simultaneously, with my new microscopic eye to detail, that the amniotic fluid I collected into a sterile dish, and the umbilical cord that 'd set aside in another receptacle, were both teaming with matter; matter that I instinctively knew to be stem cells. Not ordinary ones. No, these were stem cells with a punch—a vampiric punch minus the venom.

It was three minutes after I'd handed the newborn off to Rosalie, for bundling and clearing the baby's airway, and then Rosalie had in turn had presented Ava to Mia, that the hemorrhaging started. Apparently, the baby had kicked more than Mia's ribs. The wear and tear had weakened the walls of her abdominal aorta and it tore open. I started her on a blood IV while I stitched up the tear in her artery. Mia went into hypovolemic shock, stopping her heart. We had to move quickly to initiate Mia's transformation. At a nod from me Rosalie began CPR. The rain picked up outside, while lightning strikes shook the window panes.

There was a moment, after I had injected Demetri's venom into Mia's heart, while he bit her extremities to force more venom into her system, when I sensed a blood frenzy starting to build in him; the taste of Mia's blood had excited his blood lust. I was alarmed. He had handled the hemorrhaging fine just moments before. However within three seconds of a frantic moan issuing from his lips, he regained control. I knew his focus had been achieved with the unseen aid of my granddaughter. Finally Mia's condition stabilized and everyone let out a collective sigh.

Leah and Nahuel offered to stay with Mia and clean up the area. So after securing my stem cell specimens, I went downstairs to find Demetri in silent communion with his new daughter. Seth stood anxious by his side. Everyone else surrounded the new little arrival in a loose huddle when the sound of a fast approaching SUV and the protesting of brakes announced the arrival of the rest of my family.

Perhaps the most surprising development with their arrival after the danger was explained was Felix's reaction.

"Someone's coming for _his_ hybrid?" He asked as his eyes got bigger and he looked over at Charlie who was still 'mulling over' the meaning behind Alice's warning. "It could be someone sent by Aro. I've got to get Charlie out of here!" Charlie's eye brows shot up in surprise. It was a moment before he collected himself and shook his head.

"No," Charlie replied. "If there is going to be trouble. I need to stay. I am a trained policeman." He said grimly. I knew him to be a brave man, but such bravery would be misplaced given the circumstances.

"These guys are bullet-proof Charlie." Felix had said willing him to accept the truth that the rest of us were already all too aware of. "Is there a safe place for Charlie?" Felix asked me without hesitation.

"LaPush," Jacob said as though this fact were obvious.

Everyone nodded in assent. And with that, the conversation turned to Demetri and his concern for his daughter, and his education in werewolf imprinting. I had to admit, it went much better than I'd thought it would. I knew Seth to be trustworthy and loyal. He would make a worthy companion for little Ava. And she would need someone special to watch out for her, a protector, with all that would be her burden to bear in life.

Something occurred to me as I watched Seth and the adoring way he gazed upon Ava, heard Leah and Nahuel upstairs interacting and looked at Jacob as he stood behind Nessie and Bella. It was that all three of the wolves that broke away from the original pack to protect Bella and ultimately my family had imprinted on vampire hybrids. Something I was confident would lead to a stronger wolf and unique gifts. I also noticed that though Leah and Seth were siblings, that none of the vampire genetic codes of their imprints were similar to each other. This would be significant for their children's children imprinting choices too. The significance of this development was not lost on me and I knew that as I had been told before, 'there were no accidents.'

After Seth gave Demetri his solemn vow with regards to his intentions and commitment towards Ava, our conversation turned to Ava's mental and physical 'silence' as a talent reversal from Demetri, she had a gift that left her untraceable. I was pleased by Demetri's progress when he put together what this would mean to his daughter and her safety.

"So if I, being a highly gifted tracker can't find her…" Demetri had said as he slowly paced the floor. "Then Aro shouldn't be able to either."

"It would stand to reason." I responded.

Demetri nodded absently. "Then with Ava gone and there being no scent or evidence of her arrival, if the threat coming is Aro or someone sent from Aro, they would have no way of knowing Ava is alive and well."

"We could say she didn't survive the birth." Edward added as he reasoned it out.

Demetri continued, "I doubt I could keep it from Aro for long, but this would buy us some time to get Mia's needs addressed and come up with a better solution."

It wasn't long after that, when Charlie's Escalade escaped the coming threat with Charlie, Jacob, Seth, Renesmee and baby Ava inside it. The storm raged on as they left to make their way to the tiny reservation on the coast.

Of course, being my family, it wasn't possible to wait out the coming danger quietly, not with Emmett around in any case. Emmet had apparently found another use for a high powered rifle that offended Bella. That use being the removal of Edward's ear. Bella displayed her displeasure at Emmett's actions by bodily removing him from the house in a high velocity move that had the rest of us showered with more than the water that rained in through the shattered window. Emmett snapped the electric pole in two from the force of Bella's throw and plunged our residence into darkness. This of course, set the stage for Alice's vision.

Even so, we were all taken aback when suddenly a cloaked figure slammed open the front door, the lightning that jagged across the horizon lent an ominous tone to his presence.

"Where is MY hybrid?" The hooded figure demanded of us. The darkness did not diminish the features of the vampire as he closed the door and lowered his traveling cloak. He had been in his late twenties when he had been changed. He had dark hair that was full to his shoulders and he had dark undertones to his chalk-ish pallor. I did not know him. I looked around the room to see if anyone else recognized the man. Demetri narrowed his eyes at him. Clearly he knew the man who stood before us. Neither did he look pleased to see him. That much was clear. However it was not Demetri who identified the stranger.

"Hello Father. What in the hell do you want?" Nahuel roared with vehemence in his voice as he descended the stairs. A low growl building as he advanced. In a half of a second Leah was at his side, her stance tensed for a fight, she vibrated as she fought to control her sudden rage. It would appear that we had been paid a visit from Joham.

…

It took the combined efforts of Jasper and Nessie to calm both father and son down. Eventually the story behind the South American vampire's visit came out. Apparently Joham had heard whisperings spread throughout the Amazon Rainforest and points beyond of the rise of the Jaguar God, and his new Wolf Goddess wife, who had come at last to open the temples and see Akakor rise in power again. He knew of his son's affinity for all animals--especially jaguars. When he got the description of the new god, he was convinced it was indeed his Nahuel. Knowing how Joham had believed he was creating a 'super-race' of people and his tactic of brainwashing his daughter's into believing themselves gods, I imagined news of his son—the ancient Jaguar God, must have left him feeling rather satisfied and smug.

"Naturally, you could imagine how upset I was to hear the Jaguar God had been taken away in the sky by a company of pale warriors. I had already had the Volturi strong arm me once over my hybrids." Joham stopped his narrative to give Demetri a fierce scowl. This must have been the incident that gave Demetri and Joham their introduction to each other.

"I was furious. I had promised to stop making my super-race vampire hybrids. The Volturi had stolen all of my notes and research. But no, that wasn't enough. No, they had to come and take my only son; someone who the people of the Amazon look to for guidance." Joham said indignantly. He didn't fool me for one minute. He was arrogant and wanted to use his son's new position to promote himself and his own agenda. "I called Aro to find out what the meaning of his abduction was. He sounded genuinely surprised and said that he had no designs on my son and knew nothing about the Jaguar God of the backward natives from the deep jungles. He then suggested I turn my attentions to you as 'Carlisle's coven was friends with Nahuel' to use Aro's exact words. Did you leave your subjects of your own free will to fly away from your destiny Nahuel?" Joham asked in a scathing tone.

"Yes Joham I did." Nahuel stated flatly. "My wife had some matters to attend to before coming to join me to live in the rainforest. We planned on returning in two weeks." Apparently Nahuel would not refer to Joham as his Father, nor did he want his presence at his upcoming wedding. But the Jaguar King chose instead to present his intended as his wife already—from the Amazon ceremony. Nahuel's answer short and curt was a dismissal to Joham and it was recognized as such. His back stiffened and anger brewed again behind his dark red eyes.

"You're going to have to take your role more seriously son. You can't be taking off on any whim that takes your fancy. And what is the meaning of you marrying behind my back? This is practically scandalous." Joham shifted his angry eyes to Leah and said in a condescending manner, "No offense Daughter." He twisted the last word and practically spat it out of his mouth it was said with as much derision as Joham could force out of his lips in their puckered sneer.

Nahuel moved so quickly that Joham was taken aback. He had the older full-blooded vampire by the throat. "You mind what you say to my wife, old man." His voice was a dark command. Even though he was the physically weaker of the two, Nahuel's stance brought a flicker of fear to Joham's face which was just as quickly erased. Nahuel finally released his elder but his tone didn't change as he continued to meet his eyes. "Now you will apologize to my wife or I will allow her the honor of ripping out your throat."

Joham's eyes got large before it was replaced by a look of confusion. "What do you mean? That smelly little whelp of a girl couldn't…" His protest was cut off as Leah's trembling completed its process and she transformed before Joham's now terrified eyes, her clothes shredded. "No!" He hissed. He cowered back before shooting Nahuel a revolted stare. "Tell me that you have not married one of the 'Children of the Moon'. I will not permit it!" Joham said staunchly while holding his arms in front of him in defense.

"No Joham," Nahuel said in a deadly voice. "Leah is not a 'Child of the Moon'. Tonight isn't even a full moon. No, like me, Leah is a hybrid of sorts. How many vampires have you killed Sweetheart?" Nahuel asked the still snarling gray wolf that was Leah in an affectionate tone. "Was it three or four by the last tally?" Leah howled ferociously in response. "Oh yes, your right, the last one you couldn't count. Well, would you like to even up your score now?" Nahuel paused while listening to Leah's fuming. It had not occurred to me that Nahuel would be able to hear Leah's thoughts while she was in wolf form, but he seemed to be having quite a dialogue going on with her. "Well, I guess that would be fair." He said to the pacing gray wolf before returning his glare at Joham. "She says she'll give you a head start. It will make the hunt more enjoyable. She's quite fast you know."

Joham seemed genuinely shaken. Eventually he found his voice and unfortunately also his insolence. "I will not be chased or mauled by my daughter-in-law." He breathed deeply as he regained control and rethought his earlier words. "Perhaps an apology is in order." He muttered under his breath. He turned to the wolf who sat back on her haunches at Nahuel's side. "I regret my hasty words about your worthiness to be included in our family, spoken or implied." Both Nahuel and Leah both stood waiting before Joham understood that they were not appeased. "Oh, and also my regrettable remarks about your unique odor. It took me off guard. That's all. It is growing on me though; it's kind of a woodsy, musky, earthy, animal smell. It kind of reminds me of running through the rain. I can now see how you arrived by your title of Wolf Goddess. It is both fitting and appropriate." Joham seemed to pick up steam with his assessment. He was almost gloating as he continued, "The two of you will make fine leaders for those less fortunate 'humans' of the Amazon Rainforest." He chuckled. "Of course, if you need any help or advice, I am much closer than anyone in this dreary, quaint little town." He had finally gotten around to his true motivations.

Alice had raced up the stairs and returned placing a tan robe in Nahuel's hands. He thanked her for it and resolutely turned his back on his father, thus shielding him from view as Leah quickly transformed back into her human self and was covered in the same instance. Then they both turned back to Joham as Nahuel continued their conversation in a pleasant tone as though there had been no pause in their dialogue.

"Well Joham, it is certainly heart-warming to see you so concerned about the welfare of the humans of the Amazon. I had no idea you had this caring side. If I didn't know better, I'd say you'd turned over a new leaf." Nahuel said with a raised eyebrow. "And here I thought your interest in humans was limited to food and seduction."

"That reminds me, I do need to hunt before I head back." Joham said sullenly. "I mean, now that I know you were not abducted and you plan to return shortly."

"Well, speaking of your need for humans," I interjected. "You will need to refrain from any human hunting while you visit here. We strictly hunt animals."

"You must be joking!" Joham snorted. "You hunt animals? No wonder the smell is so thick in the air around here!" No need to mention the rather large Amazon Zoo out back or its inhabitants.

"Well then I definitely won't be staying long!" Joham said with a tiny roll of his eyes.

Then Joham fixed his gaze once again on Demetri and he changed the subject. "When I spoke by phone to Aro, he said that I'd find the Volturi already visiting in Forks when I arrived." His eyes stayed trained on Demetri who returned his gaze unruffled. He looked almost bored. But I knew that every time Mia's muted voice cried out he flinched. He never once looked to Felix which made me deduct that Aro had not taken the big guard along on the assignment to intimidate Joham earlier.

"He said that you were carrying out a hybrid experiment of your own. You know, you all talk of my uncaring treatment of mortal women. Who is that crying upstairs? Is she the victim of your own hybrid experimentation?" He snorted while eying Demetri belligerently. "You Volturi enforce your rules and penalties but don't heed them yourselves; so much for your laws!"

"For your information Joham," Demetri said. "That is my wife up there. She is being turned as we speak."

Joham's expression changed to chagrin. "Well, I don't hear the sounds of a baby cooing. Where is your hybrid?"

"Actually, the baby didn't make it." Edward said gravely. Joham looked at him for the first time. Edward must have read something from Joham's mind and his pronouncement on the baby's 'fate' was a caution to us to not give any information out to Joham regarding Ava. Then Joham glanced around the room of solemn faces before he chortled. "You still didn't get it right! Even with all of my notes! I will enjoy rubbing this in Aro's face. He should have come to me in the first place if he wanted his own hybrid!"

"Gee Joham," Nahuel said coldly. "Did you ever hear the sounds of your mortal lovers' death cries? Or even the sounds of your babies cooing? How many women did you kill? How many babies died before you came looking for them?" He started to advance on the visiting vampire. Leah wrapped her arm around him and the affect was instant. The anger drained from him and his face returned to his normal expression.

"Well, I can see that I have worn out my stay already. I don't need to stick around where I am not needed or welcomed." And with that Joham departed into the pouring rain of the deep night.

***

Friday morning brought with it the end of the storm that had raged throughout the night. Edward explained to us that Joham did indeed intend to report back to Aro on the failure of his experiment to produce a vampire hybrid and of Mia's transformation. He also planned on rubbing the failure in Aro's nose as he had hinted to us before proposing Aro have him do the honors instead. He hoped that by working with Aro, he would be permitted to continue his own plans for a super-race.

We moved Mia back into her room. Seth and Jacob brought Nessie and Ava Isabella back home. I was relieved to have them back safe and sound. Alice could see Mia's transformation wouldn't be completed until early Sunday morning, so we could have our human friends and family over for the next two days before the house would become off-limits to them for a while. With that in mind, Alice had Emily come that morning for the final fitting of her 'Maid of Honor' dress. Sam came with her and I went downstairs to greet the two of them. Sam could hear Mia's voice as she begged Demetri to stop the fire, to kill her, to make it end, but the sound-proof walls spared Emily the agonized voice that cried out from the floor above.

Seth and Sam seemed genuinely interested in hearing my account of the confrontation between Joham and Nahuel and of Leah's wolf antics that literally had Joham running for the hills. I was delighted to feel the sense of friendship and respect that now existed between Sam and me. Two years ago, I would not have thought it possible for me to sit down to a friendly conversation with the Quileute leader.

In short order, Emily appeared with Alice at her side. Six straight pins held between her lips and a seventh being used to mark a new hemline for the pale green dress sleeve that Emily wore. It set off the color of her face beautifully. As I studied Emily's face again another thought came unbidden to my mind. The three long claw marks, though healed, had left scar tissue to deform her once beautiful face; while one extended far down her arm. I wondered if there would ever be any advances in the medical field that could repair the damage done by her husband; done because he became a shape shifter to defend his people from the cold ones—from me.

I studied her scars with my new microscopic eye focus and the solution suddenly came to me with a burst of intuition. Perhaps it was an enhancement to my medical training brought about by my own transformation, but whatever the cause, I knew the cure—the cure for Emily's deformity. The solution rested with my newly harvested stem cells and my ability to manipulate them. I didn't know exactly how I would accomplish it, but I knew that I could. The more I thought about it, the clearer the process became. It was a gift I could give to both Emily and Sam. It was a gift that would change their lives for the better. Emily's to have restored that beauty which was taken from her, and Sam's to have the reminder of his more monstrous nature removed and hopefully his associated guilt as well.

It took me a few moments as I puzzled out the finer details, to realize that all of the conversation had ceased and that all the eyes in the room were on me. Suddenly Alice gasped. Then her eyes widened and one of her brilliant smiles spread across her face.

"Oh Emily," She said quietly, her face filled with wonder. "You're going to be dazzling."

Emily laughed. "Right Alice, now I know that you're a miracle worker, but even you have limits!"

"No Emily, Not me…" Alice said. I was getting excited as I knew that Alice was seeing my plan would work and the gift I planned to give to Emily and Sam would be a success. "It's Carlisle. He's going to remove your scars. He's going to fix your face. It will look like it did before." She threw her arms around Emily, who was began crying in Alice's embrace. Sam looked over to me and as I met his eyes, they were also filled with tears.

***

I went upstairs to work in my office immediately. The thoughts seemed to come effortlessly to my mind as I concentrated on separating out one hundred stem cells from the amniotic fluid. After they were placed into a sterile Petri dish, I concentrated on them and was amazed to sense a form of intelligence within them. They were the part of matter whose job was to act and somehow, those cells recognized who I was—or perhaps, what they recognized was the nature of what I was. They were waiting for me to give them instructions. With my mind I concentrated on them even more intently and sent them a thought of Emily's face and the scars that I wanted to repair. They waited in a dormant state for the information they would need to affect the changes to Emily's ruined face.

Next I extracted another 100 stem cells from the cord blood. These would be matter to be acted upon. These cells would be the bond between Emily's existing flesh and the new growth. They would work to bond it together into one cohesive unit. I put the remainder of the unharvested stem cells back into their refrigerated state.

I knew that as Ava wasn't venomous, even with the boost of the part-vampiric DNA, Emily's system would be able to accept the new 'coding instructions' without being harmed.

Emily and Sam came into my office shortly after one pm. They were followed by Edward who assisted me throughout the afternoon. After I explained what I would do and they had their questions answered to their satisfaction, I had Emily lie down on the operating table that had been set up for today's procedure.

After giving Emily an IV sedation that put her under and instructing Sam on how to monitor her readouts, I first removed a tiny piece of tissue from her left unmarred cheek. This healthy sample, I placed into the Petri dish with the 100 stem cells that awaited their instructions. They immediately began to 'copy' the skin cells that I placed in their midst. I marveled at how quickly they replicated the healthy tissue, but this was a characteristic of the hybrid nature. They were advanced and fast.

While they were copying and dividing, I went to work on the right side of her face. I had to remove all of the old scarred tissue from her cheek and also down the length of her left arm. As I did so Edward suctioned the blood and tissue away leaving the surgical site clean and ready to proceed. First I took the stem cells from the cord blood and mixed them with a saline solution and coated the exposed flesh with this watery coating. Then, after giving it a few minutes to dry, I filled a syringe with some of the multiplying stem cells of the amniotic fluid and diluted it with lidocaine to help keep the area numb while the healing took place. I injected this solution into the edges of the open wounds of her cheek and also down her arm, refilling my syringe as needed. Finally I shot the solution throughout the surgical area and even added a drop back to the tiny incision I had made on the left side for my healthy sample. I was confident the stem cells would act to regenerate the existing skin cells and create the needed ones to fill in the gouged area. In fact, they were already busily at work as I covered Emily's face with non-sticking sterile gauze for the next twenty four hours.

I looked at the clock. It was 4pm Friday afternoon. I led Sam, who carried the still unconscious Emily upstairs. I wanted Emily close by for that first 24 hours and put antibiotics into her IV. The last thing I wanted Emily to have to endure was an infection. Jacob and Seth had graciously given up the room Edward's old room for the evening when they had realized what we planned. Esme had the bed sheets changed before I finished the surgery.

Our home then became a focal point of activity again as not just members of both packs came by to wish Emily well but the many friends she had acquired over the past three years since her move to LaPush. All of her visitors were treated to dinner by beautiful wife and to another zoo tour by Emmett. At the conclusion of the tour, he passed out 'How did you like your visit?' cards to all attendees with pencils for them to fill out while he looked over their shoulders.

The next afternoon I first removed the bandages around Emily's arm. I was excited to see that there was fresh skin that was healing, though red with irritation and somewhat swollen. The deep gouge was already filled in. I knew that the sea spray coming off the ocean alone would help the healing process as much as anything else. I slowly removed the bandages around her face to find her skin in the same condition as her arm. Not healed completely but well on its way. The operation was a complete success. The tiny incision I had made to retrieve healthy skin from her left cheek was completely healed. Emily couldn't hide her smile as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. It was a wonderful feeling to see that which had been lost, restored to someone who had sacrificed so much and loved so deeply. There was something about the young woman that reminded me of my own dear Esme.

At 5 pm that Saturday night, with Emily and Sam's departure, we had some quiet time. Well, perhaps that was the wrong term as poor Mia was anything but silent. I had gone in the guest room to check on her again. Demetri was there with Seth, who held baby Ava. She still had another twelve hours to endure the fiery torture. I wondered if she would be able to be near her baby afterwards. She seemed to be comforted somewhat knowing Demetri and Ava were near her, though Seth would have to remove the baby shortly as Mia's time approached. I knew she would not have as easy a time as Bella had. Bella had sufficient time to understand the process and what to expect. Mia's knowledge had been given in a crash course. Perhaps the baby's lack of scent would help. It was good to see that Demetri and Seth had come to an understanding of sorts and that Demetri looked to him for support with Ava as he worked to comfort his wife's agony. Seth often provided small acts of kindness by doing such things as providing fresh dampened wash cloths for Demetri to cool Mia's face. Both men gave her soothing words of encouragement and told her it was just a little while longer. They told her about her baby and how excited Ava was to see her again. Seth never wavered through the hours of Mia's transformation but was there for both Ava and Demetri.

Esme brought Seth some dinner and Ava a baby bottle full of blood. Her smile seemed to brighten the room. It certainly brightened my world. As she turned to leave she leaned in to me and told me she had something she wanted to show me. Curiously I followed her from the room, out of the house and into her gated garden on the west side of our home. There in a large pot were three seedlings that looked to have just spouted that morning. I gave her a questioning look. Not understanding the significance of the three plants, in her garden full of flowers and vines.

"These are the seeds given to me from Samon." She said excitedly. That caught my attention. I remembered Samon giving three seeds to Esme in the Sun Temple at Akahim. So many things had happened in the interim that I had forgotten the significance of those three little seeds that held so many medical mysteries in them. These three little seedlings held in them the answers to many medical conditions that plagued the world today.

Truly there were building blocks of life all around me.


	57. Chapter 52

**Chapter Fifty Two  
Newborns**

**Felix's POV**

I've been involved in countless newborn vampire hunting expeditions but none that proceeded in this manner. Mia awoke from her three day voyage through the depths of hellfire to the sight of a very small elfin face brandishing a very large ornately carved full-sized mirror. This evoked one of the most musical screams of horror I had ever heard. It was a moment for me to comprehend that the worry was not over her new flawless ivory skin, or the higher definition to her cheekbones or the high shine to her dark brown hair, or even the return of her womanly figure. No, what had caused Mia such a fright was her bright crimson almost purplish-red eyes. This had never been a problem for me. I had not had access to a mirror during my human years, so by the first time I'd caught a good glimpse at my reflection, I had been a vampire for some time they'd had time to settle into a deep ruby red by then.

Jasper stood to Alice's side to protect his tiny mate from Mia's wild reactions. Rosalie was at his heels, though in her case it did seem as though she were more concerned for the survival of the mirror than anything else. I was not sure exactly what Jasper did, but in short order, Mia was standing erect and eying everyone in the room with weary intensity. Well, I had heard he had a way with newborns. Perhaps that was something I should mention to Aro. I sighed as I thought once again about the leader of the Volturi—my master. It was funny how I no longer felt the compulsion to please him as I did just a few short weeks ago. I knew I'd have to file that away to ponder at a later time as I focused my attention back on the matter at hand—Mia. My help would be needed to keep her in line. Despite Emmett's high opinion of himself, I was stronger than he—as he well knew. Otherwise, the Volturi would have traded up. _'Focus!'_ I again reminded myself.

It took a few minutes for Mia to warm-up to Demetri. I worried at first she wouldn't remember him. That scenario played out often enough with the shock of immortality. I knew my brother of the last 884 years well enough to know what a devastating blow that would have been for him. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding when she threw her arms around him and kissed him savagely. Oh yes, she definitely remembered. It looked as though it would now be Demetri's turn to be put through the ringer.

Of course, after three minutes of fevered kissing, her thirst demanded attention. She looked around for something to quench it; her hands went instinctively to her throat. I had to wonder how the Cullens' dietary restrictions would be enforced with a moody newborn_. _ I suppressed a laugh._ 'How big was the population of Forks again?'_ I'd wondered dryly before I remembered Charlie Swan was part of that population and the silent chuckle died in my throat.

The hunt was as exhilarating as it was enlightening. Before leaving the house, Carlisle reminded Mia of her humanity, of her desire to not harm humans, of her commitment to life. Then, after explaining that the heartbeats she heard downstairs belonged to the Quileutes and the hybrids, they had her jump out the second story window and take off across the river and into the dense foliage of the Olympic Forest. It was a good thing Edward was fast, Alice could 'look' ahead and Demetri could track, Mia had a playfulness about her that I had somehow missed before. After she deftly deprived a lynx and two elk of their life's blood, she took us on a game of hide and seek. Bella found her three times by her laughter alone. Alice caught her twice by 'seeing' her location in advance and meeting her there, Edward simply caught her four times, though I suspected he could have caught her every time if he had wanted to spoil everyone else's fun. I knew he also could have simply 'heard' her thoughts to find her, were he so inclined. As if by spoken agreement, there were a half-dozen times when the Cullens were mysteriously side-tracked and Demetri used his tracking skills to locate her. One of those times, they went 'missing-in-action' for over two hours, thus allowing the rest of us to find a little lunch for ourselves.

I still wasn't sure how I felt about the 'vegetarian' restrictions the Cullen's placed on themselves. It was one thing to follow their rules while a guest in their home… _'When in Forks…'_ but I had never expected it to become a lifestyle change for me--at least not until I had met Charlie Swan. I found that thinking of him and my irrational need to keep him safe made it bearable to exist on the plentiful wildlife surrounding the small town. One thing was sure; it was definitely more challenging to hunt! So it was that my thoughts revolved around the enigma of Charlie Swan as I took down a mountain lion as it rested in a tree.

I had pondered on the meaning of Charlie in my life, of the feelings of protection and fondness I now felt for him in my stone heart. I had not come to Forks to find a father figure. No I had come to Forks on an errand for the man I had perceived as my father figure for almost an entire millennia. I've puzzled over my meeting with Charlie that first day of my arrival over and over. I've tried to explain the surge of emotion that bombarded me as he opened the Cullens' front door as I'd tensed for my spring that would have ended his life, and possibly ended mine as well. I shuddered once again as I recounted how close I'd come to never understanding what a real father was like. Charlie was a man worthy of love, respect, loyalty, protection and trust. He was decent and kind, seasoned by the years with wisdom and uncanny perceptiveness. As an added bonus, the man knew how to live. He'd never let a small thing like being human stop him from hunting, fishing, hiking, watching and playing sports, being an enforcer of the law, hang around with vampires and werewolves, and even being brave enough to try a second time at romantic love after being so badly burned the first time around. Charlie was a man worthy of being called 'Father'. Somehow my subconscious had dredged up this desire inside of me from some dormant long forgotten mortal need and I was at a loss to fight it. I simply complied. I knew that my involvement with Charlie had caused Bella and Edward reason for alarm. But surely Edward could see I only had the best of intentions involving his father-in-law. I would share the man with both he and Bella. Father's often had more than one child. I only needed to be seen by Charlie as a son--his favorite son.

I sighed as I finished draining the big cat and left its carcass hung over the branch and jumped the two hundred feet to the forest floor.

Edward leaned against a tree looking at me through narrowed eyes. "Favorite?" He asked sarcastically as he pushed off the trunk and walked with me towards the others.

"Well, I have gone the longest without." I replied with a shrug.

Edward snorted. Sometimes he came across as arrogant and I found that annoying. "Well, if you're competing to be Charlie's 'favorite son', you should at least know who holds the title in that department." His voice though not gloomy, darkened slightly.

"Aren't you the only other contender?" I asked baffled.

He snorted again. "No, the winner in the 'Charlie Swan's Favorite Son Competition' is Jacob Black; has been since he and Bella were kids. So…" Edward patted me on the back before starting off ahead of me."…good luck with that."

"Jacob Black?" I muttered to myself. "I hadn't gotten that from Charlie at all." In fact I was sure Edward was wrong. I had felt Charlie stiffen ever so slightly whenever Jacob wandered in carrying Nessie as we'd watched sports on the big screen. I wasn't so sure that Charlie wanted Jacob in the family so much so, he got 'top dog' status over someone like Edward. That made no sense whatsoever. Plus Jacob was a werewolf. His stench alone had probably taken him out of the running. No amount of soap could hide that! Not that Charlie, being the fine outstanding man he was, would make such a judgment call based on someone's intolerable odor. No, still Edward was either mistaken, or he was trying to divert my attempts to weasel my way to #1 son status.

After a few more hours of hunting fun and games, we returned as a group to the house. Mia was now wearing a clean change of clothes that Bella had the foresight to bring along. I was surprised. Wasn't it Alice who was supposed to see the future? And Alice was upset that the cream chiffon dress she had placed on Mia for her first day as an immortal had been replaced with jeans, sneakers and a canvas button down shirt. Mia had been simply delighted with Bella's 'supplies' as the party dress had literally been held together by three threads on the right shoulder. I wasn't sure how much damage the garment had sustained from struggling animals and how much had been Demetri's doing.

I was a little surprised Mia had not demanded she see her baby immediately upon awakening. Apparently this had been one of Bella's first requests as a newborn. Then again, Demetri had explained when he had removed Ava from the room late Saturday night about the need to keep baby Ava safe. I had rolled my eyes; sure that Mia wouldn't understand anything during the intensity of the burning. Perhaps I had been wrong about that as well.

Now as we jumped the river as a group, we were greeted by the rest of the Cullens: Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Rosalie. With them were Quil, Embry and Jacob. I could smell the three hybrids and two more werewolves from inside the house where they waited. I smelled adrenalin as it flooded into the systems of both the shape shifters and the hybrids as we approached the house. Mia had no problem handling the scent of the werewolves. Frankly, I was surprised she didn't barf. Not that she could, had she wanted to, but she didn't even wrinkle her nose. I idly wondered if she might have a gift for keeping a straight face under duress. It would make her a natural liar. Of course, Mia was anything but a liar. In fact, I'd be less surprised to hear Bella speak a lie than Mia, and Bella would simply NEVER tell a falsehood; it was too out of character for her to do so.

My mind drifted to the reasons Bella would never lie and my thoughts again turned to the impact that having the guidance of Charlie Swan for Bella's entire life, had probably been what had caught Edward's eye in the first place. I had heard that a woman married someone who was like their father. Was Edward like Charlie in any way? That thought disarmed me. Perhaps I would be able to attract someone with Bella's qualities if I became more like Charlie. Once again I shook myself back to the matter at hand while I let these conjectures simmer on the back burner of my immense vampiric brain. I sighed as I realized that I would really miss Charlie's visits to the house. I couldn't allow him within ten miles of a newborn vampire. Perhaps I'd go visit him.

We walked together towards the back sliding door of the Cullens' house in a group. Jasper had a hand on Mia's shoulder. Everyone seemed fine with this. He must have a great talent for controlling newborns. Mia had shown more control and focus than I had ever encountered in a young vampire before. For half a second I considered how such a gift could mean a threat to the Volturi were the Cullens to employ it in the creation of a controlled newborn vampire army. The thought made me shudder. I remembered our foray into Forks a few years ago as we tracked a newborn army from Seattle. Jane dallied and as a result, the battle was over, all but one newborn destroyed. Had the Cullens created some of their own to fight them? Could they have burned two armies while we waited? Was that the reason they'd wished for the remaining newborn to be spared? Was she really one of theirs? But then I reminded myself that Carlisle would never permit such a violation of the law. He might fraternize with humans or even tease us with the creation of a half-vampire child. But Carlisle had too much humanity and compassion for allowing a scenario to play out that would result in wasted lives—mortal or immortal.

It took four minutes for our slow procession to advance from the back of the house to the front room where Nahuel and Leah flanked Seth who stood between them with baby Ava smiling widely in his arms. Renesmee was nowhere in sight, though I could hear her fluttering heart beats two stories above my head. Mia took one look at her baby and literally transported to her side. It was all that Jasper and Demetri could do to halt her a mere six inches in front of Ava. Seth lengthened that distance by taking a giant step backwards.

"Mia, remember what I told you before?" Demetri murmured in her ear. "We have to be cautious to make sure that you aren't a danger to Ava."

"But she's mine Demetri. My baby." Mia said so forlornly that the baby girl's expression changed from that of happy to sad, her brown eyes filled with tears. "She's going to cry. She needs me. Don't you Ava?" Mia added changing from speaking to her husband to her three day old daughter. "Do you want to come to Momma?" She held out her arms in invitation. Ava struggled in Seth's embrace.

"Wait Mia," Seth said in a panic. "Can you smell her at all?"

That stopped Mia's advance as she took in a deep breath and 'tested' the air around her. "No, I can't smell her blood or anything else. I do hear heart beats, deep steady ones and faster ones as well. I can tell that the fastest one is coming directly from Ava herself." She looked around to Demetri. "Why is that?"

"We don't know." He told her quietly. "Carlisle theorizes she has reversed my tracking gift so that no one can find her. She gives off neither scent nor any mental signature." Demetri seemed to deliberate for a moment before continuing. "No one can locate her through conventional means except for one person." He added carefully.

"You mean one person besides you and me?" Mia asked in confusion. Jasper's hand on her shoulder held her tightly. Alice seemed to blank out for a moment and Edward looked to be in deep concentration. Jacob was suddenly there with Leah and Seth facing Mia. As everyone huddled in she reacted defensively and crouched, sniffing the air to find the threat.

"Relax Mia," Demetri said in a calm quiet tone. "It's just Seth—that's all."

"Seth can find Ava?" Mia said as she stood from her defensive crouch. She saw the nods of those around her. "Not the Volturi? Only Seth?" She looked at Seth as he gazed back at her as though trying to decipher her reaction. Slowly he nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Like when you knew the baby was in distress before she was born?" Again he nodded. Mia considered that before adding just as puzzled, "Why is that?"

"Well," Seth began as he gulped loudly. "You remember the stories I told you about Quil and little Claire? And Jacob and Nessie?" He stammered weakly.

"Mia love," This came from Demetri. "It would seem as though our little girl is already turning boy's heads. Not only has that, but like Renesmee, Ava Isabella acquired a protector."

"A protector?" Mia asked still confused.

"Seth is her protector. It's why he can hear her mental signature and smell her scent when no one else can. It is part of the imprinting magic that has bound him to her."

"Seth?" She asked in a faltering voice as she let the clues fall into place. The struggle to remain calm was evident on her face. I again marveled at the power Jasper had in keeping her in control. It reminded me of a wild horse being tamed by a steady hand.

When she spoke again she was in much better control of herself. "Seth you did this imprinting thing on Ava?" Again he nodded, possibly unable to speak. "And now you're bound to her as your other half?" Again with the nod. Ava Isabella struggled in Seth's arms to get to her mother.

"In a few minutes Ava," Seth told the impatient child while he bounced her lightly in his big grasp. I had no idea he was so comfortable around babies. His big hands were deft and strong, yet as gentle as a whisper on the wind. This tender exchange seemed to affect Mia as well.

"Well, I'm not sure how I feel about that." She finally admitted. "But if Demetri is okay with it and you can help us evade Aro, then I'll put it away to deal with later." She looked to Demetri again who gave her a reassuring nod before he reached for baby Ava and took her from Seth's arms into his own.

"This will be alright Mia. Be prepared to stop breathing if you smell anything or feel anything that triggers a hunting reaction." Mia agreed as Demetri leaned closer towards her. There were suddenly fourteen different hands on Mia as she enfolded her baby in her loving embrace. We all stood tensed—ready to intervene. Eventually we relaxed and allowed Mia a short visit with her own newborn. After seeing that she was doing okay with Nahuel's half-vampire scented blood we brought Renesmee back down stairs to join in the family gathering. And I realized, as I'd thought the words, that this was a family gathering of sorts; a new arrival being welcomed into the world by her new mother who was also learning of her own new life. The feelings in the room tingled with a peace and serenity I had not often felt.

The next two weeks passed quickly. Mia had to learn to adjust to her new strength. The front door needed a new knob as she'd grabbed it too forcefully and accidentally pushed it completely through the wood. The knob then continued on its flight to land ten feet away on the front lawn. Of course, they would probably really need an entire new door—again. It had been less than a month since Edward had plowed his way straight through it without even bothering to open it. Perhaps they had a friend in the carpentry business.

That had been when he had learned I was there with Charlie and Renesmee, of course. Charlie had seen the door splintered into toothpicks in Edward's mad dash to keep his family safe—from me! Ha! Hopefully Charlie had noticed that I had never destroyed the objects around me. I had much better control of my temper than that.

There it was again though. I was losing my chance to spend time with Charlie because of Mia's newborn status and his pending nuptials. I planned a few 'game nights' over at the Police Chief's house and they were great. They would have been even better had Edward not mysteriously shown up. Someone must have tipped him off. It was probably Alice.

Speaking of Alice, she had some stone she used to see Aro receiving a phone call the day after Joham left. He seemed irritated but pleased by the end of the conversation. Then she saw the focus shifting in the stone to show Joham, in a wooded area, as he closed his phone in the same instant with a smug expression on his face. It seemed as though Joham had indeed reported on Demetri's supposed failure to create a half-breed and that Aro had taken Joham up on his offer to provide 'stud services'. That was good. It would keep Aro from suspecting anything for a while.

Demetri, Mia, Ava and Seth were invited by Leah and Nahuel to return with them to the Amazon after the wedding that next weekend. Zafrina, Senna, Kachiri and Huilen would all be arriving from the Amazon later in the week and there would be plenty of help to get Mia through her first year. Plus it would be away from the Cullens where Aro was sure to come looking at some point. I knew Demetri was seriously considering it. If I were in his shoes I would. In fact, if it weren't for Charlie, I would go with them.

I wanted to go to the Amazon, not just for the adventure of it but because I was a little jealous of Emmett and his baby dragon. They were so much fun to watch. The dragon was now the size of a large dog only way cuter. Aurora was so smart too. It was no wonder mythology has them telling riddles. I could tell that this dragon, though just a baby was both sly and cunning. Also where most animals are wary around us, Aurora was very comfortable around Emmett. Not so much me, but if I found my own egg and was there when it hatched… That was why I wanted to find one for myself. I would have never believed such a thing could exist but I had seen it with my own eyes and he had said that he had gotten the egg in the rainforest. I had forever to look. I wondered if Charlie would agree to go with me.

I guess that it had been Thursday that first week that a group of us were going to take Mia out to hunt again but she didn't seem interested. I puzzled over that. She had been thirsty the night before. Newborns NEVER turn down a chance to hunt and abate their gnawing thirst. I was about to ask her about her lack of appetite when a loud streak of cursing came from Emmett.

He had just returned from practicing Aurora's hunting skills and had gone to feed his 'minions' at his Amazon Zoo. It seems Mia had found some 'snacks' from among the Jaguars, Anacondas and Black Caiman Crocodiles. It was so nice being at the very top of the food chain.

Other things that happened there at the Cullens house included, Carlisle's returning to work from his 'leave of absence' to care for Mia. He was currently working nights. Alice was in full 'wedding planning' mode putting all of the final touches into the double wedding for this weekend, and Esme had drawn up plans for the 'Fork's Youth Center'. Of course Rosalie and Renesmee went to school every day and Jacob with a few of his buddies were out in the new auto shop non-stop. They were usually joined by Rosalie after school, and then the banging really began. Seth was a constant companion for Mia and Demetri; the focus of the three of them being of course Ava herself. You would think Seth would look out of place but the four of them looked oddly comfortable around each other. Maybe imprinting magic extended to more than just the 'intended' but to their family as well. That had me thinking of dragons again!

Thursday afternoon, the routine changed somewhat. There was apparently an exhibition at Forks Elementary School. There was to be some sort of 'Science Fair'. Each child was to enter an exhibit. Rosalie seemed both proud and anxious to show the family what the youngest Cullen had prepared for the festivities the next day. Renesmee had been working very hard on her exhibit entitled, 'How Fusion Will Save Our Planet's Resources'. She had some beautiful drawings illustrating her theory of how to harness the same energy the Sun created. Included were several pages of detailed equations explaining her hypothesis.

The reaction from the other Cullens was alarm. Jasper immediately took her report and started an in-depth analysis of his own.

"How much do fourth graders learn about fusion Rosalie?" Carlisle asked her.

"None Carlisle. Of course, physicists in the top of their fields have only been able to produce a fusion reaction that lasts for a few seconds at a time, so how would that translate to a fourth grade level?"

I, for one, was no physicist. The Volturi weren't interested in having scholarly guards. I had taken correspondence classes. But fusion—the source of the energy behind the Sun's power—wasn't covered in my basic classes. I thought the display looked very nice and was about to tell Nessie so. You had to love the kid. She really was irresistible. No wonder Charlie loved her so much. And we both loved Charlie. We had that in common too. Plus, she wasn't a threat to me. We were not in any competition for his favor.

"Where did she learn about fusion then?" Carlisle asked eying everyone in the room.

"I've been teaching her 'advance scientific theory' and 'theoretical physics'," Edward admitted thoughtfully. "But we never got into the mathematics behind the concepts."

"Okay then," Carlisle added. "Who has been teaching Nessie calculus, algebraic geometry, quantum theory and algebraic quantum field theories?"

"Oh that would be me." Jasper said raising one finger as though answering a question by a teacher. His eyes never left the paper in his hand. He was already half way through the report.

"You don't like it?" Nessie asked sadly.

"Nessie Sweetie," Bella told her as she took her into her arms and Nessie buried her head in her mother's shoulder. "It is beautiful. And I can tell you worked very hard on it."

It took me a minute to realize the little girl was crying. I was surprised at how that upset me. Apparently it upset Jacob too. He was through the back door in a flash demanding to know who had upset Nessie. I was surprised at his assumption.

"Why is my Nessie coming home from school in tears? Was it that bully, Victoria? I've been thinking of a way to get back at her." He tried to take Nessie away from Bella. But no one messed with the momma bear. I hoped that Mia was taking note.

"As we were just getting ready to explain to Nessie here," Edward said pointedly. "Her science fair project is too advanced for a fourth-grader. We have to tone it down a bit to keep her teachers from becoming suspicious."

"Exactly, harnessing the power of fusion isn't even covered in elementary school." Rosalie added.

"Fusion? What is that exactly?" Jacob interjected. "Is that nuclear power?"

"That's fission Jacob," Edward replied. "But you make my point precisely. If a high school graduate doesn't understand fusion, how would a fourth grader?"

"It isn't really covered much until college." Carlisle added. "No one can sustain a fusion reaction long enough to produce more power than they put into it."

"Until now." Jasper said quietly. The entire room turned to lock weary eyes on him. He had just read the last page of Nessie's report. "Carlisle, Edward, Perhaps you'd like to double-check my assessment, but it would seem as though our little Nessie may have just solved the problem of producing sustained fusion power."

They had lost me at _sustained fusion power_. Maybe there was something to be said about pretending to be human and repeating high school and college over and over again. If nothing else, it certainly kept them abreast of all of the latest scientific advances. It also apparently made them excellent mentors as well. It was decided that Nessie would have to wait a few years before going public with her report until she would physically mature enough to attend college at MIT or an equally advanced university that would meet the requirements of her vampire family's existence.

The rest of the night centered around Nessie's science fair project and 'dumbing it down' to the level of a fourth grader. Nessie had fallen asleep on the couch shortly after Carlisle left for work and Rosalie had moved her upstairs to her own bed while her parents, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett and even Mia all worked hard.

They finished as the morning sun rose only to be filtered through the ever present gloom. I might have thought it looked nice had I not seen the original presentation Nessie had worked so hard on. As it was, I wished I could cry. I only hoped Charlie's granddaughter didn't have the same reaction I did.

The title of her new project, _'What Makes the Sun Shine-And How That Works For Us',_ was a clear indicator as to just how 'dumbed' down it had become. It was quite a cry from Nessie's original _'How Fusion Will Save Our Planet's Resources'. _Many of her painstakingly perfect hand drawings had been replaced with cruder drawings and computer printout graphics that any fourth grader could have duplicated. Instead of Nessie's original report that apparently detailed the secrets of how to produce sustainable fusion, there was a three page explanation on how solar energy traps sunlight and transfers it into heat for water heaters and landscape lighting. I noticed as part of the display, one of the landscape lights from the back yard that had been pulled up, cleaned up and pulled apart with each component carefully labeled.

I didn't want to hurt their feelings, but they had to fix this monstrosity before Nessie came down the stairs. "Please tell me you're joking? You want to send Nessie to school with…"

Too late.

"No…Mom!" Nessie wailed. Tears were instantly in her eyes. She'd have to cry for both of us and it looked like apparently she was about to.

"It's the only way sweetie," Bella said as she ran to her daughter's side. "Remember we talked about you having to pretend to not be smarter than the rest of the kids in class?"

"Yes, but you didn't say anything about me having to pretend to be stupider than the rest of the class."

I saw an opportunity to get a little education myself. Something I would never dream of asking Edward, Jasper or Emmett for instruction on. But somehow, coming from such a sweet little girl, it seemed a tad less intimidating.

"So Nessie," I said as she sat dejectedly swirling a spoon around a bowl filled with white liquid and soaked rings of 'multi-grain goodness'—from the look on her face I was sure it should have read 'multi-grained grossness'. "Sorry about your exhibit. Yours was exceptionally better. So I was realizing it has been so long since I've been in school that I really don't know much about power and fusion or fission really. Would you mind explaining it to me while I'm here? After school of course?"

She turned from her cereal spoon ballet and gave me a puzzled look. "You want science lessons from me?" I nodded. "Why? I learned from the smartest men on the planet?" She rolled her eyes.

I wasn't about to debate that with her. So I simply said, "exactly." She looked up at me and gave me a real smile for the first time since I had arrived.

"Deal," She said as she hopped off her chair and grabbed her back pack; ready for another day of pretending to be a fourth grader.

Apparently, the Cullens had decided a field trip to the 'Fork's Elementary Science Fair' was to be the activity of the day and so in short order the house was emptied of all of the Cullens, as well as Jacob and some of his pack. The only ones left were Seth, Leah, Nahuel, Demetri, Mia, baby Ava and myself. I had wanted to go fishing this afternoon with Charlie when he got home from the station. It was his early shift and he got off at noon. But now I would be needed to keep an eye on Mia when she was scheduled to hunt again this afternoon. The last thing anyone wanted was a repeat of her Amazon snack attack.

I called Charlie to explain I'd be unable to fish with him and he told me not to worry because he'd take Billy along. Not one to miss an opportunity, I told him about Nessie's science project—well most of it anyway. No need to mention the part about her brilliant discovery for mankind. I hoped he was 'out of the loop' on that little tidbit. Then again, maybe her high intelligence came from her grandfather. No way to know unless he was to become a vampire. Of course, that would likely get in the way of his upcoming marital bliss.

At noon, Demetri and I dragged Mia away from her daughter. It took Leah's assurance that her brother would die before he'd allow any harm to befall Ava before Mia had finally surrendered the baby into Seth's eager arms.

We headed deep into the Olympic Forest before we allowed Mia to give herself over to the hunt. She was doing better with each excursion. After a few hours Nahuel, Demetri and I joined in the hunt as well. Leah hung back with no need to 'eat in the raw' as she put it.

It was shortly after I had taken down a brown bear that I caught a scent of another vampire. It was fading but still semi-fresh. "Demetri?" I called to my vampire brother. "Whose scent is that?" I asked when he approached my location.

"That's Joham's." Demetri said puzzled. "Strange, he was supposed to have left the day Ava was born. But this scent isn't that old."

"Is he still in the area now?" I asked him urgently now. Charlie was out fishing with Billy this afternoon. Charlie had been to the house so often Joham might have caught his scent before leaving our house and been stalking him…

Demetri closed his eyes for a half a second. "Yes, he is." He added darkly. "He never left the area."

Every instinct I had screamed at me as I yelled, "Charlie Swan is in danger!" At my words, Leah phased and took off following Joham's scent. I was on her heels or perhaps paws would be more correct. Nahuel and Demetri were close behind me. It wasn't long before I heard the sounds of rifle fire. The blasts sounded exactly like Charlie's .700 Nitro Express Bolt Action Rifle. I heard Billy's frantic yells for Charlie to run. I knew Charlie; a dedicated enforcer of the law, would never desert a friend to certain death.

As Leah entered the clearing she stood to Charlie's side and snarled viciously at the approaching vampire.

"Well, if it isn't my sweet daughter-in-law." Joham said as he came closer to the pair. There were three bullet holes in his shirt where Charlie's deadly aim had only penetrated the flimsy cotton. Perhaps just this once he'd have been better off to have taken a page from Emmett's book and used his 'most powerful rifle in the world' to have taken off Joham's ear instead.

Joham continued sweetly looking down at the grey wolf and thus missed my entrance directly behind him. "You know, I'm not so sure you've been such a good influence on my son. He seems to have become rather high handed of late. And his manners have gotten so shoddy. I'm guessing that's another little something he picked up from you. Please don't tell me that you intend to protect yourself, this man and the helpless one alone, you mangy fur ball? Oh, excuse me…shape shifter?" He laughed in incredulity. "Oh I guess you probably could. I forget, you're the Wolf Goddess after all." He took another swift step and I heard Charlie's intake of air at the speed of the approach.

"You're as fast as Edward." He whispered out. Joham's eyes sparkled as he toyed with Charlie.

"I am fast!" He agreed letting his chuckle fade out.

I would have to intervene, though I was not quite in the strategic position that made for the best surprise attack. But to wait would be folly; especially where Charlie's life hung in the balance.

"No he's not faster than Edward." I corrected bleakly. Joham whirled at the sound of my voice. "…and not stronger than I."

Joham rocked back and forth for a full minute while eying my approach. He suddenly turned to grab Charlie to hold as a 'hostage' but as he grabbed it wasn't Charlie he found but his own son Nahuel, whose jacket collar was held twisted in Joham's fist.

"Father, I grow tired of your continued verbal assaults on my wife. In fact, I have grown completely tired of you. Weren't you supposed to leave the area almost a week ago?" Nahuel asked in a hard yet courteous voice that was at odds with the deadly glare he shot at his father.

"Well, I just wanted to give you time to cool down before I came to visit again." Joham said as he released his son's clothing and took a step back. I had of course stepped up to his back and his backward step took him directly into my arms that interlocked and refused to release him though he struggled futilely.

"Charlie, did he hurt you?" I asked as I visually scanned him from head to toe.

"No, but I see what you mean about being bullet-proof." Charlie responded realizing how grave his situation had been before our arrival. "We had another hiker go missing yesterday and he was described as having a jacket just like the one he's wearing." Charlie explained as he pointed to the vampire in my arms. "In fact, I'd say it WAS the same jacket. There's even the same patch over the left pocket."

Joham shrugged. I had to remind myself that though I would have reacted the same way a month ago, this man had broken his word to the Cullens, whose territory this was and he had been about to kill Charlie on top of that. Since he could not be trusted to keep his word, he could not be allowed to remain free.

Nahuel looked down at his wolfy wife, "Leah, why don't you and I take Billy back to the car? I think I can safely leave Felix to deal with Joham's treachery. He is nothing to either of us." They turned their backs to Joham, Leah still in wolf form, effectively erasing the vampire named Joham from their lives. I knew how they felt, though I knew a mostly absent father wasn't always the worst kind.

Demetri stood to Charlie's side.

He asked him, "You know, you don't have to watch this. You could go back to the car with the others."

"No, if this man killed the missing hiker, then bullet-proof or not, it is my responsibility to make sure that he is no longer a present danger to the community." Charlie added with his face ashen.

"Well then," Demetri added, "You're about to see how Felix's training is especially effective against bullet-proof criminals."

Joham's eyes got larger as he realized his peril. "You mustn't kill me. Aro has commissioned me to produce the next hybrid for him. If he found out you killed me, he'd take you out." Joham's pleas were pitiful.

"Right, and if you're gone, who will be here to tell him?" I countered as I spun him around. I could have ripped his head from where I stood, but there was more honor in taking down an opponent in a battle. Plus Charlie was watching; my only chance to show my skills against a formidable opponent.

As I released Joham—away from Charlie, he made a swift bee-line for the trees. I caught him mid stride. Okay, I guessed that wasn't much of a head start but he'd still put up quite a fight all the same. Finally after five minutes of combat, I tired of the game and with my actions blocked from Charlie's view I beheaded Joham with my teeth. Then I took the jacket off his twitching corpse and removed the cell phone from his pocket. I gave the jacket to Charlie. He looked at me with a look of awe and admiration. It left me with a sense of exhilaration.

"That was truly amazing Son," Charlie told me gruffly as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. "If you hadn't shown up…" He broke off as the enormity of the situation overcame him temporarily. "That man would have killed me and probably Leah and Billy too. Thank you, Felix. That was just…really something! Of course, I won't be able to report this incident the way it actually played out."

I checked the cell and Joham had indeed called Aro three days previously. I would find a way to deal with that later. Charlie had called me _son_! He loved me. I just knew it. And as that sunk into my stone heart, I felt the deep yearning to know a father's love, being replaced with a warmth that filled me from my inner core. I felt fulfilled; whole somehow. Of course I was in big trouble with Aro myself now. He would never understand my killing one of our kind—someone whom he had a 'business dealing' with—to be sacrificed for the life of a human. Still there had really been no choice. Aro was unaware that Joham was dead and as long as I wasn't close enough to Aro, there was no need for him to become aware of that fact.

Demetri explained to Charlie that they needed to gather dry wood for a fire. He took him away from my next activity; leaving me free from Charlie's human eyes as I tore the vampire that had been Joham into tiny pieces.

***

**[A/N: The Next chapter is entitled, 'Double Wedding' and it is a long one so it will take me a few days to get through the edits. Hope you liked this one. Hopefully by now, you'd already read my one-shot about Felix's past. It really helps in the understanding of what happened between Felix and Charlie. If you haven't read it yet, you can find it underneath my stories off my profile page. Thanks for you wonderful comments too :D]**


	58. Chapter 53 Part 1

**Chapter Fifty Three  
Double Wedding-Part I**

**Friday, October 10****th**

**Charlie's POV**

Today was the day I had waited for, a day I hadn't dared to hope for. It was a day that would still be nothing more than a whisper of a dream, had my precocious little granddaughter not intervened and played match maker, giving me the courage to ask the most graceful and intelligent woman I had ever met to be my wife. If Nessie had not pressed the issue that day, just over a month ago, as we drove home from the airport, I might still be walking around with that ring in my pocket. I smiled again at the memory, amused now at how humiliated I had been at the time.

"_So, when is the big day? It better be before we leave. I want to be the flower girl." Renesmee had said sweetly. I had become frantic as I tried to stop her from what I was sure at the time would leave me in the bottom of an ever growing hole._

"There isn't any 'big day' in the works Nessie." Sue had sighed and then shook her head and continued. "So, you see I will have to steal you away."

After hearing that Nessie had looked up at Sue with a look of sheer horror on her face. "You didn't turn him down did you? You just have to marry Grandpa! He needs you so much! And he loves you too. You do know that right? You couldn't find anyone more handsome, or nice or special than him. Sue, how could you have said 'no'?" Nessie had sounded as though her heart was breaking at the end. On the other hand I remembered feeling as though I was in the midst of a heart attack; so much so that I was unable to interrupt her assumption.

Her answer should have been all the confirmation I needed to silence my insecurities.

"_Oh no Nessie," Sue had told her reassuringly. "I can assure you that I have most definitely not turned your Grandpa down. I know that he is the most handsome, the kindest and most special man around. I'm just waiting for him to work up his nerve to ask me in the first place."_

I stared at my tuxedo where it hung next to Nahuel's in Carlisle and Esme's closet. Their bedroom had been designated 'The Grooms' Room'. I looked at the long scar that ran from the top of my shoulder down my forearm to my elbow. My reminder of just how lucky I was to have such an extraordinary granddaughter. She had saved me that day four months ago. Of course, the scar hadn't been the only souvenir I'd received from that bear. I'd thought as I eyed the bear tooth and claw necklace I'd received that night from 'Chief Emmett of the Bear Warriors'. I had rarely removed it since the day I'd received it, the same day I'd gotten the scar. I wondered if Alice would notice if I wore it under my tuxedo.

Remembering my sweet Nessie's intervention in 'getting' me to this point today, I pondered her further words of encouragement on the ride home from the airport. She had just admitted to me her plans to 'grow up' and marry 'her' Jacob.

"_Grandpa, maybe I'm too young but you're not." She'd said in exasperation. I remembered groaning as the conversation shifted back to me again. "What is the hold up? Aunt Alice told me she's already seen the two of you married and that it wasn't too far off. And you've had six weeks already. Haven't you heard of Carpe Diem?" She'd looked at me expectantly._

I had been mortified. I couldn't swallow.

"You know Grandpa. 'Seize the day?' You aren't getting any younger you know."Nessie's musical voice had gently chided me.

I smiled at the once-uncomfortable memory. Surprised at how it now held only warmth and affection. Today I was seizing the day. Today was the day I would be joined with a woman in whose eyes I had lost myself every time I'd looked into them.

I dressed quickly, wearing my 'Bear Warrior Mantle' underneath the fancy white dress shirt. Nahuel would be done in the shower soon and I wanted to allow him some privacy to prepare for his big day as well. I had planned to wear the tux Alice had forced on me for Bella's wedding. Of course, Alice wouldn't hear of it! I looked at the black suit as I pulled it off its hanger. If there was any consolation for me and my 'monkey suit', it was with two brides in the house, I was sure to escape Alice's ministrations.

There was a knock on the door. I heard Alice. "Charlie, I hope you're dressed."

I was wrong!

"I need to make sure you've got your tie done right. It's a little tricky. I am doing your hair too and I could give you a barber's shave if you'd like." Alice trilled sweetly from the other side of the door. I sighed. As I did so my bear claws clicked together so quietly that I nearly missed it. Unfortunately, Alice had much sharper hearing. "Charlie--NO! You take that off right now. Today is your wedding. Sue does not want to marry a stinky old bear. Take that necklace off or I'll take it off for you." There was more banging on the door.

"Okay Alice, The bear claws are gone." I chuckled silently as I reached under my shirt and removed them. Well at least I'd tried. "Say Alice, aren't you busy taking care of two brides?"

"Oh, they're under the blow dryers. You have my undivided attention for the next twenty five minutes." Alice practically sang.

"Well, lucky me." I said and though it sounded sarcastic, I had to admit I was relieved. Alice did have a way of making me look much better than usual. I didn't want Sue to see me and change her mind. I'd need to have all the help Alice could give me to help me keep my edge. I had a sudden fear about my future. Renee had left me when she'd realized how ordinary I was. What would I do if Sue were ever to come to the same conclusion? Panic flooded me in an instant. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be out." I called to Alice though my voice sounded strained.

"Okay," Alice said quieter. "Charlie, are you doing alright?" I guess she'd heard the change in my tone.

"Fine." I stammered as I finished with my pants and opened the door. I was surprised to see not just Alice standing there with her ever beautiful smile but her husband Jasper as well. He looked at me with a smile as wide as Texas. What was it about that man? I couldn't put my finger on it but all of my worries flew right out the window as Alice led me downstairs for twenty five minutes of her undivided attention. I was hoping to see Sue, but Alice led me down a back stairway to a large bathroom on the second floor I'd never even seen before. For goodness sakes, how many bathrooms did this house have?

*******

**Nahuel's POV**

I heard Charlie and Alice's conversation as I finished my shower and the door as it had opened and closed while the conversation continued down the hall and away for me. So I knew I'd have the room to myself. I was glad for that. In so many ways, Leah was already my wife. Our marriage was legally binding for another week inside of Brazil. Leah had become my entire life since our first wedding ceremony, though that ceremony—performed in the ancient tongue of the Jaguar People, occurred without her consent. I laughed to myself as I remembered her fury at me that day; my little she-wolf with her sharp claws and fangs. I had to admit that even then, when I'd allowed her to travel with me to find the Ticunan Indian village, my original intent had been to simply pump her for information regarding the youngest Cullen, Renesmee. However even then, it seemed as though my fascination with Leah grew proportionally with her annoyance at me. I simply had to know more.

I always had a way of figuring out those around me, be they animals, humans, or immortals. I had always been able to find a way to converse with them on an unconscious level. Well, unconscious to them at least. While this gift certainly helped me understand the underlying emotions at play behind Leah's irritation and pain on that fateful trip. I sensed that to reach Leah on any meaningful level I could not push her. As I have come to understand my beautiful wife more completely in the past three months, I now realized what a disaster 'pushing' her at such a vulnerable moment would have been. And I knew and understood that at her core, behind her anger and pain, she had been very vulnerable that day. She was lost and extremely lonely.

_As the night had turned to day in our journeying, I remembered her explaining to me why I should not pursue a relationship with Nessie because she was already spoken for. Her explanation that followed left me flabbergasted to say the least. Although she'd tried to hide it, pain leaked through as she spoke of imprinting. It was such a contrasting tone to the sharp edge of her words just moments before that I pondered how this imprinting ritual had adversely affected such an enchanting woman._

_That is what I silently pondered as we continued throughout the afternoon and approached the village. Then when I turned my thoughts to how we'd have to act as though we were the Jaguar God and Wolf Goddess again for the villagers, I remembered being struck by an epiphany. It came as I led her into the forest and called to some nearby Jaguars to complete the picture. _

_The realization was simply, 'What if this was actually true?' I thought I'd been 'playing' at being this mythological leader so I could help the villagers get medicines they needed. When I started to ponder how likely it was that people of the Amazon had seen me wrestle with Jaguars and given me their ancient title, and not only to have a female wolf shape shifter married, to me so suddenly it had left my head spinning, but to find out that she was the ONLY female werewolf and that unlike one of the 'Children of the Moon', Leah and her pack brothers were dedicated to the preservation of human life. That they had stood with the Cullens against the Volturi. What were the odds that the only female shape shifter would end up there—in my Amazon Rainforest? What were the odds that the villagers would see her first as a wolf and then see her shift into a beautiful woman instead of the male they were expecting? And what were the odds it would be the same tribe that held the necklaces for the time foretold when the Wolf Goddess would come to them, marry their Jaguar God and take him away? There were too many coincidences; TOO many for any random encounter. This only added to my excitement as I looked at my 'bride'. That was when it occurred to me. She had never looked me in the eye. Was it an aversion to me personally? Was it a subconscious gesture towards any man to keep from being hurt; hurt from any possible imprinting? _

_I'd marveled at the sensations that built inside of me as I walked with her by my side as we entered the village. The excitement that surrounded our arrival was in fact no match for the excitement building in potency inside of me. I smiled approvingly at the assessments of the villagers as to the beauty and grace of their Wolf Goddess. They had recognized the beads almost as quickly as they had the jaguars at our sides. The wait to discover if I could possibly be this beautiful goddess's imprint became unbearable. She had so completely won over my heart in such a short amount of time after over one hundred and fifty years of being without such a love that surely there had been some kind of magic at play. _

_As soon as we had consumed a light meal of fish and tubers, and I had promised the kind people of the Ticunan village that we would be there for their evening festivities, I had boldly grabbed Leah's hand and escorted her back to the stream and it's soothing melody as the water played amongst the rocks in its path. Encouraged that she had not pulled away from my advance, I sat her on a rock before stopping to think of the best way to broach such a sensitive topic as imprinting with this amazing young woman who had in the matter of a few short hours become the center of my universe. Had I tried to explain the feelings that coursed through me in that moment to anyone they would have thought me mad. Perhaps I was. I only knew that a life without the woman at my side was really no life at all. I was only half-vampire. I did not have a stone heart. I had a heart of flesh that beat. So how could I explain how this intense need and desire, this powerful urge to protect and cherish and most importantly, the sense of love and devotion that enveloped me, thrilled me as I'd held her hand in mine. My heart had changed. She had done that. Without even knowing or meaning to, Leah had changed my heart. Within my very living heart there was a new feature as hard as granite, as polished as marble, as beautiful as diamond. It was my love for her--unbreakable, unchangeable and unforgettable. _

_My emotions had left me so shocked; I'd turned away from her after asking for the details of her experiences with imprinting. Facing into the woods I'd cried freely as she struggled to tell me the details of her relationship with a fellow shape shifter. It was as I'd feared. Worst case scenario. He'd found his other half after promising it to her. My heart ached for her as she explained about communication within a pack and how her feelings were left exposed for the rest of them to feel as well as Sam's for his new love. How she had borne such grief and humiliation was beyond me. As wolves, were they given more guts for dealing with such issues? I'd doubted that. She seemed somehow to find strength as her story unfolded. She shared so much more with me than I had expected. From there she'd told me her fears about her future chances of a family. Even so, when she'd explained her thoughts of self-loathing, her concern over being 'defective' and not good enough, I was appalled that such an exquisite woman would come to view herself in such a manner. No, not just any woman—MY woman. In that moment I knew I must dry every tear, repair every injury and rebuild any lost self-confidence this magic had forced her to bear._

_I turned towards her and gathered her in my arms and in that our first embrace, while many tears had been shared, the healing began. _

_After I was sure she was ready, I reluctantly released her from my arms but gathered both of her hands in my own. I asked her about the mechanics of how imprinting had worked. I already had figured it out, but needed an opening. Even with all we'd shared, she'd yet to look me directly in the eye. That had probably been for the best. Had she imprinted on me the day before as mad as she had been, it may have caused her to go into a fit of convulsions._

"_So, I was wondering about this imprinting thing." I'd asked her quietly. I knew full well how vulnerable she was and that a wounded animal was a dangerous one. I also understood that if she were to leave and return to her home in America without me, I would be lost. "If it's just to look someone in the eye, why don't you give it a go with me?" I'd asked casually, hopeful that she'd not guess at the import of my request. "Is that why you haven't looked me in the eye since we met?" I'd waited for a reply to tell me if I'd presumed too much. My only answer was her cheeks that blushed flame red. Her eyes still stayed carefully away from my intent gaze. "Are you afraid too?" I'd whispered the words. _

_She'd shaken her head still cast downward. "I am not afraid of you." She finally said though her voice was a low moan. "It won't work. It doesn't work like that. I can't control it, and I won't imprint anyway. I'm not a candidate." Through the pain of her assessment she winced as if she'd slapped herself in the face._

I'd known I was walking on eggshells—brittle eggshells. I had taken a deep breath before continuing--pressing my advantage. "That's just a theory. You said so yourself. Anyway, one look won't hurt you and either way, I'm not going anywhere."

"What is that suppose to mean?"She'd asked confused.

How could I make her see? How could I explain to her how she'd already won my heart? How could I earn her trust when the only man she had trusted had broken his word? "I'm not Sam, Leah. I'm not a wolf and I don't imprint. I won't leave you like that. You are the most beautiful, intriguing and complicated woman I've ever met and you have completely captivated me. I'd like to give this a go--especially if Renesmee is spoken for already, so to speak. So, what do you say Leah? Shall we give it a try?" I'd said as I let go of her hands and she thankfully allowed me to gather her back into my embrace. While there, I leaned back to see her face before I continued. I'd tried persuasion and I was determined to see if she would imprint on me before the sun set. I could appeal to her anger and since she was already in my arms, escape would not be so easy. I had her right where I wanted her. No, I had her right where I needed her. I determined if that didn't work, then I would at least use my gift to calm her down. "Look at me, because frankly, I'm getting tired of only sideways glances. I want my wife to not be afraid to look me in the eye."

"Wife," Leah replied dryly as she'd rolled her eyes. I'd taken another deep breath. I would never have dreamt of deliberately setting this goddess off but she had forced my hand and this was important!

"Yes Wife, Leah. What do you think those crazy Jaguar People were doing before they let us leave? They married us."

_At my words I carefully watched her eyes and used my stronger senses to check her reaction to my words. Yes, I had done it. I had sparked her indignation. Her wrath was back in full power. I almost brought everything to bear to call it back, but just as my own panic threatened to overwhelm me, her eyes snapped up to lock with mine for the first time ever. And as she did, I understood the power of the magic behind imprinting. I finally understood why I had waited so long without finding another to fill the void in my life. I finally knew it was all true. Somehow, destiny had brought us together. It was something bigger than either of us could fight. And then I knew neither of us cared to. Together, we would become a mighty force for good. I knew it because I knew that with the woman in my arms at my side, I could accomplish anything._

"Nahuel" Leah had whispered as I brought my lips to hers. It was a tender kiss; as natural as breathing. Although I'd yet to learn about just how deadly my venom coated teeth could be to Leah's werewolf genes, I seemed to instinctively know to use extra care. Instinctive was the way it felt as I tasted her tears on her cheeks, lifted her into my arms and whirled around, splashing water on us both. It felt like I'd been lost my whole life and finally I'd come home.

I knew that since that wondrous moment of imprinting, my life had changed, become more defined, happier. I was just buttoning up the black tuxedo jacket when I remembered Charlie called our tuxedos 'monkey suits' the other day. I wondered idly if he'd like to see what a real monkey suit from the Amazon looked like. No probably not. I eyed myself in the mirror. I hardly recognized the man that stared back. I had thought my presence in Leah's life would heal her broken heart. I had never realized until this moment that I had been broken and her love had healed me as well.

I heard her footsteps, quiet and cat-like before the loud banging on the door ruined the effect. "Nahuel," Alice chirped. I couldn't help but smile. I would give anything to have at least one my sisters learn a lesson or two from Alice. She was an unstoppable force of nature but she was good to the core. Perhaps she could make their acquaintance someday and teach them some manners--Alice style.

"Are you all done getting dressed? My hair cutting services are at your disposal for the next forty three minutes." I opened the door as she continued; hooking my arm through hers as though I'd meant to escort her to the second floor. "Did you decide to let me cut it short?" she asked eagerly. When I turned as though to go down the main staircase that would have landed me in the hall where the 'Brides' Room was in full activity, Alice yanked sharply on my arm and practically dragged me down the back way. Dang, she might be small but she was one strong little vampire.

"Oh, my hair." I said as I gazed back at the other staircase that I'd have preferred to have taken. "You know Alice. I've had my hair long for over a hundred years. But I've given it some thought and I've decided 'Why not! How often does a fellow get married? Right? Besides Charlie tells me you're mean with a pair of scissors. He didn't mean that literally did he?" I added to hide my slight nervousness.

"You won't be sorry Nahuel! I hope Leah likes it." Alice seemed to space out for a brief moment before adding satisfactorily, "Yes she will. Yeah!!!"

*******

**Sue's POV**

I was sitting in the mini beauty salon that was Alice's bathroom. I glanced over at my daughter who occupied the chair next to me. Her wet hair draped down her shoulders while Alice went at it with a comb and a water bottle. I on the other hand wore a green facial moisturizing mask. Today was a special day for Leah as well as myself. I couldn't help the smile that played across my face in response to Leah's expression. Her metamorphosis was evident at the airport. She was the confident young woman I had remembered from high school but there was something more. Having gone through the fires of love lost—lost so profoundly, and then rekindled and burning bright with hope and purpose had tempered her with a maturity and wisdom that had replaced her innocence of youth.

Today had been a day I had feared would never come for my Leah. Today was a day I would welcome a new Clearwater to the family. I'd watched Sam grow up from a child and I'd always liked him. But after meeting Nahuel it was hard for me to see Leah spending her life with anyone else. Not only were they so in love, but he had leadership skills that were innate. He had a way of inspiring those around him. He had a confidence that belied his youthful appearance. And he was very intelligent and warm. He had a way of making those around him feel important.

_I remembered three months ago when Leah called me from the Amazon with the news she'd imprinted. I nearly dropped the phone. I'd had a hard time hiding the shock in my voice._

_I remembered being at Charlie's for the evening. I'd just made dinner when the phone had rung. I was surprised it was my daughter and she'd gone to the trouble to track me down. I knew the state she'd been in when they had departed and I'd worried immediately. Not only that, but I had learned from Billy Black about Jacob's poisoning just two hours earlier. I'd fretted that the natives had attacked her as well. I'd eyed Charlie speculatively as he exchanged pleasantries with her. He didn't look concerned. Then he'd handed me the phone._

"_Leah? Is everything going alright?" I'd asked her. _

"_Mom!" Leah's voice had sounded beyond normal. It had sounded exuberant. I'd wondered if it was a hallucinogenic side effect of a dart's poison. "Mom, I'm bringing home another Clearwater. I imprinted on Nahuel and we're getting married!" At this point the conversation was drowned out by whooping and hollering. I'd been afraid the natives were just getting started with her. I'd thought my poor daughter was so delusional that she'd only thought she'd imprinted. My heart had sunken in my chest._

Then I noticed that one of the voices came through the receiver louder and clearer than the rest; louder because it belonged to the booming voice of Emmett Cullen. "Well, Dog-on-it! Nahuel's going to the dog house and it don't look like he's gonna ever get out! I think they call it puppy-love. It's all going to the dogs." I remembered my worries as I heard his banter that the Cullens had lured Jacob and Leah down there, bitten them and blamed it on some local Indian tribes with blow darts. What could I say? I thought like a mother!

_  
"Holy Cow," I'd heard Jacob stammered through the receiver. He sounded much better than Billy's assessment had made him out to be._

His remark was followed by the crystal high voice of Nessie, "What does 'imprinted' mean?"

Jacob had whispered back to her, "I'll tell you later." I remembered my relief as I'd realized he'd certainly sounded coherent.

I hadn't realized I'd been straining my ear ever closer and closer to the receiver in an attempt to hear the conversations from the other end. My ear drum rattled as I heard Alice's rather loud squeal of delight, "Oh, Yes. A wedding! How much time do I have? I didn't think to bring my suitcase full of samples and magazines or my binder." There had been a slight pause. Enough for me to consider that what Leah had said might have been the honest truth. Was my daughter engaged? Had she found her other half? "You are practically family Leah, don't you dare cross me. We're in this together." Alice's voice removed all doubt I might have harbored about my daughters intentions.  
  
_There had been a burst of laughter and then I'd heard Nahuel's voice for the first time. I found no comfort in its pronouncement. "We're already married for three months anyway. We could get it recorded here and it would be official but we decided to be married close to Leah's family so she can have the wedding SHE wants, Alice." They were already married but coming home to do it again?_

The conversation between Leah and Alice and wedding arrangements continued merrily. Clearly they had forgotten I was on the line. That had been okay with me at the time. I'd needed to collect myself.

"Okay," Jacob had said sounding like a weakened but coherent version of himself. "Who are you and what did you do with Leah?" Everyone had laughed again. I had surprised myself with a giggle. Jacob didn't sound alarmed. He sounded--happy. He was someone I could trust.

Then I heard Leah, "First, I want to have it within the next three months. I don't want to give this first wedding a chance to expire in the meantime, just in case you might think of escaping." Her voice was playful. Then her current marriage was somehow temporary.

"Not a chance," Nahuel's voice had said again. Leah laughed and the sound was bright and happy. It was music to my ears. Charlie had looked over at me trying to guess at my expression. I realized there were tears sliding silently down my face.  
  
_"What is the second condition," Alice tone demanded from the speaker._

"Well, I don't want it in any way to resemble the… a… wedding you did last week."  
Leah was telling Alice she wanted her own wedding—not a 'do-over' of Sam's. "No problem there. We can start thinking about exactly what you want. What is your schedule for the next three months—because you're going to need to clear it."

Finally I could stand it no longer. I had to remind her I was still on the line. "Hello, Leah?" 

"_Sorry Mom, I guess you heard the little ruckus over here!"Leah said, her voice much clearer than it had been before._

"_Well, can I meet this young man?" I'd asked as I steadied my voice and sniffled._

"_Yes I will do that, here he is." Leah said._

Then I heard the melodic tenor voice again; the voice of Nahuel, polite and nervous. "Yes, Hello Mrs. Clearwater," 

"_Hello Nahuel? I didn't think it was possible, but somehow in making Leah so happy you have managed to make me happy too. You must be a remarkable individual." I said. Speaking to such a nice polite stranger, who was apparently sort of my new son-in-law, was so unexpected I was afraid I may have sounded too cold._

_His warm response had reassured me at once. "Thank you very much."_

"_I am looking forward to meeting you, Nahuel."_

"_Yes, ma'am, I am excited to meet you too…" _

_It hadn't been until the next day when I had mentioned to Sam and Billy the name of Leah's imprint was Nahuel that I learned the truth. They apparently knew of a Nahuel from South America. A Nahuel, who like Renesmee Cullen, was a vampire hybrid. How Leah had managed to leave out that small little detail was beyond me. Honestly Sam was more worried about it than I was. I reasoned that if Nahuel was anything like Nessie, and had been selected by the magic of imprinting, and made my daughter half as happy as she'd sounded on the phone, then who was Sam to make a judgment call that involved Leah? I'd heard from her Alpha over the phone the night before and he was more than supportive. And so it had started. To protect my daughter I had defended Nahuel, my new son, whom I'd yet to meet._

But today was not just a day for new beginnings for my daughter. No, it was a day to start a new life for me as well.

"These are going on your eyes now Sue." Alice warned me as she placed two slices of cucumber over my eyes leaving me alone with no visual distractions as I visited with my thoughts. While Bella and Rosalie had begun my manicure each with one hand, I found myself lost once again.

_This time I remembered that stormy Thursday in March almost two and a half years ago. I just returned home from grocery shopping to find my husband Harry gray faced and lying in bed. He had soaked the bed sheets from his sweating though he shook with a chill._

"_Harry!" I yelled as I walked in the room and ran to his side. "I'm calling the Doctor. Hang in there. Everything is going to be fine."_

"_No," He'd stammered feebly. "I just have a chill. And my arm has this shooting pain. Will you get me an aspirin Sue?"_

"_I'm calling the Doctor, Harry, and then I'll get you your aspirin." I had frantically dialed 9-1-1 and was told they would be there in just a few minutes. Already I could hear the distant siren of its approach._

"_Sue, you have to listen to me." Harry had said his voice faltering but determined to get out what was on his mind. "It's the kids, Sue."_

"_Don't worry about the kids, Harry. They'll be fine." I'd tried to sooth him, not realizing he was trying to explain what had happened just that morning while I'd shopped for fresh fruits and vegetables._

"_Please Sue, you have to help them with their transition to protect the tribe." He'd finally choked out before falling unconscious._

"_Harry? No, you can't leave me. Be strong. The ambulance is here now. You're going to the hospital. You'll be fine now." I'd said as the siren cut off but a swirl of red and blue lights shone in through the window. _

_In a matter of minutes the ambulance had arrived and taken my Harry to Forks Community Hospital. I sat with him for the ride but the trained staff hooked him up to so many wires and tubes, I couldn't even talk to him. He was suffering a major heart attack. His heart stopped twice in route and the medics had restarted him both times with their defibrillator paddles. When we'd reached the hospital, he was whisked off still unconscious while I was left standing outside in shocked silence as the rain washed over me._

"_Don't leave me Harry." I'd whispered to no one while the heavens cried for my loss. I didn't know how long I had stood out there numb and past feeling. I only knew I was soaked from head to toe and unaware I'd begun shaking uncontrollably when there were suddenly warm strong arms around my shoulders._

"_Sue, Thank God in Heaven I found you." I had looked up into the warm brown eyes of Charlie Swan, filled with concern for me and a grief of his own. I didn't remember much of the month that followed. I had only vague memories of the funeral. Charlie had seen to all of the arrangements. Between him and Billy, Harry's two best friends, there wasn't a day that past that I'd been left to myself. Even so, there'd been plenty of alone time to grieve. I wasn't sure why, but both of my children were gone from the house more often than usual. I'd chalked it up to trying to deal with their pain away from the memories held within the walls of our home. Funny, but I'd found I'd craved the memories I found in those walls. I had plenty of time to miss Harry, his jokes, his tuneless humming, and his fish tales about the ones that got away, his tender looks, his thoughtful silences. Often I'd been so sure he was right there. It'd felt as though I'd seen him out of the corner of my eye countless times a day. Sometimes I'd even turned to speak to him, only to find the space empty. Empty was how I'd felt too. Void of love and laughter. I'd wondered how I'd go on. How I'd make it though. How I could be strong for my kids. The werewolves had returned and it had cost my beautiful Leah her love. A lovely red-headed 'cold one' stalked our lands once more. Was she really after Charlie's girl? Either way I feared how to protect my family without Harry's guidance._

_And then of course six weeks later, the unimaginable happened and I was forced to turn my attention to my children. I had just surrendered myself to another night of dreams where my Harry was watching over my family; keeping us safe from the red-headed vampire. Suddenly the stillness of the night was shattered by a large crash and a howl of a wolf. I'd awoken with a start. Had it come from inside of the house? No, it had come from outside Seth's window. I ran to his room. Had it been one of our defenders? Was this Victoria near? Seth was nowhere in sight. His bed was made._

"_Seth!!! Where are you? Leah!!" I'd screamed, afraid of what could have happened to them. Leah had come sleepily out of her room._

"_Mom, what is wrong?" She'd asked as she'd focused her dreary eyes in my direction._

"_Seth isn't home and did you hear the werewolf?" I asked worriedly._

_Leah led me directly to the window and pointed out the window. I followed her gaze to see a gangly looking tan wolf just five feet away. "That is Seth right there." She said with a sigh. She turned a weary half smile in my direction. "Surprise!" she muttered somewhat sarcastically._

"_Seth is a werewolf? But he's not old enough. Did your father know?" Leah had merely nodded. I tried to process that information. "What does he need? Do you have any idea?" I asked her dumbly._

"_No, but give me a second and I'll find out." Leah said before jumping out the window and phasing into a smaller grey wolf to join her brother, leaving a shredded night dress behind her._

So in helping my children I had helped myself. In being strong for them, I'd gained strength to carry on. The council had invited me to take Harry's place on the council and life restarted itself. Still, I feared my heart would never recover. Loneliness snuck up on me again when both of my children left the reservation to defend the Cullens and Bella's unborn baby. I had to agree with them there. I had never been so proud to see them stand against the odds to defend what was right—decent. Even so, I was more acutely aware of my empty house.

But Charlie Swan had come to see me. He had asked me about werewolves after Jacob had revealed his true nature to him. He had asked me to accompany him to the Cullens to visit with his daughter and granddaughter. This also gave me more opportunities to see my own children as well. Slowly I started to realize that what I felt for Charlie, my protectiveness of him, was more than just a worry of losing one more part of my life. It was that Charlie had grown to become a more important part of my life. I was in love with him. As I allowed my heart to hope, the world took on color again. It had felt as though I could finally breathe. Just as Alice removed the cucumbers from my eyes and I could see the vibrant colors in the sunny room, I realized that today was a miracle for me as well. Today was a day I had feared would never come to me. I had found love again; a new chance at happiness. I smiled as I prepared to welcome my new life, with Charlie, as Sue Swan.

*******

**Leah's POV**

Alice and Bella quickly buttoned up the satin buttons at the back of my gown as I stared at myself in my wedding dress. I knew this day was coming, but somehow it didn't seem quite real until this moment. I was a bride. Not just any bride either. I was the luckiest woman in the world. Marrying the most amazing, kind, smart, and sexy man I'd ever met.

I looked at the white satin as it flowed gracefully to the ground and I was glad we had waited until now to become intimate, though at times it had been a difficult commitment. But Nahuel had said I was worth the wait. Another reason he was so special to me. Of the three wedding dresses I was deciding on, the one I was in was the one that Nahuel and my mother had liked the most. Alice had been about to protest his presence when he'd arrived at our fitting at the bridal store, but one look from Nahuel had silenced her. She did remember his threat to have our previous marriage recorded. Alice finally consented to let him help me decide as long as the dresses were on manikins instead of me. His reasons for liking the dress had my mother smiling for the rest of the day. He had chosen the one that covered me the most.

"You are my wife, not your pack brothers'. By no fault of your own, they've seen you in less; now let them see you in more. Leave them with this last impression to remember you by. You are becoming a queen, a wife, a bride, you're the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and you are mine--not theirs. You're not competing with your wedding dress, Leah. These other two dresses are so showy, flashy. Not to mention, they're missing the top half of the dress. Honestly, in these two gowns, I might have skirmishes breaking out and have to stop the ceremony just so I can fight off all the sore losers. Though they are certainly not cheap gowns, they show too much skin for a lady of your status. They seem to somehow cheapen what I feel for you." Then he'd gestured to the third dress on the manikin. "This dress I love," He'd said as he'd fingered the soft satin. It compliments your natural grace and beauty.

He was right of course, and I had to admit, of the three it was also the dress I liked the most. It made me feel like a princess. Flashy and showy was not who I was anymore. I was growing up. I was happy with who I was. The thought brought tears to my eyes.

Emily came in. She was my Matron of Honor. When she saw me she broke out in a happy smile that glowed on both sides of her beautiful face. Oh, dang it, those tears were back.

"Leah, you take my breath away. Look at you!" Emily said as she crossed the room and gathered me in a short embrace. I was happy to see t the anguish I had felt when our roles had been reversed was completely absent. That in itself was a marvel. It was that pain that had sent me to the Amazon in the first place. I had run away from a relationship I could no longer endure watching. I had run away to find myself, my heart and my home.

_I suddenly remembered that day when Emily had married her Sam and I had run away from this big white house and relived my painful past with the forest as my silent witness. Reliving my past that day had very nearly been my undoing. I very nearly phased and deserted everyone. I remembered the words of courage I gave myself to push myself off the forest floor and continue on to support my sisterly cousin as she married the man I had believed would be the only man I would ever love._

'_I am a Clearwater. I am a wolf. I am a defender. I am a survivor. I will bury these feelings for Sam. I will do it. I will be strong today. What will happen tomorrow I cannot say, but for today, I will be what I must.' _

That had been my yesterday. And what I had said was true, at the time all I saw was bleakness. I saw no hope. But I did not know what 'tomorrow' had in store for me. Today I had found my tomorrow, it would begin today and I would never look back again. My dad used to always tell me things always seemed darkest before the light shined through. Dad was right. I could feel him all around me, his love, his acceptance.

I remembered my encounter with him in the Sun Temple at Akahim. He wouldn't be there to physically walk me down the aisle. No—that honor would be left to Seth, but I knew he was here with me all the same.

"_Leah," My father's spirit had sung out as his arms became more solid, just in time for me to fill them. "Leah, I am so proud of you, my little girl, all grown up and getting married, and to none other than 'The Jaguar King'! You've always been my little princess, so it's only fitting that you would grow up to be a queen." He leaned in and kissed my hair._

"Daddy," I'd whispered, "It is so good to see you. I have missed you so much!"

"I know, believe me I know," He'd said somewhat sadly. "Let this be a lesson to you. Always listen to your mother. If she tells you to watch your cholesterol, or cut the fat, or whatever, she is ALWAYS right. Here I thought she was being 'bossy' but really she was just trying to save my life. Oh well," He'd sighed. "But I am here to meet my new son-in-law. Do I understand right, he's going to be a Clearwater?" Leah nodded. "Well, what a fine addition he'll make! The Jaguar King will certainly bring even more honor to the great Clearwater name!" I reached out to Nahuel and brought him closer.

"Dad, this is Nahuel." Dad's ghost reached out and shook his hand warmly and then changed his mind and gave him a quick hug.

"Welcome to our family, Nahuel. You may be a vampire, but you're running with the wolf pack now." He'd grinned at him. "And you'll make a much better father than your dad did that's for sure!" He added startling both Nahuel and I.

"It is an honor to meet you sir." Nahuel added politely.

Dad got a pained look to his countenance. "Sir? I was kind of hoping you'd think of me as 'Dad'."

"It would be an honor to do that. I have always wanted to have someone to call Dad who deserved it, and now it seems that I do."

"Good!" He'd looked around at everyone, nodding, "Bella, Jacob," he said acknowledging them. They waived back smiling. "Well I have to go but know that I'm always around cheering you on. And will you tell Seth how very proud I am of him as well and that I love him." Leah nodded, "And tell your mother I love her and I want her to be happy. Oh, and tell my good friend Charlie Swan, that if Sue tells him to eat more green salad, he'd better listen to her. She needs him to stick around for a long time. Will you do that for me Leah sweetie?" He asked as he started to fade away.

"Yes Dad," I whispered through her sudden tears, "I will."

"Always remember Leah honey, I love you and I'm so proud of you…so very proud!" He was fading much faster.

"I love you too, Daddy." I said as he faded from my memory. I was surprised to realize I'd whispered the words aloud. Tears back in my eyes again.

Emily looked a little concerned but the Cullens knew what I was remembering and they shared in my moment of silence. Mother pulled me into her arms. "Daddy told me to tell you that he loves you Mom. And that he wants you to be happy."

"I know Leah. Believe me, I know," was her silent reply.

Esme helped my mother into her beautiful dress which also had satin buttons going up the back, though her train was not as long and her skirt not as full as mine. Over the last summer of so many joint activities, Sue had finally warmed up to Esme. Really I thought I'd been the main hold out for that relationship to blossom. They were natural matriarchs of their families. With my objections gone, Sue had asked Esme to be her Matron of Honor, much to Esme's delight.

That was when the last minute fussing began and I felt a sudden flutter of excited nerves. My hair was touched up, my veil attached and my bouquet of rain forest flowers handed to me. I looked over to my mother to see the same care being given to her appearance. Our eyes met in that moment and I knew I was the luckiest woman in the world. To find the most amazing man to love, to know my mother was happy and not alone, and even to know Seth would not have to wade through the wrong girls to find the one fate had chosen for him.

There was a knock on the door and Seth was admitted. He looked around at the colorful dresses of our bridesmaids and finally to Mom and me.

"Dang! No wonder you were in here so long Leah! You look…" He struggled to find the appropriate word. "Wow…you look WOW!"

"You're showing a great economy of words there 'Brother Dearest'." I teased him. I had to admit though, the stunned reaction he exhibited pleased me.

"No Leah, it's not for a lack of words." Seth stammered. "It's my inability to pick just one. Stunning, beautiful, elegant, sexy. You're hot Leah, even if I am just your brother saying it."

I had to laugh at his assessment. As I linked arms with him on one side and Mother took his other arm I whispered back to him. "Just don't say that too close to Nahuel today okay?"

"I don't think Nahuel will have eyes for anyone but you today Leah. In fact, I'd count on it." Seth said before he turned to Mom and added. "You should see Charlie down there Mom. I'm pretty sure he knows how nervous suspects feel in line-ups now. Edward, Felix and Jasper are all up there with Billy, calming Charlie down."

"He's not getting cold feet is he?" Sue asked Seth in alarm as we descended the stairs and made our way towards the sounds of a string quartet playing the end of Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' and to our outdoor wedding.

"Cold feet?" Seth asked incredulously. "Are you kidding! He's afraid that you've come to your senses and have decided to leave him at the altar. He wants to go find you. He doesn't realize that he'd never make it through the doors of the house. No one wants to see Alice upset today. Honestly, I think she's as excited as the four of you are."

At our approach to the back yard that looked exactly like the cover of the Amazon rainforest, I looked around as my friends, my pack and my very large family stood and turned towards us. The string quartet started to play Wagner's', 'Here Comes The Bride.' Nahuel had a little extra surprise for me as six wolves came to join our retinue, flanking the three of us. At the dais stood my husband along with Edward for his best man and Charlie with Billy there for his. The four of them were flanked by four adult jaguars.

Nahuel's eyes met mine and I stepped forward without hesitation. My nerves stilled as I calmly walked forward to embrace my destiny.

*******

**I hope you liked my chapter so far!**

**If you liked the dresses. You can find my terrible attempt at photoshoping them and the site they came from, as links on my profile page under Chapter 53. **

**Honestly…I found so many I liked that I had my husband and 20 year old son decide which ones to use….(They are of course not the best for women's bridal fashion But I thought they did well! I even used their models as Sue and Leah…although my husband did some crazy air brushing for Leah and it did lose something in the effect! So I tried to cut and paste her face from my banner in place and find a 'clean shaved' look for Charlie…well…please forgive my ineptitude!**

**Anyway, next post will be Part 2 of 'Double Wedding'. I hope you will like the point of view I take with it. It was actually my husband who came up with the narrator, and though I had misgivings at first, I believe he was right. (He ALWAYS is!)**


	59. Chapter 53 Part 2

**[A/N: I was told by a reader that she didn't get the post notice for part I yesterday. So, if you are here, but have not read Part I of Chapter 53 yet, please go there first.]**

**Chapter Fifty Three  
Double Wedding-Part II**

**Harry Clearwater's POV**

I had mixed emotions today as I watched both of my girls walk down the aisle towards their future. I watched as Sue gazed at my good friend Charlie Swan. Her face lit with a beautiful serene smile that instantly quieted Charlie's nerves. I remembered how nervous she'd been on our wedding day over twenty five years ago. She showed no evidence of jitters today! I was proud of her. I knew how hard things had been for her during the last two and a half years since my passing. She had to come to terms with her children's new reality, as well as taking my place on the tribal council and my place as head of our home. I knew how she had battled loneliness and despair so acute at times that I ached to comfort her. I would be forever grateful to Charlie for filling the void my absence had created.

I knew there were many men in the area who had sought to court her. Some of them were decent suitors, but not a one of them was as special as my Sue deserved and needed. That was until she showed an interest in Charlie. It was Charlie who had held her together after my sudden death. It was Charlie who planned my funeral and supported her when she was most vulnerable. It was Charlie she called for moral support when she'd discovered the truth about Leah and Seth, though she did fudge on the exact nature of the 'problem' she had with the kids. Charlie had thought they were simply dealing with their own grief. Charlie had called on Sue in return when Jacob had phased in front of him and exposed him to the world of the supernatural before taking him to meet Bella as a newborn vampire, and his three day old granddaughter. I imagine that would have been enough to leave anyone unsettled.

I let my gaze drift, following the direction of her lovely warm brown eyes, to find the object of her focus—Charlie Swan. I wasn't sure how I had felt about him calling Sue that day two years ago. I had a twinge of jealously. But as they got closer and I could see the impact Charlie was having on my dear wife, my feelings started to change. It wasn't a one way street either. Sue's influence was working its magic on Charlie as well. He had lived too long without a woman, who believed in him, by his side. He had always nursed his hidden love for Renee. Well, he'd thought it was a secret and perhaps it was to the world at large. Those of us, who knew him best, understood how her desertion had affected him. Bella had come to live with him and his entire countenance changed. There was a woman in the Swan household again, albeit a somewhat young Swan girl. And if there was anything Bella excelled at, it was taking care of those she loved. Then she'd married and his home became even quieter in its stillness.

No, there really was no doubt about it; Charlie needed Sue as much as Sue needed Charlie. His smile lit up his entire face making him look ten years younger. Smiling was something that both Charlie and Sue were doing a lot of lately. And there it was. After I'd worked through my feelings of jealously, I realized that Sue still had a lot of living to do before I would see her again. I had no desire for her to live that life alone and grieving. I wanted her to live each day she had to its fullest. I also realized that were I to sift through all of the available men in the area for her to live that life with, I would pick Charlie Swan. He was a man close to my own heart. He was an honorable man, a man full of common sense and a sense of humor. He was steady, constant. He honored his commitments and he loved deeply. He was the man I would have picked to make Sue happy, knowing that he would. I returned my gaze to my widow as she approached the gazebo decked out in white lace and tropical flowers, a dark brown wolf at her far side. Her smile became bigger with each step that brought her closer to Charlie. It crinkled the laugh lines at the sides of her eyes. Somehow, this only heightened her beauty. Yes, I'd be forever grateful to Charlie Swan for putting that smile on her face today when I could not. As she stepped to his side and Seth placed her hand into Charlie's I experienced the sweetness of an inner peace and knew that this was meant to be.

Seth then placed the hand of my beautiful daughter into Nahuel's before he left the gazebo and took his seat. I felt my throat tighten in satisfaction as I remembered, all too clearly, how her own pain had rivaled Sue's in so many ways, making my home one of grief for far too long. There was no grief evident in Leah's face now. Her eyes danced with excitement as she gazed into the dark loving eyes of her groom. They made one handsome couple. I was secretly glad Sam hadn't imprinted on her. Sam was a great man and leader, but Nahuel was a perfect match for Leah's temperament. Their strengths and weaknesses contrasting in an oddly complimentary manner, as though they were interlocking puzzle pieces. They were both strong individuals, but their strengths were heightened when they acted together.

Carlisle began the service. I was glad he'd gotten a clergy license last year. I could think of no one more perfect for officiating today than the world's newest perfected being—even if he was still a vampire. At his words, the crowd of guests took their seat.

His message, though softly spoken, carried easily throughout the backyard. He spoke with a love and personal understanding of each of those who took their vows this day.

"We come here today to celebrate life and love and to witness the joining in holy matrimony of Susan Nicole Clearwater and Charles Michael Swan and also of Leah Ann Clearwater and Nahuel Mapuche. Life is not a destination. It is a journey. Likewise, marriage is not a final goal but a joining of lives in the journey that is life. Marriage is not meant to fix all of life's problems, but is a promise and a commitment, between two people, that whatever situations arise will be dealt with together. It is a promise to hold each other in the highest regard. It is a commitment to put the needs of your beloved above those of your own. It is a promise and a commitment to treasure the love you share together and cultivate it daily until it becomes the brightest light in your life, guiding your path and marking your way back together to God, who is your home."

Then he turned to Sue and Charlie.

"Susan Nicole Clearwater, do you take this man, Charles Michael Swan, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

Sue who was already looking at Charlie with love and adoration in her eyes, smiled and said, "I do." As soon as the words were out, those eyes filled with tears she silently batted out. I was pretty sure at her words, I saw Charlie visibly relaxed. Yes, he had definitely been alone too long.

Carlisle then continued as he turned to Charlie.

"Charles Michael Swan, do you take this woman, Susan Nicole Clearwater, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

Charlie mumbled out, "I do." His voice was gruff with suppressed emotion as he returned Sue's look of love and tenderness. I knew they would be just fine. I would not need to worry about either of them anymore.

'_And that was a good thing,'_ I thought as I turned towards my daughter and my new son. I pondered the new assignment I had been given this morning. Starting next summer, I'd be seeing Leah and Nahuel often.

Carlisle's voice continued on in its soft, but clear, manner.

"Leah Ann Clearwater, do you take this man, Nahuel Mapuche, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

Leah seemed to be lost as she stared into Nahuel's calm eyes. Finally he blinked and the movement allowed her to redirect her attention. "I do," She said as a faint flush painted her tanned cheeks.

_I had a memory hit me at her words. The memory was of my Leah at the age of five. She was dressed in high heels and her mother's nice dress. "Daddy! Finally you're home! I'm ready for a night out on the town with you. Let's go!" She said enthusiastically. Her devotion was heart-warming; her theatrics comical, her motives unclear._

"_I can see that." I'd responded with a laugh. "What is your mother doing?"_

"_She is very busy just now. If we leave quickly, she may not miss us." Leah had whispered to me._

"_What is she busy doing?" I'd asked her amused. There was something she'd left out._

"_Well, Seth tried to give the kitty a bath in the toilet." Seth had been a toddler then. I remembered thinking at the moment that he'd lived up to the title of 'Terrible Twos'._

"_I see," I said as I'd tried to picture how that had worked out. "Did he get scratched up pretty bad?"_

"_Well, no…but he did panic when the cat tried to get out and his elbow accidentally pushed down the 'flusher' lever._

"_He flushed the cat down the toilet?" I asked, all amusement gone._

"_Well, no, not the cat. But he'd put in four of his hot wheel cars, Mom's car keys and my Barbie in first so that kitty would have something to play with." Leah said innocently. Then she lowered her voice even more. "And Mom…well, let's just say she isn't very happy. She's been working with Seth's mess all afternoon. Let's go!"_

"_Don't you think we should maybe help her out?" I'd countered. "Maybe we should make her happy."_

"_No, don't go in there Dad. I'm serious." Leah had said in earnest. Her next pronouncement had been one of the moments that left me her fan for life._

"_Don't you know how much I love you Daddy? Stay out here with me…SAFE! Really, You're the only man I'll ever love."_

Today was the day that she had just broken that childish pledge as she gave her heart to the man who completed her. The man, I would have picked for her, had I been given the opportunity to have really gotten to know him myself.

Carlisle turned to Nahuel and continued.

"Nahuel Mapuche do you take this woman, Leah Sue Clearwater, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Nahuel said with fervor as he lifted Leah's hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

Carlisle began again in his melodic voice. "Today, our couples have prepared some thoughts they would like to share as they place their wedding rings on their companions. The wedding ring has symbolized the unbroken love of eternity. It also symbolizes fidelity and trust, a physical token of their commitment to each other for all to see. It is this commitment God has ordained with the union of marriage. Marriage was instituted by Him in the beginning with Adam and Eve. 'Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.' (Genesis 2:24)

We are told, 'God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth and have dominion over…every living thing that moveth upon the earth.' (Genesis 1:27-28) It is this commitment that we celebrate today."

"We will begin our ring ceremony with Susan Clearwater." Carlisle said with a gesture.

Esme handed Sue the wedding ring. She held it in the palm of her hand and looked at it for a moment before she looked up into Charlie's eyes. Hers were filled with tears. I had seen tears like that before and knew them to be tears of happiness. I had thought witnessing this moment would be more than I could bear, much like Leah had experienced at Sam's marriage to Emily, but strangely I felt only joy and love for her as she took this important step in moving on with her life.

"Charlie, thank you for being there for me when I needed a shoulder to lean on and a listening ear. Thank you for being my friend and never giving up on me. Thank you for allowing me to grieve and then reminding me how to love. I had never thought I could feel this way about another man again in my life. When Harry died I felt as though an essential part of me had died as well. But you have changed my entire world, Charlie. Where there had been cold, you have brought warmth, where I walked in darkness, you took my hand and led me into the light. I love you Charlie Swan. Thank you for opening your heart to me and allowing me to walk through the rest of life with you. With this ring, I thee wed." Sue smiled at him through her streaming tears as she took his hand in her own and slid the gold band onto his left hand's fourth finger.

At a gesture from Carlisle, Charlie cleared his throat and began his own vows.

"Sue, I have been alone for a long time. I think for a while I'd forgotten what it meant to love, to share my life, what it meant to be part of a family. To tell you the truth, I was afraid of being hurt again. I put my heart in cold storage to protect it against that possibility. You changed all of that for me, Sue. You have made me a believer in second chances and in true love. I came here to this place, as I have for the last twenty years, as a man standing alone, but I will leave here this day with you by my side. I will walk alone no more. Today, together, we cross the threshold of our new life together. I love you Sue. Thank you for taking a chance on a craggy old bachelor. You have literally brought me back to life. With this ring, I thee wed." Charlie said in his gruff voice as he took the ring that Billy offered him and slid the gold band over the engagement ring he had given her previously.

I'd known Charlie for the last forty years, since we were boys. I'd never heard him talk about his feelings so much ever! And he did it in public. Sue was already changing him for the better.

_I shook my head as I remembered us as boys of ten fishing at our favorite spot. We had talked about how 'lame' the girls of the area were. Sue had invited both of us to her birthday party and we had been the only two to ditch the party._

"_Girls are all stupid anyway." I'd said matter-of-factly. "And Sue Clearwater is the skinniest one of all. And she's WAY to…to girly."_

"_I'll say. Sue is like a toothpick." Charlie had added emphatically. "I'll bet every one of those guys at that party ends up with cooties. We're the only smart guys in town."_

It would seem that somehow, fishing aside, we'd been the only two guys in town, to be smitten by the charms of Sue Clearwater. I guessed it could've been said the denser you were the harder you fell. Somehow, Sue had won both of our hearts in the only way that relly counted.

Carlisle's voice broke off my reverie as he turned his attention to that of my lovely daughter and her new husband. "And now we will hear from Leah Clearwater." He intoned.

Emily handed Leah a silver platinum ring as she looked up tenderly at Nahuel.

Leah spoke with feeling as she gazed upon the eyes of the man she would spend the rest of her very long life with.

'_This is my little girl!'_ I thought with a pang of melancholy.

_Abruptly I remembered her birth. Sue had been exhausted by the sixteen hour labor and had been pushing for over thirty minutes. The doctor tried to show me Leah's head crowning and I about passed out. The nurse had, after eyeing me wearily had very astutely suggested that I stay up by Sue's head to keep her calm._

"_One more push Sue and your baby will be here." The doctor said calmly as I lifted Sue's shoulders in an attempt to 'help'. That was when I heard the most beautiful sound in the world; the sound that marked my advancement into fatherhood. It was the sound of Leah's cry from her first breath of mortality. She really had a great set of lungs. In short order she was bundled and in her mother's arms as I looked on with excitement so intense it bordered on giddiness._

'_I am a father. I have a daughter. I am a father. I have a daughter.' I had repeated in my head over and over as I tried to reconcile this new little person in my life. Finally I was able to hold her for myself and I felt my heart melt. I was hopelessly lost as I gazed on her sleeping form. Her tiny little fingers that seemed almost too long for her small hands; her shock of black hair that already was a dark mane; and her lips that sucked an invisible thumb as her chest rose and fell to its own quick rhythm._

"_Hello my little Leah. I'm your daddy. I love you so much. I'm going to buy you a pretty pony to ride when you get older. Maybe you'd like me to teach you how to fish sometime?" I cooed quietly as I spoke to my sleeping angel. "You are so beautiful."_

'_You are still so beautiful'_, I thought again as the memory of her as a newborn dissolved into the beautiful young woman I saw before me.

Leah spoke, her eyes never leaving those of my new son's.

"Nahuel, today is a day I feared would never happen for me. Today is the day I join myself to you, my soul-mate, to share our journey of life together from this point forward. I do not marry you unaware or in a language I do not speak or understand. I do not marry you angry or against my will. Today is the day I choose you Nahuel, to be my husband. And I do so of my own free will, happily and completely. When I met you three months ago, I thought to escape my life; I thought to hide from realities I could no longer deal with. I had left to run away. Instead I found my life, a reason to hope, and a new life that awaited me. I found the love of my life—because in the Amazon Rainforest, I found you Nahuel. I did everything I could think of to dissuade you. I was rude, I was obnoxious, I was angry. Thank you for not quitting on me. Thank you for seeing past my façade, to find the real me. Thank you for reminding me of who I really am. I will never understand how imprinting works, what magic is evoked to make it happen. I only thank God for it and I thank him for you as well. Life is about change. Change is good. It has already happened to me, thanks to you. And I know as we learn and grow we will change even more together. Our miracle lies in the path that we have chosen together. I enter this marriage with you knowing the true magic of love is not to avoid change but to navigate trials successfully. I cannot promise you perfection Nahuel, but what I can promise you is that I will work hard every day to keep my love for you new and full of magic. I love you Nahuel. I can't wait to return with you and work by your side to unite the people of the Amazon as your faithful wife. _Wither thou goest, I will go, whither thou lodgest I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God._ Thank you for allowing me to become all that I was meant to be. With this ring I thee wed.

At her words my heart felt as though it would burst for joy. Not like the last time--from an actual heart attack. My daughter spoke so sincerely and self-assured. Nahuel had truly been the healing balm her weary heart needed to become whole and healed. And again, there was the glimpse I had seen of her future this morning. A destiny awaited her in the tropics of South America and her words foreshadowed so much more than she even realized. She would help Nahuel establish and lead a brand new inter-tribal council throughout the Amazon region. She would be a true queen to the people she met and interacted with. She would learn the many languages and customs of the different tribes and she would teach them how to retain their heritage while preserving their habitat and becoming a successful people in the larger world around them. She would establish new standards of education that would embrace their past and grasp their future. Through these steps, the people of the world would recognize the region for their strengths and the names of Nahuel and Leah Clearwater would resound throughout the world. What Father in the world wouldn't get more than a little proud of his little girl with that kind of a future? The image that seemed to stick with me the most seeing her fulfill her new calling as 'The Wolf Queen' was seeing how the people of the Amazon truly loved her with their whole hearts. She was seen by them as their symbol of hope and love.

'_My little girl,'_ I thought again. I wasn't sure how this happened but there were tears in my insubstantial eyes. _'Go out and make your Daddy proud! I believe in you, my little princess—grown into a queen.'_

As Carlisle gestured for Nahuel to begin, I remembered the fears he and Leah had shared with him about whether or not they would be able to conceive children. _'If they only knew!'_ I thought. Carlisle's assessment had been correct in his belief that Leah was not menopausal but rather 'stuck' in the most fertile part of her cycle.

The tests the good doctor conducted bore out his statement they should, 'trust the magic of the imprinting' when it came to the venom issue. As a half-vampire, Nahuel's system was identical to Nessie's with blood running in his veins, and all of his systems worked without venom, but body fluids. With the exception being, venom glands that kept his razor sharp teeth poisonous. As his beautiful Aunt Huilen well knew. I cast a glance in her direction where she sat with the three Amazonian vampires Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri on the first row. I was very pleased that they were here to witness this blessed day and new beginning that would have such an impact on their area of the world.

As long as Nahuel didn't bite Leah and kept their kisses within certain bounds, they would be free to 'multiply and replenish the earth.' And that they would! I don't believe that either of them had really considered what it meant to be stuck in 'fertile' and be in your twenties for the next few hundred years.

That thought made me chuckle. They had no idea! The name of Clearwater would definitely be spreading throughout the Amazon! In more ways than one!

Edward handed Nahuel his thin gold wedding band to place with the huge pink topaz ring that had been bequeathed to her by the ancient inhabitants of the Amazon Region. The natural stone alone was over six carats in size, the color being one of the rarest to occur naturally and cut with an expert's precision. Its value, based on this, was in the five digits range. Then there was the archaeological and historical significance if the true age of the ring were known. This would make its value priceless.

Nahuel looked at Leah in his steady calming way. His bearing was regal. He had a king's stature. Yet there was a great warmth and kindness in his face as well. He was a fine looking man. No wonder I'd have such great looking grandkids! He and Leah made a very handsome couple--and that ain't just the 'Dad' in me talking either.

"Lovely Leah, life is precious. It is a hard thing to walk life's journey alone. A wise man once said," Nahuel seemed to pause briefly and a sheepish grin took over his face making him look more like a seventeen year old than a leader of a nation. "Oh, I believe it was God who said this—making Him a VERY wise man! 'It is not good for man to be alone. I will make him an help meet for him.' Well, my Lovely Leah, I have been alone for a very long time. Not counting Aunt Huilen that is." There was a small chuckle from the front row.

"Leah, today is a very special day for me. For so long, you have been nothing more to me than a dream and a prayer. Today that dream has become a reality and the prayer has been answered in the most extraordinary of ways. Today He has given me you. You, my lovely Leah are the joy that crowns my head. I am in awe of your strength, your compassion, your loyalty, your fierce protectiveness, your tenacity, your tenderness, your intelligence, your wisdom, your grit and your fortitude. To say nothing of your great beauty that stuns me every time I look at you. Every time I see you, I thank God that he sent you into the Amazon Jungle, and directly into my path, to bring a legend to life and in the process give me a life. I cannot imagine how I made it through so many years without you. I only know that to continue on without you would be impossible. As I told you on that day of magic in the jungle, you are the most beautiful, intriguing and complicated woman I've ever met and you have completely captivated me. I lost my heart to you that day but in losing it, I have found my soul. You have changed who I am on a fundamental level and I am a better man as a result. And so I thank you my lovely Leah, for your love and your commitment. I am and will always be yours. I love you from now and for always. With this ring, I thee do wed."

As he finished he slid the slender gold band onto her finger to compliment her pink topaz engagement ring.

"As these couples have pledged themselves to each other before God and these witnesses, I now pronounce them, husbands and wives." Carlisle said his smile wide now. "Charlie, Nahuel, you may kiss your wives for the first time."

As Sue lifted her head and kissed Charlie I thought to him, _'Take good care of our girl, Charlie. Don't let anyone give her a hard time like we used to.'_

As Leah did the same I was seized by another wave of emotions and I realized she wasn't my little girl anymore. She was all grown up and married now. And from what I'd found out this morning, my new assignment would come next summer with the birth of my new grandson, Sammon, for whom I was to become a guardian angel. Yes, I'd be seeing them soon. _'Take good care of my girl Nahuel. Keep her safe and love her always.'_ I thought to my newest Son.

Carlisle then introduced the newlyweds to the gathered guests. "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Michael Swan and Mr. and Mrs. Nahuel Clearwater." At his words the crowd applauded and cheered. Looking into each of their exuberant faces was all of the confirmation I needed to see that everything was as it should be.

Their recessional led into the reception area where a large dinner was laid out. I had no doubt the werewolves would make short order of the repast. I only hoped they would leave enough for the human guests. Charlie was well known in the community and there were a number of 'regulars' in attendance.

The Denali coven arrived for the reception from helping Demetri 'babysit' his newborn vampire wife at Edward and Bella's cottage. When it looked as though their services would no longer be required, they decided to return to the festivities to join in the fun. Tanya and Kate appeared indignant as they eyed Felix with animosity as he stood in the wedding party reception line, behind Bella and Edward and passed himself off as Charlie's long lost son. A story that was believed by most of the gullible humans that passed by. The only physical characteristic Felix shared with Charlie would be the color of their hair. They looked nothing alike. Still, it would give the town of Forks enough gossip to keep the rumor mill going for at least a few years. Carmen brought baby Ava Isabella, my future daughter-in-law, in from the cottage as well. Seth noticed her presence as soon as she arrived even though she wasn't in his line of sight. He craned his neck around to find her from where he stood between his mother and sister, very much a central figure in the family event.

From the looks of things, Charlie may have taken Sue off the reservation, but as a tribal leader, Sue had brought the reservation to Charlie, who was made an honorary Quileute by Old Quil Ateara, who had grown too ancient to officiate the main event. Everyone had whooped and hollered over that one.

Then they each took turns cutting into two different wedding cakes as the crowds cheered on. Emmett did get a hold of a piece to throw into Jasper's hair but luckily Alice had foreseen it moments before and grabbed it just before it hit its mark with deadly accuracy. She was good and fast. I must say, for a vampire, that little Alice had quite a personality. I liked her.

There were toasts and jokes. Some of the more off-colored remarks, originating from Leah's pack brothers, both Sam or Jacob's pack, were thankfully squelched by a disapproving stare from Nahuel. I was glad for that. Today was my princess's wedding day. Her husband was already taking special care of her emotional state, not wanting anything to mar the memories this day would hold for her. Whenever he did Leah would simply smile sweetly at her pack brothers and give Nahuel a kiss, a very serious sort of kiss. This happened again and again until Nahuel finally announced that it must be time for them to leave on their honeymoon. This had made everyone laugh except for tiny little Alice who informed him that it was actually time for him to escort Leah onto the dance floor for their first dance.

How Charlie had managed to shorten his time on the dance floor was another miracle. Halfway through Leah and Nahuel's dance, they were joined by Sue and Charlie. At the end of that dance, Charlie went and danced with Leah as the Father-of-the-Bride and Seth danced with his mother, to stand in for her father who had passed on some time ago. It was very touching to see Charlie interact with my children in a fatherly capacity. His time with Bella had clearly made him more comfortable around the younger crowd. And he seemed to fall naturally into a father-daughter relationship with Leah.

I was glad that he had already developed his relationship with Seth as is seemed as though he might be traveling to the Amazon himself shortly, to stay close to his little Ava; another blessing in our lives; and also a great responsibility for one as young as Seth. Still this little one did need protecting in the worst way. And I couldn't think of anyone more suitable or capable than my son. His heart was as pure as gold.

With both of my children leaving the area and my new assignment, I was once again grateful for Charlie and his new place at head of my family.

The dance continued into the night and the surrounding trees had glowed with brilliant white lights. Felix had tried to talk Tanya into dancing with him but she was seemingly unaffected by his attempts at charm. Finally he turned his attention to Nahuel's Aunt Huilen, who seemed to be more receptive towards his advances. Of course, it might have helped that Felix wasn't perceived by Huilen as representing the forces that had unjustly killed her sister.

Finally the couples were led through a line of well-wishers, Leah and Nahuel first to a beautiful brand new Jaguar XJ luxury sedan that had been decked out in white gauzy material and strangely enough, trailed a string of mismatched, expensive looking women's dress shoes.

Nahuel escorted my very excited little girl towards the green car while they were showered with bubbles and rice. They waived their good-byes when they were safe inside the car and Nahuel started the engine that growled like an actual jaguar and they were off to begin their life together as husband and wife. They were off to the Fairmont Olympic Hotel for two days in Seattle Washington before leaving on a ten day cruise to Alaska.

After they were off, Charlie had tried to sneak Sue off in the other direction to make their getaway. I guessed he really didn't understand how Alice's visions worked because she met them, hands on hips at the pass, virtually halting their escape. They turned just in time to see the second car being brought to the front, this time it was Edward's Aston Martin Vanquish. It was equally adorned with white flowing gauzy white and what appeared to be the matches to the shoes that had been strung behind the Jaguar.

They were also on their way to Seattle but to a completely different destination. They would stay for the weekend at the Warwick Seattle Hotel before catching a flight to Hawaii.

Not that either of the couples had any idea where they were headed. Alice had their Seattle destinations pre-programmed in to their car's GPS systems. The rest of their itinerary sat waiting for them in their hotel suites. I was not sure Alice would care to hear that none of them really cared very much where they went at the moment. But she'd had as much fun planning and shopping for their honeymoons as she had the wedding. I had to admit, she was a master planner. Perhaps it was helpful she could envision all possible outcomes to see which choices she made worked for each couple in advance.

It was really too bad Alice didn't foresee the need for birth control pills. Someone was going to be in for a little shock of their own. Perhaps unusual pregnancies ran in a certain family. I only knew that the surprise wouldn't be for Leah and Nahuel. No, Leah wouldn't become pregnant with her first child for another five months.

I wondered if it would occur to the lucky soon-to-be parents, upon discovering the happy news, that twins ran in the bride's family and that the likelihood of it went up with older pregnancies. No, probably not.

But then life was full of surprises wasn't it.

***

Well I really need to start by thanking my husband for walking me through this one. I was at a loss for whose POV to tell this wedding from and he insisted it be Harry. I wasn't convinced. In fact, I thought he must be crazy. (Well, he did marry me:) Then he explained his reasons and nearly began crying as he did so. I realized that he has lost both of his parents and watched his only daughter get married himself. In a way, he felt a special kinship to the fictional character Harry during this special time for his family. So from the positive feedback I have received from ya'll (Texan thing), I decided to trust his judgment. I hope it worked for you!

Also I went to the mentioned website below to get my 'foundations' that I built on for each of the vows that were exchanged during the ring ceremony. Hope you enjoyed that :)

I found the wedding vows on the internet and then played with them quite a bit. I appreciate your reading my story and also the wonderful comments :D


	60. Chapter 54

**Chapter Fifty Four  
Good-Byes**

**Mia's POV**

"Hey, I'm thinking it is probably time for you to go hunting again Squirt." Emmett's booming voice called to me as I came down the stairs from having some wonderful 'alone' time with Demetri. Somehow it seemed to take all of my newborn strength to pull myself away from him. But Seth had plans to take Ava to First Beach and Demetri wanted to talk with Carlisle, Jasper and Edward to get their opinion about what he should report back to Aro and how best to send that report. I was going to have some real 'alone' time all by myself. Or so I'd thought at least.

"Oh come on, you know I went just two days ago," I moaned before realizing that I was about to go for a stroll of the grounds. Most of my strolls ended up at Emmett's zoo. Not that I'd indulged myself there since Emmett's reaction to my first taste of exotic cuisine. He'd caught me more than once eyeing the animals hungrily and inhaling their aroma. I must've made him nervous.

"Two days is a long time between meals for a newborn. Come on, I'll take you myself." Emmett said as he hauled himself off the couch. I wondered why he did so. Since becoming a vampire I hadn't needed to 'haul' myself up to do anything and despite his size, Emmett was 'Mr. Twinkle Toes'. I decided it must have been for theatrical value. And speaking of Emmett Cullen's theatrical tendencies…

"Attention! Mia's Hunting Expedition will leave the Cullen Mad House is five minutes. Anyone wishing to participate in our culinary gaming extravaganza, please report to the main room immediately." Emmett announced in his normal tone of voice that took on a broadcaster feel to it. "On today's menu we feature: for appetizers, mild deer and elk claret. Our main courses will be that of succulent bear blood—still warmed and pulsing, so fresh that the bear is fanning you with his clod-hopper claws. Also there is the ever popular mountain lion nectar flambé, the gurgled screams of the beast adds nicely to the experience, making it a dining treat you can really sink your teeth into. And today we have a chef's special: Marinara Moose--steamed and served right into your thirsty little throat, soothing your desert dry esophagus as its vital juice slithers down in a creamy flow. We have several items on our dessert cart you may choose from to complete your fine dining experience. Everything from wild sheep soufflé whose sweet blood is a delicacy to be savored and not rushed, to coyote cruor whose dying howls really make their plasma swirling around in your mouth taste like finest wine. And of course, for those of you who really want an adventure…there is always Big Foot out there--somewhere. No telling how he might taste going down." He grinned expansively. "How was that?" He whispered to me. There was something about this hulking vampire that was strangely endearing. He wasn't just trying to save his Amazon Zoo from another unfortunate 'accident', he was helping me out before I lost control. He was doing this to be nice to me. He had no ulterior motives, besides his 'pets', he kind of reminded me of my fading memories of an older brother back home.

"Okay, I'll go." I told him laughing. "You had me at mountain lion nectar flambé."

"Good choice short stuff!" He replied before he suddenly looked abashed. "You mean I made up all that other culinary treats for nothing?"

"No, you got us with the bear and the moose." Zafrina said as she came in with Senna and Kachiri at her heals. Since their arrival last week I had been a little nervous around the three of them. Their tall jerky movements sent my natural vampire reactions into a defensive edge. Though they seemed nice enough, I was sort of afraid of them. Their eyes weren't the same bright scarlet red as mine. Theirs was a ruby red. They drank from humans; though they seemed to find no aversion to hunting Cullen style at this moment.

"I'm going for the dessert," Nahuel's Aunt Huilen added as she joined our group. This was someone who was as short as me and much less intimidating. I was relieved at her arrival. Her eyes had the same golden tones of those as the Cullens though hers were quite dark today. She seemed to take a liking to me as well. I was glad that I had made one friend that would travel next week with Demetri, Ava, Seth and me to the great lost city of Akahim in the Amazon Rainforest.

I still had mixed feelings about that adventure looming on my horizon. I had so many things to get used to in my new life. I was a little nervous about doing it from yet another new location— having to get used to new vampires. Of course, Demetri reminded me that he would go with me anywhere and I would never be alone. He also reminded me that our baby would be with us and Seth was coming as well. I knew it was best for me to go. The Cullens were leaving for Dartmouth in less than a month and there were more people around that area. I didn't want to put anyone at risk. It was apparently pretty secluded at the three Amazon vampires' home. I guessed having to go south, I really wanted to do it with Bella and Rosalie and Esme around to help me. Before meeting Huilen, the only comfort I'd found in the move was in knowing that Leah was going. I'd really become attached to my 'nurses' during my brief pregnancy. '_Well, look on the bright side Mia,'_ I'd reminded myself. _'I have a new family now and a new life to begin. Why not start it in a new hidden away home.'_

"I'm kind of interesting in hunting down that Big Foot fellow. I have no idea what a myth tastes like!" Felix said, entering the house as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. Something had changed in the big man since our arrival six weeks ago. He spirits seemed to be lighter than his usual gruff countenance and constant scowl. I marveled at his dazzling smile as he grinned at Emmett in anticipation. When we'd first arrived I'd thought putting the two of them in the same room had been a bad idea. Now they looked like men cut of the same cloth. Perhaps Emmett's infectious playfulness had rubbed off on the hulking Volturi guard. I only knew they had been offended when Id beat them both at arm wrestling --simultaneously.

As we took off deep into the Olympic Mountain Range, I marveled once again at the feel of the wind as it blew my hair behind me. It reminded me of a dim human memory I had of sticking my head out the window and allowing the breeze to blow it out in a similar fashion. For all of the trouble Bella had taken explaining the benefits of becoming a vampire, she could have just as easily made her point by taking me out on one of these runs. I'd always loved running, but this, this was more like flying.

Several hours later, our thirst sated, I had a chance to get to know Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri better as we stood in a clearing and gazed out at a waterfall. Zafrina had apparently been taking notice of my novice hunting skills and she had some rather helpful advice to help my technique in taking down my prey with minimal damage to my apparel. Senna had pointed out some interesting tracks in the woods while Zafrina explained that there was always more to see in the forest than what the natural eye showed. Kachiri pointed to droppings and broken twigs while Zafrina explained that such things were easy for vampires to spot when we understand what to look for. They taught me to range out with my senses and as I did so I heard even more heartbeats; some that were far away. On the breeze, I detected the musky scent of buffalo, elk, deer and five rabbits? They all came from the east. I heard the leaves as they rustled against each other. Listening even more intently, I heard the rush of a babbling brook and a gaggle of geese as they took flight. I had no idea there was so much life around me. How had I missed it before? There was a smile of approval on Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri's faces at the end of my impromptu lesson and the fear I had of them receded. I wondered if I'd ever build up the nerve to ask them about their choice of diet and how they were able to maintain it around the Cullen's vegetarian lifestyle. Perhaps they would make good tutors after all. At least Felix wouldn't be going south with us. It would take an act of God to pull him away from Bella's human father Charlie. Then again, he did volunteer to come hunting today after Huilen announced she would come. And he had been peacocking around her since we'd left the house. Sometimes Huilen politely laughed at him. Other times she raised her eyebrows incredulously and talked with the Amazonian vampires instead.

Felix had moped around for a few days after Charlie had left to honeymoon with his new bride, Sue. He had been around long enough to know how people 'behaved' once they found their mates. According to Felix, everyone else would have to take a back burner to Sue now. She would be the main event. The rest of us would just fill in the gaps. I didn't understand his statement. He and Demetri were very close when I met him. Actually, it was hard to recall, but it seemed as though Demetri worked very hard to keep me away from his Volturi family for some time, until Aro went behind his back to secure my presence at the Volturi castle. Had Demetri's focus shifted to me? Had it left Felix feeling like a third wheel? Had I missed this because of my pregnancy and his fascination with Charlie? I looked at Felix as he gazed glumly into the deep forest.

"What exactly does this Big Foot look like anyway Emmett?" He said suspiciously.

Just then Aurora landed gracefully in the clearing with a large buck in her strong talons. Her scales were red today and they shined and sparkled despite the cloud covering. She was growing quickly. Easily the size of the buck she had killed. That did not include her tail which at the moment snaked around her legs as she daintily rent the deer into bloody pieces and scarfed whole chunks down at once.

"That was great, Aurora!" Emmett told her in encouragement as he rubbed her neck much like you would a horse. Then he turned to the rest of us. "I told her to watch how the shape shifters guzzled their food and follow their example."

"She sure is magnificent." Felix said, all signs of glumness gone as he gazed upon the adolescent dragon. "You found this beauty—or rather the egg that hatched this beauty—in the Amazon?"

"Yep," Emmett said with a grin on his face and a gleam in his eye as he looked at the four vampires from the Amazon. They shared a look with Emmett. I might have imagined it, but it seemed as though Felix was somehow being conned there. Not that I was going to mention it to him. "Of course, it was a very old, lost legend there. They were believed to be all extinct. Remember, I didn't even know what it was until it hatched."

"I remember," Felix replied rolling his eyes. Then he stopped and thought for a moment. "An older legend than the Big Foot Monster legend?"

"Absolutely! There have actually been sightings and photos taken of Big Foot." Emmett said before launching into a full description of the hairy ape man.

"Then let's find the beast!" Felix rejoined as he prepared to take off to the north. "We can let Mia practice more of her tracking skills; a little present for Demetri when we get back." He stopped and then added more thoughtfully in Huilen's direction, "And then, I believe I may join the rest of you traveling to the jungle and try some tracking of my own. There has to be a dragon down there just waiting to be found. That egg had to come from somewhere."

"Now Felix," Zafrina said cautiously, "Of course you're welcome to join us, but my sisters and I have been wandering the rainforest for the past 1400 years, and though we saw Emmett and his egg, we have never laid eyes on any dragon before." She held up her finger to silence the protest he was about to give. "Just don't get all of your hopes up. The likelihood that you find another dragon or its egg is practically zero."

"I'll take those chances." Felix added as he watched Aurora, her meal finished, head back to her special 'garage home'. Emmett had put together a house for her that practically resembled a cave. "I'm going to find me one of those!" He breathed excitedly before leading us on a wild goose chase to the north in search of the elusive Big Foot Monster.

**[A/N: I have a small YouTube Video of a 'BigFoot Hoax' on my profile page under Chapter 54 notes]**

It was four hours later when Felix called a halt and we made our way back to the Cullens home. Demetri had been pacing the perimeter of the main yard, worried about something going wrong. As soon as he ascertained I was whole and well, he whisked me away to find Seth and Ava. He couldn't track Ava, but he knew exactly where to find Seth. They had returned from the beach hours ago and were currently going on a 'nature hike' with Jacob and Renesmee. I wasn't sure why he was so worried about me. Everything that crossed my path today had become lunch. Perhaps it was simply a habit from our courtship while I was still human. Still it was nice to be back in his arms again. In this new world of heightened senses, the feel of being in his arms was the most incredible sensation of them all.

*******

It was four days later when Leah and Nahuel showed up from their honeymoon. They had always been together before, but now they seemed inseparable. They were also happier than I had ever seen them. They were always grinning and laughing at private jokes with their heads touching.

One day, after laying Ava down for a nap, I watched them from my bedroom window as they teased each other in the back yard. Leah had said something under her breath to Nahuel that had him look at her in mock indignation and he swiftly reached behind her and playfully swatted her back side.

"Oh, you will pay for that one Mister." Leah said with a smirk; her eyes twinkling with merriment.

"Finish it woman. Before I die." Nahuel commanded with an exasperated edge to his teasing. Then he changed tactics and began tickling his wife until she was practically convulsing in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

Leah was spluttering and gasping for air as she finally stammered out, "Finish what?!!?"

"You know, you said I would pay for it, Mister…" He said smiling as he finally let up from his playful attack.

Leah's eyes softened as she leaned in and placed her hand against his face. The change in mood was so abrupt and sudden it made it all the more intense. There were suddenly tears in her eyes as she looked at him and very tenderly said, "Mister Clearwater."

With that he picked her up in his arms and twirled her around in three swift circles. "I love my new name! Almost as much as I love my new wife!" He declared before departing through the yard with her still in his arms.

"Where are you taking me Mr. Clearwater?" Leah demanded, laughing a little breathlessly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Nahuel said as their laughter faded from my sensitive ears.

Suddenly I felt strong arms slide wonderfully around my waist from behind and I knew that my own sweetheart had returned to me. I turned around to look into his now golden brown eyes. He looked at me with more love and tenderness than I thought was humanly possible. Then I realized that it probably wasn't humanly possible. But it was immortally possible. And I was gazing into my future. "I love you Mia." He said before gathering me to him into a kiss that was both tender and urgent at once. "Esme has said that she would be happy to keep an eye on Ava for us." He said between his lingering kisses. "I want to take you for a little nature hike, just the two of us."

"A nature hike sounds nice." I said faintly as my stomach began trembling.

"We can't be shown up by a hybrid and a wolf, now can we? After all, there's more than one pair of newlyweds around the house now."

"Well, when you put it that way…" I said as I was picked up into the arms of my handsome husband, who whisked me down the stairs and out the front door faster than I could finish the sentence. Thankfully we went opposite the direction Leah and Nahuel had taken.

*******

It was four days later when we left the Cullens and the small town of Forks Washington behind us. I had been nervous as it would be the first time I would be around humans. Charlie and Sue were coming to see Seth, Leah and Nahuel off and as I understoond this, they may one day be my daughter's 'in-laws'. It would definitely be a bad thing to accidentally eat one of them.

Just before their arrival we'd sat around the Cullens living room silently as Demetri punched Aro's private number into his cell phone. It was a good thing Alice had been able to play out several explanations ahead of time to see Aro's probable reaction to each. But even so, the atmosphere was heavy with tension.

The phone rang once.

"_Hello Demetri, I have been expecting your call for a few weeks now. How is Mia_? _Not to mention my hybrid?"_

"MY hybrid didn't survive." Demetri started, placing emphasis on the word 'my'. "Mia is fine but she is a newborn and distraught over the stillbirth of her baby." Demetri said as his voice became grave with concern.

"_I am sorry to hear that_," Aro replied and his voice took on a tone of sorrow. "_I share the loss of our baby with you Demetri._" There was a sigh from the phone.

"I'm going to take Mia down to the Amazon where it is more secluded and Mia's newborn 'cravings' will not upset the Cullens." Demetri said innocently without a hint of a lie in his delivery.

"_Oh that is probably for the best. Give the Cullens my thanks will you and tell Carlisle that he is still my dear old friend for agreeing to help us. I hold no animosity in my heart towards him for the unsatisfactory conclusion to this trial of our experiment_." Aro said in his feathery melodic voice.

"I will convey your message to him Aro." Demetri said as he looked at Carlisle who smiled though his eyes narrowed.

"_Why haven't I heard from Felix?"_ Aro demanded, his voice held no more of the compassionate tones of just moments before. "_I have left him three messages now. I don't like having you both out of touch for so long."_ His tone became reproachful.

"I'm sorry Aro, I believe he mentioned something about his phone not taking a charge because his power charger needed some kind of electrical converter. He is standing right here is you'd like me to put him on." Demetri added, his tone never faltered.

"_Yes, I would like that. But first…_"Aro's voice became more ominous from the other end of the receiver. "You are still under assignment from me to produce a hybrid. I'll let you tend to your Mia but don't dally. I expect results."

"Aro, you know Mia cannot conceive a child now. She's one of us." Demetri became indignant.

"_Did I say it was Mia's assignment_?" Aro said low and dangerously. "_I'll give you another nine months to get Mia situated but then I want results. If you go to South America, maybe you can look up Joham and get some worthy prospects from him. Now put Felix on."_

Demetri's face was grim. Aro was slime. He'd just ordered my husband to break his vow to me. And he just called what Demetri and I had shared, an 'experiment'. I was right about Ava too. He wanted her. I knew in that moment, I must keep her from him at all costs. It was all I could do to keep from grabbing the phone as Felix reached for it and crushing it into a molten lump of metal.

"Yes Aro, this is Felix," came the big man's deep voice as he spoke into the phone.

"_Take this phone and get away from Demetri and any of the Cullens that might be listening._" Aro said impatiently.

Jasper zoomed to the backdoor and opened and closed it. Then Edward flitted around the room a dozen times and the wind his passage made sounds not just throughout the room but into the receiver as well.

"Okay, I'm alone now." Felix said lower into the phone. He actually sounded as though he were alone and trying to have a 'hushed' private conversation with the Volturi leader.

"_Good_," Aro said back to his pleasant voice. "_Now, I need you to do something for me_."

"Whatever you need Master," Felix said affably although his expression twisted on the last word.

"_I want you to go down to the Amazon and keep an eye on Demetri and Mia. Something doesn't feel right about his questioning my orders. There is an ally down there in Joham. I've already suggested to Demetri he find him. Seek him out if you need help. And whatever you do, keep your wretched phone charged_." Aro said his tone becoming cynical.

"Yes Master, I will." Felix said as he snapped the phone shut and looked at the rest of us with an ominous expression. Then he handed the phone back to Demetri while he muttered angrily under his breath, "That man is so two-faced!"

At his words, a look was exchanged between each of the Cullens. I wondered if I had somehow missed something important.

"Houston, we have a problem." Emmett said playfully.

"No, this works into the vision I received before." Alice said as she alluded to something the other Cullens seemed to know about already.

"That's right," Carlisle said. "This gives us nine months to prepare. And we will be meeting you back in the Amazon next summer anyway."

"You will?" I asked cheering as I thought of how I would get to see everyone again and also relieved they would apparently be there to help us when we needed them.

"Of course we will. We have been invited to participate in the opening of Akakor. It will be a very big day for Leah and Nahuel and everyone in the Amazon region." Carlisle said with his gentle smile, though there was tension in the corner of his eyes as well.

"Charlie and Sue just pulled off the highway." Edward said with a look he sometimes got when he listened to thoughts from a distance.

"Good!" Felix said, his mood abruptly shifting to eager. "I'm really going to miss him." Then he became more melancholy as he thought about that. "But I take with me so many good memories. The first time I saw him on the front steps and I felt so much love surround him that I just knew he was someone special. Then there have been all of the ballgames, and my first hunting experience with a Daisy BB Gun, protecting him from danger while making him proud of me at the same time, and standing with him as he took his vows." Felix said with a wistful smile.

I had no idea the big vampire was so sentimental.

"You did not stand by MY dad's side when he was married," Bella said incredulously. "You were sitting in the third row."

"Well, that was close enough. No need to get all technical."Felix said before turning to Emmett and adding, "I see what you mean, she is really touchy sometimes."

"But so much fun to tease," Emmett replied as he pounded fists with Felix and the Escalade pulled to a stop in front of the house.

Instead of waiting in the front room for the 'newlyweds' to enter, Leah and Nahuel ran outside to greet them. Seth and Felix were close behind them. The rest of us casually made our way out front to give them a head start for their good-byes.

By the time I brought up the rear of the group, Charlie and Sue were surrounded by most of the Cullens and the Clearwaters. I stood on the porch with Demetri, Ava, Jasper, Rosalie and also Quil and Embry for good measure. I didn't dare breathe.

"You are doing very well Mia," Jasper said approvingly to me. Demetri had his arm tight around me too. I was glad there were so many protectors between me and the humans. I really didn't want to be a danger to anyone. I focused on the conversation surrounding the huddled group around Charlie and Sue, and my annoying contacts to distract me from the uncomfortable feeling of sensory deprivation.

"You guys have been home for four days and this is the first time we hear from you?" Bella said with an arched eyebrow at her Father.

"Well, we lost track of time." Her father stammered while he flushed and looked away. Somehow, his colored cheeks drew my eye and the need to inhale became more urgent. I focused on calming myself down.

I turned to Demetri. "Maybe if Ava was down there with Seth, it would help me stay focused on keeping everyone down there safe." I said as soon as I felt a small breeze come out of the west.

"Are you sure you want to try that?" Demetri asked. I was not going to risk another breath so I just nodded.

Seth had heard our conversation despite being in the midst of another one himself. He was over to me and up the porch steps in three large strides. "Thank you Mia, you must have been reading my mind. I have been dying to show her off to Mom and Charlie. This is my last chance." He winked at me and I had to smile. I could see why he was Edward's favorite shape shifter. It was hard not to like Seth Clearwater. And if I had to share my baby with anyone other than Demetri, I would choose Seth over Aro any day.

"Mom, Charlie, you remember Ava right?" Seth said as he took my daughter into the center of the commotion.

"Of course I do!" Sue said happily. Tears came to her eyes as she held my baby girl. I realized that Sue already loved my daughter. It made it so much easier to temper my reactions when I realized this fact. "How are you today? Is Seth being nice to you?" Sue asked her in a gentle, loving manner.

Ava nodded fervently; her big brown eyes serious. She understood perfectly. It was quite an accomplishment for a six week old baby.

"Good," Sue said as she kissed the top of Ava's head. "I raised him right!" Sue seemed to get a tired expression on her face. She sighed, hugged Ava once again and handed her back to Seth. No one else seemed to notice, but Carlisle said that I must have been very observant before my transformation and now my perceptiveness has somehow become enhanced. Maybe that was why no one else had caught that.

"I miss having babies around the house." Sue said wistfully. She turned to Leah and Nahuel who were naturally entangled in each other's arms. "You'd better let me know as soon as you have any news along those lines. I'll find a way to come to you. No matter how deep in the jungle you may be."

"I'll have to come too," Charlie said. "Now that I've finally caught this woman, I'm not going to let her sneak off into the Amazon without me."

"Oh, I would track her down for you if she planned on sneaking away." Felix replied assuredly. Did Felix not realize Charlie was joking? I wasn't so sure Felix was. Charlie might have caught that as well.

"I'm sure you would Felix," Charlie said lightly, but with a touch of trepidation behind his reply. "I'd just like to keep her in one piece. I really like Sue."

"Alright," Edward said quickly to change the subject. "So how was Hawaii, Charlie? You and Sue have a good time?"

I needed a breath. I looked at Jasper. He must've somehow seen the anxiety coming off of me as I tried to keep from breathing in. He grabbed hold of my shoulders. And so it was with Demetri's arms around my waist from behind and Jasper's around my shoulders from my right side, and with Embry tight on my left side and Quil directly in front of me, I took my first ragged breath on the front porch. I'd stood a mere ten feet away from warm blooded humans.

The fire that raced down my throat was excruciating. The desire to quench it rose so quickly within me that I was caught off guard despite my hunting preparations the night before. I focused on my daughter down there in Seth's arms. She was loved by these humans. These were good humans. They were loved by Seth—important to him too. They were loved by the Cullens. Not to mention, these two particular humans had made a point to share in my wedding ceremony to Demetri. This fact alone made them important humans to me as well. Well, that and of course the fact that their son was planning on marrying my daughter—some day!

I felt a calming influence work its way over my willpower and it helped me resolve myself. I regained control. It was a good thing too, because somehow Edward's words had caused both Charlie and Sue to blush again.

"We had a wonderful time in Hawaii." Charlie stammered.

"You don't look all that tan for spending two weeks on the beach, Charlie." Emmett teased him. "What happened? Did you get lost on the way to the beach? It is an island you know. Just keep walking and you'll hit water pretty soon." Charlie and Sue were blushing even brighter than before. "There it is!" Emmett crowed. "The famous Swan blushes; gee Sue, looks like you have acquired one too."

"Emmett, leave my father and Sue alone." Bella said shooting daggers at him.

"You know Emmett," This from Charlie. "You could use a little sun yourself. Maybe we should see if you could get lost on a deserted island sometime."

"Ouch!" Jacob said mock punching Charlie's shoulder. "Score one for the old man."

"Hey, watch who you call old." Charlie mumbled back. I guessed his words were true enough. Compared to most of the people here, Charlie was nothing more than a spring chicken.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day Dad?" Bella asked.

"Well, that depends on how Sue feels. She's been very tired since we got home." Charlie said looking at his wife with a sad little pout.

"It's probably just jet lag. I have never been on a plane ride before and then to have it last for eleven hours was tiring."

"It's probably more than jet lag." Emmett said wagging his eyebrows. "It's probably all that football training; right Charlie?"

"I think that's about enough Emmett." Esme said taking charge of the uncomfortable exchange. "Emmett perhaps you'd better make sure the animals are all prepared for their long trip home." That wiped the grin right off of the big vampire's face.

Nahuel had secured a large moving truck and had arranged to transport almost one-third of the Amazon Zoo back to the Amazon. Thankfully he'd been too busy to notice his piranhas were all gone. Or perhaps he'd thought they'd attacked each other. No need to tell them that the carnivores tasted best—as they are the ones who'd told me this fact. I'd only discovered that fact could be applied to fish as well. There were also plenty of piranhas in the Amazon. And I was like a fish in the water.

It was another thirty minutes of visiting before we loaded up in Nahuel's shiny, new, green jaguar and the big moving truck and left the Cullens behind to find a lush tropical jungle far away, where my next adventure would begin.

*******

**Carlisle's POV**

I waited a full hour after the caravan departed for the Amazon before I called Edward, Jacob, Jasper and Esme into my study and opened the safe hidden behind the bookcase. It wasn't that I didn't trust the two Volturi guards; it was just that this information was too sensitive to ever run the risk of reaching Aro and I couldn't risk the chance of Aro pulling the information directly from their heads.

I pulled out the small package stamped with a bright orange label that read 'Biohazard Samples enclosed'. The return address on the label read: ACZ Medical and Environmental Analyzing Laboratories.

"It's time to find out what toxins in nature can kill a shape shifter." I told them before I opened the box.

*******

**[A/N: We haven't heard much from Alice and her fun take on things. So the next chapter is called 'Surprise' and it will post in four parts.]**


	61. Chapter 55 Part 1

**Chapter Fifty Five  
Surprise-Part I**

**Alice's POV**

Things had finally calmed down at our home. I looked around me at the big, bright, and empty living room. Just a few hours ago it had been packed with people; my family, and friends I had come to love. Now eleven people had left to return to the green jungles of Brazil. I had already foreseen that Carlisle would have Esme, Edward, Jasper and Jacob in his office pouring over his lab analysis and setting up experiments with antibodies from Jacob's blood. Their goal, to find out if an effective vaccine could be manufactured that could counteract the fatal affect vampire venom posed for the shape shifters. Rosalie and Nessie had already gone to school for the day And, as I had also foreseen, Emmett went out to have a day 'training' Aurora as soon as Rosalie's car had departed. That left one person—the very one I was waiting for! I smiled as I knew who was coming my way, and what she intended to do with her first moments of free time. Ha—not if I had my way, and I already knew I would! She would be here in three, two, one…

Bella walked in with a beat up copy of, 'A Tale of Two Cities', and plopped down on the couch with it already opened.

"Hi Bella, are you ready to go?" I asked her in anticipation. I had seen she would agree, after kicking up her usual fuss, but the future could always change if I didn't play my cards right.

"I didn't know I had plans to be anywhere." She moaned before laying the pages of her book directly over her face. Then she sighed, lifted the book and eyed me suspiciously. "Didn't you get shopping out of your system from all the wedding purchases?"

"Bella, you promised to spend more time with me and I really have missed you. I need some Bella time."

"It was the best of times, now it's the worst of times." Bella replied sarcastically as she closed the pages of Dickens's novel.

Oh, come on Bella, we'll have a lot more fun today together than you'll have reading that silly old book alone. I promise we will only shop for clothes until noon. Then we can get our nails done or see a movie or—I don't know-- just hang out." Her lips pursed. She could still go either way. I needed to pull out all the stops. "Maybe we could even go to a book store." That had worked for Emmett when he dragged Bella to find non-existent books on 'caring for your pet dragon'. And I didn't need a vision to see that it had just worked for me too. Fantastic!

Bella stood up, straightened her shirt, put her book on the coffee table and finally looked at me. A smile slowly crept across her face and her eyes twinkled. "I'm all yours, Alice--as long as the bookstore is on the 'places to go' list.

"Yeah!" I squealed as I jumped up and hugged her. Wow, I must have really been missing Bella even more than I realized. "You won't be sorry. You'll see." I insisted, my happiness complete.

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known." Bella muttered in resignation as she went from quoting the first line from her novel to the last.

"Okay Sydney Carton, enough with the 'Two Cities' already. Give it a rest!" I rolled my eyes.

Edward was down the stairs and almost to Bella's side in the same instant we heard Carlisle's office door open. He'd paused briefly on the landing as though lost in thought. A peculiar look came into his eye before he too smiled and then closed the remaining distance to give Bella a proper good-bye.

Jasper came to say good-bye to me too, before offering Bella his condolences. "Alice my love, don't be gone too long. I'll miss you but as long as you're happy then I am happy too. Don't forget, the trunk isn't very big in that cute little yellow car of yours." He kissed me lightly before turning to Bella. "I'm sorry for your loss—of free time, Bella. Hopefully you can keep Alice in line for me. If she brings home more clothes, we may need to knock out a wall in our closet."

"Very funny," I scolded him.

"I'll see what I can do. But you know better than me Jasper. It may be a lost cause. Alice will be Alice."

Everyone laughed. I secretly smiled. I always won in the end.

Then Jasper replied to Bella, "If it's any consolation, everyone in that story of yours loses their heads in the end anyway."

"I hope you have a good time with Alice today." Edward said to Bella. He touched his finger to the pout on her lips.

"Of course she will," I added indignantly. "I KNOW she will."

Jasper laughed as he hugged me and kissed my cheek. "You know everything. I guess I'd tell you to have fun, but you already know that you will!"

"I guess I'm just psychic." I replied casually. I was happy. I was getting Bella for the whole day! And I had really missed spending time with her.

"A very good psychic Alice," Edward amended with intensity. "Do you remember the vision you had the day of Bella's near-accident with the van?"

"Me and Bella—Best friends," I replied. I shared a grin with my newest sister as I held to her side.

"Two pictures--before and after," Bella amended.

"Right," Edward said dryly. "Do you realize that the two of you are wearing the same clothes right now that you wore in that second half of the vision? "Every detail matched perfectly."

"Well—except for Bella's crimson newborn eyes." I amended as I reviewed the still picture from my memory in flawless detail. "Of course, the timing was affected by Nessie's arrival. But still," I paused and shrugged. It was so very satisfying to always be right. "You're correct Edward. I do think this was the moment the vision depicted. And Jasper, that makes you right too."

"I usually am," He said with a grin. "…but what about this time."

"Well, your comment about my intellect of course, I DO know everything." I explained without humility.

Edward held back a laugh. It ruined my smugness. "What?" I demanded of him.

"Sorry Alice, it's just that I had always wondered what the look on Bella's face meant from that vision. In the picture of her as an immortal, she wasn't smiling as brightly as in the human one. I thought it an enigma. I worried it was a change in her feelings for me." He chuckled freely now as he continued. "Who would have guessed it was really trepidation over yet another shopping trip?"

"And the prospect of an eternity of shopping expeditions!" Bella piped up. Then she seemed to consider her words and her expression became worried. That only made Edward and Jasper both start laughing.

I thought it was pretty funny myself. Not to worry though, Bella was already getting used to shopping and wearing nicer clothes every day. She'd be mine within a few decades I was confident. Until then, she'd just have to learn to enjoy fashion. And I was the perfect teacher. Perhaps I needed to explain it to her.

"If you don't wipe that tortured expression off your face Bella, we'll only stop by the bookstore for five minutes. You're going to have fun with me or else!"

"Alice," Esme called from inside Carlisle's office. "Bella said she'd go with you. No need to be pushy."

"True," I admitted. Perhaps it was time for me to leaf through Jasper's copy of Dale Carnegie's, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People'.

The day progressed just as I had foreseen. Bella had a great time shopping with me. I discovered a compromise that helped her with her fashion-phobia. Bella liked to wear jeans. So instead of her generic, three sizes too big, baggy, unflattering jeans, I steered her towards some jeans designed by 'Black Jack', 'Earl Jeans', and 'It!'. I reminded her that in life there was always a compromise. After that she was putty in my hands. I didn't even have to guilt her into accessorizing. And I really enjoyed my day with my best-friend too.

And she smiled at me when our appearance turned more than a few eyes. Two fellows actually tripped on the escalator as they craned their necks to gawk as we passed them on our way down. They got to the top and tripped. Bella was finally settling into her new life and the effect she had on others. We were barely able to close the trunk of my Porsche. Thank goodness clothes were pliable. At least most of it was. I had to put the two storm trooper costumes I'd found for Embry and Quil in the back seat. _'Thank goodness Bella didn't shop in bulk,'_ I thought as I eyed the available space that remained for her book purchases. I eyed my microscopic back seat and was thankful I had 'fore-knowledge' that Bella wouldn't buy too many today.

I was so caught up in enjoying my shopping trip that it wasn't until we were both under hair dryers at the salon that I received an unexpected vision. It was Jasper. It was today. He was in Carlisle's office with the others, and while they worked, setting up various experiments, he was discussing his ideas for my birthday celebration with them.

I was at first amused. It was so sweet of Jasper to even try to surprise me! But as everyone knew, that wasn't possible. Plus, my birthday wasn't even until November and we would be in New Hampshire by then. Still, I searched to see if he'd decided anything yet. There was nothing to see. Not even a glimmer of a plan. Slightly disappointed, I sighed.

"What was that moan about?" Bella asked.

"Just trying to get a handle on Jasper's surprise for my birthday." I said feigning innocence.

Bella chuckled once. The sides of her lips curved up into a suppressed smile. Her face told on her as if it were a neon light flashing out the truth. _'Bella knows something that I don't!'_

"What? Bel-la, you'd better tell me now what you know!" I hissed at her. I hoped the hum of the dryers would drown my voice out to human ears.

"What would I know?" Bella asked in surprised innocence—too much innocence. "Wasn't it just this morning that you announced you knew everything?"

And there is was. I knew something was up, but whatever it was, there was nothing to see.

I wasn't too bothered about it at first. I even found the trip to the bookstore on the way home enjoyable. Bella disappeared between aisles of books. I found some great new books on current fashion trends. I particularly liked the one titled, 'Art-of-Fashion Draping' by Connie Amaden-Crawford. There was also a story about a fashion show written by Stephanie Cullen. Well if the name was any indication, I'd really like that one as well.

From the language section, I purchased a book of Chinese poetry entitled, "300 Tang Poems". What made it especially interesting was that it was not translated into English but left in its original Classical Chinese—a dead language. I knew I'd have to hide this book at home or Edward would fight me for it. Of course, if I read it at night when he was out at the cottage, I could give it to him for Christmas.

Then in the special helps section, I found book entitled: 'The Gift: Understand and Develop Your Psychic Abilities.' With the difficulties I had seeing Jasper's birthday plans clearly. I was sure I could find some 'self-help' answers within the pages of this book.

I found a book for Jasper that I was very excited to give him for Christmas as well. It was a book on the Civil War entitled; 'The Long Road Home' and it even mentioned a 'Major Whitlock' in its text.

In fact, I was surprised at the large number of books I found. I forgot to make more than one trip to the counter as my stack grew taller and taller.

"Oh Miss, please let me help you with those." A distressed clerk said as he rushed to my aid. Honestly the stack had grown so tall; I couldn't see him over the top of my load. I could smell him though.

He picked up two-thirds of my bundle and almost dropped them under the strain as he took them quickly to the counter. "Will this be all, Miss?" He asked breathlessly. There were beads of perspiration lining up across his forehead.

"Almost," I said as I absently looked around for Bella. I knew she was around somewhere and I could find her fast enough if I wanted to, but until she made her presence known, I was free to continue to shop. Who next then? I'd get something for Nessie. "Where is your section on Natural Science?"

The surprised clerk pointed to the left and told me which aisles held my next acquisition. I tried not to notice his heart that had originally sped up from exertion, still beat out a staccato accelerated rhythm. If I read him right, its continued acceleration had nothing to do with his underdeveloped muscles. His eyes were wide and his mouth gaped open. Yep, I still had it.

Thirty minutes later, Bella came around the last row of books. She had four stacked neatly underneath a fifth book that was opened and resting on top of the rest. She read it as she walked towards me. Behind her, two college boys trailed nervously. The first was tall and well dressed. His black hair contrasted nicely with his blue eyes. The second was shorter with the build of a full-back. To complete the picture he even wore a jersey that said 'Sea Hawks'. She seemed oblivious to their pursuit. I knew better. At the end of each line she read her eyes continued off the page to judge their distance behind her. They were quickening their step just as Bella came to a dead stop and turned to address them directly.

"I'm sorry; can I help you with anything?" Bella asked politely. Surely she didn't believe they thought her to be an employee.

The first boy met her gaze and was reduced to a spluttering idiot. Kind of reminded me of Edward when he first tried to speak with Bella after six weeks of ignoring her.

The second guy was only successful at coherency because he kept his eyes carefully away from her face. "Do you," He said hesitantly as he looked at his sneakers. Oh my, his shoes even looked as though he'd just left the football field in them. Weren't they supposed to change into cleats for practice? He licked his lips before continuing. "So, Pete and I, well, we were wondering." He sighed and tried again. This time he accelerated his words until they sounded like a word that Mary Poppins would make up at the end. "We were wondering if you wanted to go to ourstudygroupwithustonight." He said before he then made the mistake his friend had made and met Bella's patient expression.

"Oh, Matt," She said to indicate the boy whose eyes had just become trapped as he stared. "Pete," she added with a nod to the taller boy who finally blinked and seemed to come back to himself. "That is very nice of you both. And I do really appreciate your assistance in locating this book about 'Quantum Mechanics' and 'Scientific Theory', but I'm afraid I have plans with my husband tonight."

"Oh," Pete finally piped up. "I guess that is a 'no' then?" He said in a voice that I'd hoped was higher pitched than normal. Matt nudged him and rolled his eyes. Neither of them had steady heart rates. Their faces were flushed beat red. Perhaps what Bella and I would really need after our shopping trip today would be a hunting expedition. Their rosy cheeks and staccato heart rates were practically waving a red flag in front of a bull. I started to walk towards them. Bella noticed my approach. The two enamored students? They didn't even notice that Pete's shaking hand made him drop half of his papers and Matt's cell phone rang, vibrating through his jacket pocket as if he'd stuck a rattlesnake in there. No they were 'dazzled' by my newest sister.

"Tempting," Bella replied sweetly. Perhaps she should take some 'arrogance' lessons from Rosalie. No, I didn't really mean that! She continued in her innocent way without a hint of placating in it. "You are both so smart and good looking, I'd bet there are a lot of girls on campus who would die to go to your study group with you."

They both looked at each other in confusion. Then they started shaking their head and admitted that wasn't the case.

"Have you asked any of them?" Bella continued.

"Matt, you asked that one girl last month, remember?" Pete piped up.

"Yeah, she was busy with her own classes." He muttered as his shoulders slumped in defeat.

I spoke very quickly and ultra quietly to Bella as I came up behind the boys. "These boys had two problems. One, they had no self confidence and two; they were going for the type that were not really available or interested." Their problem was easy to spot. I'd been around the block more than once.

Bella gave me a minute nod. "Listen guys, you really helped me out with finding the right book back there, and it was so nice of you to invite me to study with you, so I am going to let you in on a little secret about women. Want it?" They both leaned in closer whole nodding furiously. Bella reached in her purse and pulled out her wallet of photos. "Let me show you something." She said as she rifled through the stack until she came across her junior school picture that had been taken just before she'd moved to Forks and met us. "This was me four years ago." She showed them the picture. The boys scrutinized it for several minutes looking back and forth between the photo and her face several times.

"Are you sure that's you?" Matt replied questioningly. He clearly did not want to offend her. But he had trouble with the resemblance.

"Positive," Bella said adamantly. Then she pulled out another picture. This one was of her engagement photo. "Here I am again two years ago." This time the boys could start to see the same girl in the beautiful immortal face that stood before them as well as that of the girl of the previous picture.

"I can start to see you in this one." Pete said in agreement.

"Do you know what the difference was between these two pictures?" Bella asked them.

The pair looked at each other. Finally Matt responded, "I'm going to guess it was this fellow." He pointed to Edward in the engagement pic. Bella nodded.

"Is that your husband then?" Pete queried. Bella nodded again.

"See it's more important to find the woman who is right for you. Love will change her and it will change the way you see her. It's really magic. And chances are, when you find the right type of girl to ask out, she'll be just as nervous as you are." Bella took a big breath and clapped her open book shut. It made them jump. "So, that's it for my lecture today. Take it or leave it. But your mission, should you chose to accept it, will be to find the girl that's right for you and let love take care of the rest."

"Okay," Matt replied quietly before he piped up, "Say, you could still come just as a friend. Maybe you could point out some co-eds who are our type."

"Well, I live clear out in Forks and I need to get going. Look, if you can figure out Quantum Mechanics then finding a date should be a piece of cake." Then Bella lowered her voice. "Besides, my husband has spies everywhere."

"What?" Matt and Pete asked together.

"C-I-A" I whispered.

Oh, this was my cue!

"Hi Bella, ready to go?" I asked directly behind the two boys who jumped about a foot off the ground each.

"Hi Alice," Bella said with a huge grin plastered on her face. "Oh, these are my new friends, Matt and Pete. Guys, this is my husband's sister, Alice."

"How very nice to meet Bella's friends." I said as I thought, '_And also how very nice to see their reaction to me as well! Another lesson: all women love to be admired.'_ "Do you two work here? We need some help getting our books into my car."

Bella, Pete and Matt all stared blankly at Bella's small stack. Then Bella looked around in confusion. It took her a minute as she gazed at the front desk with its six stacks of books—each over four feet high, before comprehension dawned on her face.

"Alice, what have you done? Bought out the entire bookstore?" Bella asked in stunned disbelief.

"Well, I had to do something while you were deciphering Scientific Theory, didn't I?" I asked as we slowly made our way to the front of the store.

"How in the world are we going to fit all of these books in the back seat of your car?" Bella drilled me, her shock turning to chagrin. "This is unbelievable!" She muttered under her breath. "Jasper is going to kill me now. He told me to keep an eye on you. What was I thinking?" She added quick and low. No one else had heard her.

"Oh relax Bella, I bought one for you too." I told her dreamily.

"Oh really? What? Actually I'm almost afraid to ask." Bella continued in the quick silent speech that marked our kind, while she paid for her five books. She scanned the spines of the three stacks closest to her before she found the answer for herself.

"Ohhhh," She hissed at me. Her mouth popped open in anger. "Fashion for Dummies? That is really low Alice. Put that one back."

"To late already paid for." I replied lightly. "And to answer your previous question, Jacob Black and your daughter are bringing your truck around in three minutes and ten seconds."

"My truck? My old beat up Chevy Truck made it all the way to Seattle? Jacob actually got the thing to start again?" I nodded. Bella scooped up her bag of books. I was followed out with my purchases, which had been loaded onto a flat bed and rolled out into the parking lot. As we exited the building, we heard the thundering sounds of a rat rod.

"Please tell me that is not my truck?" Bella whimpered under her breath.

"Yes and no." I answered her lightly. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yes the noises you hear are the new motor of the truck—along with the new exhaust system. But No, it is not your truck anymore. I believe you gave it to Jacob Black for all birthdays past and future."

Just then the prettiest, brightest red truck sailed into the parking lot. It came to a halt right in front of us. Jacob and Nessie waved to us excitedly from inside.

"Swe—et!" Matt said while Pete let out a low appreciative whistle. Matt sounded strangely like Jacob's pack brothers. Perhaps it was a male thing.

"Do you like it?" Jacob asked as he slammed the door and came around to let Nessie out closer to our side.

"There is no way this is the same truck that I used to drive around Forks Jacob." Bella's expression was skeptical.

"Mom! Jake says in a few years I get to have it! Isn't that awesome?" She said as she bounded over to give Bella a hug.

I heard Matt quietly ask Pete, "Dude, did she just call Bella her mom?"

I turned around to them. "Adopted."

Before long, we had all of my purchases snuggly tucked away in the bed of the new/old truck. I was glad Jacob hadn't see the Tim Westwood book I'd purchased for him, 'Pimp My Ride'. It was in the middle of the third stack he deftly took from Matt.

"Well, maybe we'll see you around sometime guys." I waved to the college boys from my Porsche as I got in my seat.

"Right," Bella added as she opened her door and gave them a friendly smile. "And don't forget your assignment."

*******

It was two days later when Carlisle called everyone into the living room for the 'Family Council' I knew was coming. He had invited Quil and Embry, the only members left in Forks from Jacob's pack and Sam's crew as well. Needless to say, the room was 'packed'.

"I am glad everyone was able to make it today. I would like to go over what we have found from our analysis of Jacob's encounter in the Amazon with an unknown substance." Carlisle turned to the first sheaf of stapled papers and held it up for everyone to see.

"This is the first set of results. It is details the chemical make-up of what was on the end of the dart Jacob was attacked with." He held up a small clear plastic bag containing the small hand-made dart with blue feathers stuck to one side.

"We were erroneous in our assumption that what Jacob reacted to was simply the toxins from the 'Poison Dart Frog'. According to the lab's report, those were present, but there were also large amounts of Phosphodiesterases, Hyaluronidase, ATPases, and cholinesterase. These are commonly found in snake venom. There were also four additional substances the lab found that had not been catalogued before. They sent us the molecular model of these along with the report. One reacted similar to the nematocyst-derived venom of the giant-jellyfish found in the ocean near China. Another was similar in structure to the poison of the cone shell, another lethal sea creature."

"How did the natives in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest get a hold of poisons from marine life?" Sam asked while shaking his head.

"Well the lab said the substance was unknown but behaved like those of the giant jellyfish and cone shell. I would guess that there is a freshwater version of those animals found somewhere in the rainforest basin that has yet to be cataloged by modern science." Carlisle said with a sigh.

"There was still more packed into that tiny little dart." Carlisle continued. "There were high extracts from certain Amazon plants: Foxfire Glove, alkaloids from the **curare vine** and Castor Beans. These were the toxins found on the dart. There was also a mixture of three healing agents present; two of them unknown. The third was Cinchona officinalis, in the past this was used to treat malaria."

"So is this the makeup of vampire venom then?" Bella asked from her seat. "It affected Jacob as if it were?"

I considered Bella's question. Samon had turned Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri into Vampire by collecting and administering certain items from within the Amazon Rainforest. Was it possible then, that it may have been the Jaguar People known the formula as well.

"We don't know for sure. We need more of the substance from the dart to compare it to vampire venom. So we need to locate all of the 'unknown agents' before we can effectively answer that question." Carlisle nodded thoughtfully.

"Maybe after they're done with all the temple ceremonies, Leah, Seth and Nahuel can look into that for us." Jacob said slowly. "Nahuel knows the tribe that made the stuff in the first place. They could show him."

"True," Sam replied, "though I'm still not sure that I want to have that information close to Felix or Demetri right now. Aro still has influence over them."

"I agree with Sam." Edward said. "This is information Aro and Caius must never have. They would use it to decimate the wolf packs. So far, the Volturi aren't even aware vampire venom is fatal to the wolves."

I used my gift and looked ahead into the Amazon, concentrating on Demetri's and Felix's futures. They both seemed content in the tropical maze. Felix seemed to be pursuing more than a dragon down there. I saw Huilen at a loss for how to take his advances. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri would be amused.

"I don't see either Felix or Demetri going back to Aro. Right now, they have no plans to return to Volterra. Still," I continued as I qualified my comment. "No one knows how fast the future can change better than I"

"So that was the one report." Carlisle said as he placed the first set of stapled papers together and then proceeded to pick up the second. "This next report is of the analysis of the paste the old medicine woman had used to slow the poison before the cure arrived. This had a small amount of poison dart frog venom, saliva, **opium poppy, seeds from the coca tree and acai berries."**

"**Jacob," Embry said in disapproval. "You went down to the Amazon to start a drug habit?"**

"**What?" Jacob demanded.**

"**Opium Poppy, the pretty little pink flower with a punch."**

"**Natures drug of choice." Quil added with a smirk.**

"**Also nature's pain killer of choice," Carlisle corrected. "Not just giving us Opium but morphine as well." He had a look of amazement on his face.**

"**I still can't imagine how the Indians of the rainforest came up with these combinations. The pain killer, the seeds from the cocoa tree, even acai berries that modern science is only now beginning to see the benefit of. These ingredients combined into a perfect symphony to slow down the poison that should have killed Jacob very quickly. I once heard the Amazon Rainforest called nature's pharmacy. I can see why."**

**Carlisle put down the second stack of papers and picked up a third, leaving three more on the table. "Now, when Leah and Nahuel returned with the cure it was in four parts. The first part was leaves that were crushed up into a broth."**

"**A very nasty tasting broth too." Jacob interjected. He shuddered at the memory.**

"**Yes, well it turns out that those leaves were of the trumpet tree. What is known of this plant is that it helps with respiration. There are probably many more ways it is beneficial but we are unaware of them yet."**

"**I'm thinking the Ticunan Indians know what the extent of the benefits are." Jasper said with a shrewd expression on his lovely face. I looked at him and realized once again how lucky I was to have found such a caring and great man to love me. His insight showed his clearness of thought as well as his high intelligence. "You know, this return to power of the Amazon region could be not just because of the benefits of the plants and animals to mankind but also the knowledge the people of the Amazon already have accumulated. It's staggering."**

"**Very true," Carlisle replied before picking up the next report. "The second part of the regimen, was **a topical salve to be applied to the infected area, the forehead, chest and the bottom of the feet. This analysis proved to have more unknown substances in it; five to be exact. It also included e**xtracts from the Annatto Tree, fruit of the cocoa tree, root of the suma vine, and **cinchonine—derived from the Cinchona Tree."

"The lab believed that this salve acted in some way to draw toxins out of the system by bringing them to the surface and allowing them to be excreted from the body as sweat."

"So, do you mean all the fever I had after I started taking all this stuff was supposed to make me sweat?" Jacob cocked his head.

"Right," Carlisle smiled. "Fever is the body's natural defense to fight infection. The fever you initially had was your body trying unsuccessfully to fight off the massive over-dosing of venom your system received that day. The sweating you had after you started the regimen was your body working efficiently to produce the sweat that flushed the poisons away from vital organs." He placed the report in his hand on top of his 'discard' pile.

"So, that brings us to the third part of our four part cure." Carlisle picked up another report. "This part was a mixture of leaves that were crushed up and added to boiling water. Instead of ingesting the concoction this step was simply to have the vapors inhaled. The leaves were Suma Vine, which acted as an adaptogen, and allowed the body to become more resistant to adverse influence of toxins. Papaya leaves, which acted as a natural diuretic, providing the body another method of ridding itself of the poison. The leaves of the Cocoa Tree were present though their benefit was unknown to the lab. The last known substance was from the leaves of the White Trillium which actually cures snake bites. There were two leaves from unknown sources." He added this report to his growing stack of covered material. There were two more reports to cover.

"The last part of the treatment involved a white substance that was to be applied to the tongue and left there." Carlisle said as he looked to Jacob and waited. I had to laugh to myself. Carlisle knew Jacob would have a comment to make about that. He did of course.

"I'm not sure but if I had to take a guess, I'd say it was some kind of 'Syrup of Ipecac'. Talk about your gag reflex!"

"**I will of course have to take your word on that Jacob." Carlisle mused before he sighed. "I can't imagine why, but part of that white paste was the sap from a rubber tree. Some of it was coconut fruit; Some the sap from the **Chicle Tree, that produces your chewing gum, there was also some red sap of the 'Sangre de drago' and three more unknown agents." Carlisle added the report to the stack of finished business.

"So there are a total of fourteen unknown chemicals that went into either creating the venom or the cure for it." Sam said frustrated. He seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"Now, there is the last report here as well." Carlisle said as he picked up the last set of papers.

"The analysis of my ultra superior blood." Jacob said to Embry who rolled his eyes.

***

**I know this part was a little light, and we get into the surprise a little more in the next part. But I wanted to break up Carlisle's meeting into 2 parts to keep myself from looking cross eyed at all of the medical jargon. And of course, all the plants mentioned and the things they can do are real plants from the Amazon Rainforest and real benefits from them. **


	62. Chapter 55 Part 2

**Chapter Fifty Five  
Surprise-Part II**

**Alice's POV**

_[__Last Time__: __"Now, there is the last report here as well." Carlisle said as he picked up the last set of papers._

"_The analysis of my ultra superior blood." Jacob said to Embry who rolled his eyes._]

Carlisle smiled at him. "Yes, your ultra superior blood." Then he turned to address the rest of us, focusing most of his comments now directly to the two wolf packs and Sam in particular. "Jacob has been working with us for the last two days, so he is already aware of our findings so far. But an interesting thing happened to Jacob's blood as a result of fighting this attack. He has developed antibodies. I am fairly confident that were Jacob to be exposed to this type of venom again, his body would be able to transmute the poison and render it useless. It would likely pass harmlessly out of his system."

"I would hate to put him in harm's way a second time to test your theory Carlisle." Sam said worriedly.

"Nor would I," Carlisle shook his head gravely. "So I was able to conduct one test. I went with the hypothesis that this substance either was the same as vampire venom or similar. On this premise we set up and conducted an experiment to see how Jacob's new antibodies responded directly to vampire venom."

There were excited conversations whispered around the table and not just from the Quileutes. I found it fascinating myself. No need to use my vision whatsoever to know the advantage the wolves would have in confronting their one enemy, our kind, if the vulnerability of vampire venom were removed.

"So we took blood samples from not just Jacob but Quil and Embry as well for control. We tried to keep it a blind experiment by calling the samples A, B and C to keep objectivity. Only Edward knew which sample came from which werewolf. We exposed all three samples of shape shifter blood to five drops of vampire venom inside a Petri dish under an electron microscope. It became evident almost immediately which sample was Jacob's. It looked different and acted different as soon as the venom mixed with the blood."

"The first area of the blood attacked, were the white blood cells or leukocytes. The venom traveled through the plasma directly to their first target. The job of these white blood cells is to seek out, identify, and bind to alien protein on bacteria, viruses, and fungi so that they can be removed. Then other specialized white blood cells: granulocytes, and macrophages, arrive to surround and destroy the alien cells. In normal healthy humans, the white blood cells are usually only 1% of the makeup of their blood. From what I found in all three of the samples of the Quileutes, I would guess the number to be as much as five times greater for shape shifters. "

"Hey, maybe that accounts for why I heal so fast." Paul said as though a light bulb had just gone off. "I've got soldiers duking it out with the invading aliens."

"Paul, you are an alien," Jared grinned as he kicked him under the table.

Carlisle took their playfulness in stride, but deftly returned to his findings. "What we saw happen in samples A and C was that the venom moved swiftly throughout the blood and singled out all of the white blood cells and dissolved them. Only a few were able to get the message out to the specialized white blood cells to come and fight. As soon as those arrived, they were attacked and dissolved as well."

"They took out the guard dogs so they couldn't alert the rest of the system." Collin stated simply.

"Yes," Carlisle mused. "But not so with sample B. Sample B still had the venom spread out to cover all of the blood, but when it went to the white blood cells, the white blood cells were stronger than the venom and withstood the attack. They never dissolved. However, instead of alerting the granulocytes and macrophages cells to destroy the venom, the new antibodies responded instead. These antibodies weakened the cell structures of the venom.

"The next area attacked by the venom was the platelets, or thrombocytes. These platelets are cell fragments that work with blood clotting chemicals at the site of wounds. More recently research has shown that platelets help fight infections by releasing proteins that kill invading bacteria and some other microorganisms. In addition, platelets stimulate the immune system. Since they are 'allies 'of a sort for the white blood cells, they are second to be taken out. In samples A and C, this was done very quickly but in sample B, the weakened venom cells were unable to penetrate the tough outer wall of the platelets."

"The final attack of the venom was to incapacitate the red blood or erythrocytes cells. Red cells normally make up 40-50% of the total blood volume. They transport oxygen from the lungs to all of the living tissues of the body and carry away carbon dioxide. 95% of a red blood cell is made up of hemoglobin, a gas transporting protein molecule. Inside of each red blood cell there are about 270,000,000 iron-rich hemoglobin molecules. By damaging the hemoglobin inside of each red blood cell, the venom actually stopped the transference of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, essentially suffocating the shape shifter from inside their own system." None of the shape shifters were laughing now. It was one thing to know that vampire venom was lethal to them, it was another thing to have spelled out in detail, the process by which it occurred.

"What did Jacob's blood do at this point?" Sam asked when the stillness became uncomfortable.

This time it was Carlisle who spoke. "The venom and antibodies in Sample B are still fighting. The blood in the petri dish cannot manufacture more antibodies or call more to their aid than were already there and available. SO they are fighting the venom as we speak. It seems to be about a 50-50 chance. Also, we are not sure that the venoms are identical. There may still be another ingredient or antidote that would need to be administered to further strengthen the antibodies if the venom were injected."

"So in a word, I have no definitive answers yet and will not have any until we first identify the unknown agents throughout the different components from the Amazon. Could there be a vaccine someday? I am hopeful that there might. The results are promising. Bear in mind that these kinds of experiments take time and I assure you I will be giving it my best effort and will keep you posted through Jacob.

I marveled as I listened to the head of our family as he talked clearly and calmly to the shape shifters. He never talked over their heads or made them feel stupid for asking questions. He was the most compassionate man I had ever known and I felt a sudden wave of gratitude that he had seen fit to include me in his family. I really was a lucky vampire to be able to call a man like Carlisle 'Father'. Perhaps I was prejudice but I honestly didn't see how any other man could hope to compare.

In short order Carlisle had questions answered and the meeting adjourned. I gave Embry and Quil the Halloween costumes I'd picked up for them while Bella and I were out shopping.

"Quil, the tiny little vampire has purchased us Halloween costumes." Embry's voice had a note of questioning in it.

I winked and smiled brightly at them as I handed them each a rather large box. They could be all worried for now. I'd already foreseen that they would love these presents. And to find it in their size—well, that was simply kismet.

"I just hope it doesn't have any vampire fangs." Quil chortled. "Especially after what I just heard about venom."

"What are you trying to force us into anyway here?" Embry moaned as he carefully lifted the lid as though something would jump out at him. As the lid came off, his expression changed from worry to confusion to excitement and he pulled the large bulky costume from the box. "Storm Troopers! That is so cool!!!"

"Yes!!!" Quil crowed in agreement as he pulled his free as well. "Hey, if we make Jacob go wolf that night maybe he could pass for Chewbacca and we could be escorting him as a prisoner."

"Excuse me; did you say you were planning on 'forcing' me to do anything?" Jacob asked with an eyebrow raised. "Good luck with that."

As most of the Quileutes left for the reservation I caught my husband looking at someone with an interesting smile on his face. Then he very suddenly winked. I followed his stare towards the front door but all I saw was the backs of Sam, Paul and Embry.

"What was that all about?" I asked him as I remembered 'seeing' his previous plan to surprise me for my birthday.

Jasper shrugged and encircled me in his arms. "What are you talking about? Have I ever told you what an active imagination you have? You can't stand not knowing things can you? And it is so adorable." He leaned in and kissed me, stopping my protest. It didn't stop my foresight though. And I got a clear picture in my head of a wrapped birthday present. It was about the size of a shoe box and there was a hole visible through the top.

***

It was two days later when my plans for the day abruptly changed. I had foreseen Jasper, Esme and I playing with Renesmee and then Jasper teaching her more about Quantum Physics. Suddenly, instead we were on our way with the family to meet Charlie and Sue in a parking garage in downtown Seattle. I couldn't imagine what the occasion was. Then there it was again. That same wrapped box with the hole in the top.

"Jasper, can you think of any reason we'd all be off to Seattle tonight to meet with Charlie and Sue?"

"No, what do you see happening?" He sounded as puzzled as I was.

I explained my vision and he shook his head. His face looked confused but there was a twinkle in his eyes that left me thinking something was up. I should pump him a bit more. Maybe he'd let something slip.

"How am I supposed to know what everyone is supposed to wear if I don't know what's happening?"

"What do you foresee everyone wearing?"

I sighed. He was as silent as a statue.

By the time Renesmee and Rosalie returned home from school I was at my wits end trying to come up with some explanation for the trip but nothing helped. Everyone was dressed in nice but casual attire, everyone seemed happy and there was the box. It appeared to be a birthday gift of some sort.

"Finally! Let's go!" I yelled as I ran out the front door.

"Where are we going?" Emmett said as he barreled down the stairs to tackle Rosalie with a kiss that came with a large smacking sound.

Esme, Jasper and Bella were in the front yard in short order as well trying to determine what I was going on about.

"Don't act all innocent. You know full well that we are all going to Seattle tonight. And you won't tell me why. I can't see it and I am going insane from the suspense. I can't take it anymore. Let's just go and get it over with.

Everyone laughed and hi-fi-ed each other. Yes, I knew they had been hiding something.

"Well, I guess if you see us going to Seattle tonight Alice, we must be going," Carlisle said as he stood against the post in the front porch.

Rosalie's phone rang and she ran off to the back yard while she answered it. I already knew what that was at least. Jacob needed her help putting the doors and tires on their new Scythe concept car. They wanted to take it tonight for its maiden voyage.

I sighed. This new development would put us back another forty minutes. "Come on Nessie, let's get you some dinner and you can tell me about your day." Maybe that would keep me preoccupied enough to keep me from losing my mind.

I had planned to keep it simple, (Macaroni and Cheese), but Bella and Esme had already started making her an elaborate entrée (Chicken Tenders, green beans and mashed potatoes). Embry and Quil came in sensing that food was on its way.

"Oh, Rosalie suggested to the class today that we host a Halloween Party next Friday since we are moving and it will be our last day of school." Nessie spoke around a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"That is a very nice effect Nessie," Quil said mildly reprimanding. "Speaking with your mouth full, very lady-like."

"Hey, she can't help it. She probably learned that bad habit from Jake. Besides the food is good and you've got to talk sometime." Embry defended.

Nessie took a big bite of green beans and yelled, "See food!" She stuck her tongue out to display the mutilated remains of vegetables.

Bella gave her a look. "Renesmee, what have I told you about playing with your food?"

Nessie gulped. "Sorry Mom, I thought that only applied to live food."

I saw my chance. A great distraction! "A Halloween party? What should we do?" I searched out with my mind and a great plan came together almost effortlessly. The sight was practically crystal clear. We'd turn the house into a haunted mansion. Complete with cobwebs, coffins and a moat.

I spent the rest of the available time outlining my idea to everyone in the room. Embry and Quil were desperately trying to work their storm trooper costumes into the theme.

Finally, forty five minutes were up and I had everyone ready in the front yard just as Jacob and Rosalie pulled up in a beautiful, sleek and shiny blue sports car.

Good thing I knew that was in the works for today, my newly waxed canary yellow Porsche would be good competition sitting next to this beauty!

By previous arrangement, Jacob drove with Nessie in the two-seater to Seattle and on the return trip Rosalie would take the driver's seat to share the trip with her.

It took all four sports cars and Carlisle's Mercedes to get the twelve of us to Seattle, where I already knew Charlie and Sue were waiting for us in a parking garage in the middle of down town. They had just come from dinner and when I got a good look at Sue's face I wondered if she'd eaten something that had disagreed with her.

Everyone exited their vehicles and surrounded me with happy excited faces. I was not surprised to see Sue, looking suddenly much better, bring out the wrapped birthday box with a hole in the top. The entire parking garage echoed with the sounds of my family singing 'Happy Birthday' to me at the top of their lungs. The sound was deafening. It set off car alarms on all six levels. The rest of the evening, I never saw coming.

"It is not my birthday for another two weeks." I protested.

"Not this year Alice," Esme sang. I looked at her face—at everyone's face and found a smugness underlying their excitement. With a start I realized that I HAD been surprised!

"SURPRISE!!!!" Everyone yelled together with a rumble that set out feet vibrating. The alarms that still blared out their unsynchronized cacophony of sounds made a great back drop for the festive spirit; even though it was pretty loud for our sensitive ears.

"I don't know what to say," I stammered. "How did you pull this off? Are we going to spend the evening disabling automobile security systems or what?"

"No, Alice we are only going to be here a few more minutes." Jasper replied with his arms tightly around me.

"Well then, where are we going?" Was it some kind of scavenger hunt? No if that were the case, I would have foreseen it.

"We have no idea where we're going!" Emmett grinned widely.

I was confused.

"Bella mentioned to Jasper that we should take a page from Victoria's book and not make a decision or know what we were doing ourselves." Carlisle said smiling broadly and looking so brilliant he reminded me of a 'perfected being'. Oh, but I guessed that he was that too.

"So the only way to surprise you was to surprise ourselves." Rosalie explained. She radiated smugness though a small smile twitched at the corners of her mouth.

"We enlisted the aid of Emily Uley. She found ten places from this location that are within a ten mile radius that have events occurring tonight. She was to find out their address but not what the event was taking place at each location. Then she numbered the locations and placed each number on a sheet of paper. Those papers are in this box." Edward disclosed more fully.

"Hurry and draw out a number. I want to know where we're going tonight!" Renesmee said jumping up and down. Half of the car alarms had stopped by then and my ears rang in aftershock.

I reached my hand into the wrapped box that Sue held out to me. I felt the ten sheets of paper folded over three times. I tried to foresee what each number would be as I briefly held each one. Nothing. Finally I pulled one out and opened it up.

"This is number 7." I announced as I held the paper up.

"Yeah!!! I love lucky seven!!!" Emmett boomed. Everyone glanced around at him surprised by his outburst. "Well, it sounds lucky is all." His expression turned sheepish.

Charlie, who had remained silent until now turned back to his car and started playing with several devices. Then he brought them to the rest of us. "Okay, if everyone will take one of these GPS Navigation Systems. I had Emily preprogrammed the location of each ten places into them. And they are now set with directions to location 7."

"You mean we still don't get to know where we are going or what we're doing?" I was amazed at the lengths they had gone to keep me 'in the dark'.

"No, you'll know when we know." Jasper chuckled in my ear.

As everyone headed for their car I heard Sue on her cell phone, presumably with Emily. I heard her say, "Yes, she picked location 7 and we are heading out now." And then she closed her car door and we headed out in a caravan of cars.

It was literally six short minutes later that our cars pulled into the crowded parking lot of the Washington State Convention & Trade Center. The large computer sign out front read, _'Welcome Alice Cullen and Happy Birthday. May you live long and prosper.'_ Then it started flashing with a birthday cake getting thrown into a face. It was great! I realized this had been the result of Sue's phone call as we'd left the parking garage. We exited the vehicles and followed the crowds towards our destination.

It took a few minutes for me to really take in the dress and appearance of some of our fellow event attendees.

"What is wrong with that man's face Mom?" Nessie hissed to Bella in alarm. We all looked discreetly in the direction she indicated and sure enough, a man wearing some odd shiny, silver outfit had a misshapen face with large ridges sticking out of his forehead.

"Huh," was Bella's brilliant response. "He doesn't seem to be in any pain."

"Maybe he fell on that strange looking weapon he's holding." Jasper added under his breath. "You'd think he'd be more careful with a blade like that if he'd already maimed himself with it once."

"That lady is green," Nessie chirped looking in the other direction.

Sure enough, there was a lady who was entirely green.

"I'm pretty sure that's a zombie," Bella whispered to her. "I saw a bunch of them in a movie. They were all green."

"There are real zombies?" Nessie cringed into her father until Edward picked her up. He looked confused.

"I don't think they are real zombies, Renesmee." He lowered his voice even softer to keep his next words from Charlie. "They smell human." Then back to his normal voice he added, "I'm more worried about those people over there." He pointed further up the walkway from us.

There was a group of people who appeared human but had long pointed ears. Their eyebrows slanted straight up in the corners as well. They were dressed in colorful shirts and dresses that oddly reminded me of the sixties.

"They look like elves, but I didn't know they'd get so tall." Esme mused. "This is kind of exciting. I've never realized they existed let alone seen an elf before."

Carlisle looked at his wife kindly, "I suppose it's possible. Another element of our supernatural world brought to life. But they are a bit taller than I would have guessed. Perhaps they are half-elf then?"

"What kind of things are you picking up from their thoughts Edward?" This from Rosalie.

"That is the really unusual thing. I pick all their thoughts up with great clarity. Usually with different species," He glanced at Jacob, "It comes easier with practice. These thoughts are like anyone's. And they are all very excited about the event we'll be attending tonight. Someone is excited about a new interactive scene recreation between the Federation and the Romulans—whatever that means." He shook his head once to clear it. "They aren't sure it will be Romulans though."

"Maybe they meant Romanians," I said smoothly. "Or if it is historical, perhaps even Romans. " I sighed. "Oh well, I don't really care. This is going to be great fun! I can just feel it! This has been the best birthday surprise ever!"

"You silly, it's your only birthday surprise ever!" Jasper said as he leaned in and kissed my forehead.

"What do you think the deal is with those strange aliens over there?" Emmett said as he pointed to three short humanoid persons who looked to be literally 'all ears' with their outer lobe extending across their forehead to meet together. Do you think they have extraordinary hearing or something?"

"I would hope so," Jacob said with a guffaw. "It wouldn't be much to make up for a face like that though."

Just then we were passed by a fast moving robotic looking man. He smelled human but he was encased in a grotesque suit of armor. We were all stunned as he zipped past us. "Is he an astronaut that has suffered some sort of space sickness?" I asked tentatively.

The astronaut/robot/man approached the stopped line ahead of him and said in a strange monotone voice, "Species 3259, you will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."

The robot man practically plowed down the group of elves who were waiting to purchase their tickets. Upon attack, the group yelled, "Help! Borg!"

"Resistance is futile." The strange machine man repeated. I frantically searched the future to see what would become of the enchanting elf creatures when they all started laughing?

"He just did that to cut line; A very logical explanation." One of the elves said to the rest.

"Yes indeed," A woman elf replied. "It was much better to advocate our previous line position than to try to attempt a mind meld on a menacing Borg.

In fact the strange man repeated his act to all of those who stood in line before him until he had been admitted at the top of the line. How strange.

As we entered the building, with still another thirty feet of strangely clad individuals in front of us, a banner stretched across the roof of the foyer. On it was a space ship and the words, "Welcome Trekkies of Seattle".

Comprehension dawned on Edward and Charlie's faces simultaneously. They were about to share their flash of insight with the rest of us when a very official looking man dressed in a maroon and black uniform of some kind stepped up to me from the side. His name tag read 'Commander Chakotay'. It took him a moment to catch his breath as he took us all in. Then as though shaking himself from a trance he focused on me.

"Good evening. Forgive me for being presumptuous, but are you Mary Alice Cullen?"

"Yes, but you can call me Alice." I responded. "This is my family." I added pointing to everyone else.

"Yes of course, I am Commander Chakotay. I'll be your Spirit Guide for this evening. I am here to welcome all of you to the Star Trek Convention this evening. First things first, let's get you out of this line. At his words, eight burly looking men who resembled trolls gathered up positions around us as though they were some sort of honor guard and we followed our guide away from the gawking crowds and the flashing camera bulbs as we boldly went where no Cullen had gone before.

*******

**[A/N: Well, we are half-way through the 'Surprise' Chapter. Hope you like it so far. It is a bit different. I came up with it as a way to surprise Alice last summer when the Star Trek movie came out.**

**I got Jacob's 'cure' off websites about the benefits of plants found in the Amazon Rainforest.**

**Also at the link to my picture stores found repeatedly in my Chapter Notes off my profile page, I have added pictures of the Cullens at the Star Trek Convention, and also a colloge of pics from Bella's truck turned into a rat rod and the scythe concept car I had Jacob and Rosalie make. :D]**


	63. Chapter 55 Part 3

**Chapter Fifty Three  
Surprise-Part III**

**Alice's POV**

As Commander Chakotay led us towards the double wooden doors where the convention was already underway, I reviewed in my mind the few times I had watched the show in the past. I didn't much care for the fashion of the uniform and so I'd lost interest quickly. Why was it now, as I looked around me at the myriad of fashion designs, that I found the entire concept of space uniforms strangely appealing? And was it stage make-up that gave our very human guards their troll-like appearance? If so, there might be an entire new avenue to explore for my talents. I was so lost in my own musings, as I took in those around me, that I only listened with a small part of my vampiric mind to the conversation that ensued between our host and Jacob Black and his pack brothers, Quil and Embry.

So, I see that you are fellow Native Americans. Which tribe are you from?" The Commander asked pleasantly.

"We're from the Quileute Reservation over on the coast." Jacob replied easily.

"Ahh, the people of the wolf." At Chakotay's words the three shape shifters perked up. They eyed the older Indian brightly.

"You know of our legends?" Embry asked.

"Absolutely, my own spirit guide is a grey wolf; a connection with my great-grandmother who was Quileute herself."

"Really?" The three of them shot back at once.

"According to my father, Kolopak, his grandmother was disinherited when her husband imprinted on another female. Our Apache Tribe was traveling north, following the buffalo that used to cover the land. We found her in Ute Territory about to be stoned. My great grandfather traded meat and blankets for her life. I am told they were very happy together. I only have childhood memories of them. They died many years ago." The Commander said matter-of-factly while the three Quileute's stood in shocked silence. We'd reached the doors and the frenzy that awaited us on the other side.

Chakotay changed gears and smiled at us while he said, "Welcome to 'Federation Headquarters'. We were each handed a badge to wear around our necks. Right inside of the gate was a large STORE!!!! What was so exciting about this Federation Headquarters was that I'd never purchased anything remotely like the products here. I could spend the rest of the evening in this 'first stop' and be very content! The prospect became even more appealing as I realized that there was any number of Star Fleet uniforms available for purchase. I eyed my party and immediately pulled out my credit card. I was a girl on a mission. By the time I was done with everyone, we would blend in and be inconspicuous. I was about to give us all Trekkie makeovers!

An hour later, Jasper and Carlisle dragged me away from Federation Headquarters muttering something about leaving things for the other guests. I was a little miffed.

"But I still haven't found anything that will fit the pack." Everyone else, including our Commander carried the spoils of my arrival at the store.

"Relax Alice," Jacob replied in a placating manner. "I have an idea." As he spoke his idea became clearer in my mind. He planned on becoming a Borg using left over pipes and car innards that were still in the trunk of his new Scythe. Beside him I saw Quil and Embry donning their new storm trooper costumes that were in the back of Charlie's Escalade; both cars in the parking lot. "You stay here and get everyone else presentable. I'll take care of myself and my boys." Jacob called as he took off at a run with Quil and Embry at his heels.

I was rather pleased with the effect. Good thing there were special make up kits to turn us into 'Vulcan's', not elves, as our Spirit Guide was kind enough to point out to us. In fact, Commander Chakotay was very kind to explain a great number of things to us. He walked us through a display tour entitled, 'The Beginnings of Star Trek' with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Carlisle, Esme, Edward and Jasper started having conversations about episodes they'd remembered watching. For not realizing what was going on in the parking lot, they seemed to recover their memories quite well. Sue just grinned from ear to ear caught up in nostalgia of her own.

After the tour of Star Trek History, Commander Chakotay changed tracks again. "I don't know how much you may have been told about tonight's entertainment, but we have an interactive scene we have set up to be performed semi-impromptu with some of our guests. We were hoping the eleven of you would be my Federation Crew and whenever they get back, your other guests," He waved his hand towards the back door where Jacob, Quil and Embry had recently departed, "We'd like to have them join with a few other 'well-known' Star Trek Character's to be the opposing forces."

Oh, this just got better and better. I acted everyday of course, but being able to perform on stage had always been a dream of mine. "Yeah!!!" I clapped my hands and tried to contain my bouncing but it was hard, especially when Nessie joined in. Bella moaned and put her head in her hands. "Oh come on, it will be fun Bella! You'll see."

"I'm not a good actress. I've been told that as a career path, acting was definitely out for me." She was remembering her human life of course.

"Oh, I don't know, I think it has improved as much as other aspects of your life." My reply was smug. "You had those two guys at the bookstore jumping all over themselves to help you find a book."

"What guys at the bookstore?" Edward had been listening more intently than I'd realized.

"Don't worry, they were harmless. But if you meet anyone who thinks you work for the CIA, you'll know you have your men." I returned my attention to Bella. "And let's not forget about Angela's wedding when you 'tripped' while you were dancing with Mike Newton. That was choreographed to perfection!"

We were led through another side door where our Spirit Guide was able to use his Top Security Entrance Card to gain all of us access. He left instructions that allowed our three missing companions entrance when they arrived.

He led us up the stairs that led to the stage. The curtain was closed. Behind it was a 'set' of the Starship Enterprise Bridge. It looked very nice. There was a large screen to the left that looked out more towards the front of the stage than it looked to face us. There were all kinds of lights flashing on the many consoles. I could tell they were all just props.

"Now, we are going to have you go and enjoy the convention when we are done here. At nine o'clock, we will have all Trekkies gather in the chairs beyond the curtain. We will begin our program with the curtains closed. What we will do when it is time, will be to introduce the celebrities that you will perform with. After which we will call you all up from the audience. When you arrive and we introduce you with your new designations, we will open the curtains and you will go to your stations. Our skit will proceed from there."

"Wait!" Charlie piped up. He seemed as nervous as Bella did even though Sue had a reassuring arm on his. Maybe stage fright ran in the family. "I estimate that there are over 850 people out there."

"Close," Commander Chakotay was amused. "Add another hundred."

Charlie paled. He licked his lips before stammering, "You can't just expect us to go out there and perform unrehearsed in front of all those people."

"Don't worry—I'm sorry I don't know your name yet." Our guide apologized.

"Charlie Swan." His voice was strangled.

"That's my dad. He's a police officer." Bella beamed.

"Hmmm," Chakotay seemed to consider. "Perhaps you'd make a great Chief of Security then. And about the rehearsal, it is meant to be semi-impromptu but we will meet with the rest of our crew and go through the basic plot." Commander Chakotay thought for another moment, as he stroked the bottom of his chin. Then he looked up at everyone and continued. "First let's go ahead and give everyone a role to play. It is often best to go with what works best for you. You get the idea. Charlie here is in law enforcement, I made him Chief of Security. According to his insignia marking he holds the rank of Lt. Commander but you will go by the name 'Mister Charlie'. You don't have an actual station on the bridge. But when it is time, you will enter the bridge through this door." Chakotay walked Charlie through his movement as he continued. And you will hover around this area here until hostiles enter the scene."

Charlie was in deep concentration trying to remember his role. He looked uncomfortable. Chakotay took that moment to acquaint himself with everyone's name before he continued.

"And who is the lovely young lady in my Commander Uniform?" Our guide asked before his eyes found Sue. Then he broke out in a big grin. "My First Officer." He walked her to a bench in the center of the room. "Now just to make sure we are clear here, for our performance, I will be Captain Chakotay and you will be Commander Sue." I wasn't sure what was up with Commander Sue but she had a smile on her face that just kept growing and growing. Then he surprised all of us by asking her, "Are you married?"

"Umm, yes actually, I am." Sue flushed. "as of a few weeks ago."

"Oh, well congratulations to you, but bad luck for me." Then he thought again. "Your husband isn't Quileute as well by any chance? Because if he is, perhaps he'll 'imprint' and I'll still get my chance."

Charlie's gruff voice took on a steely resolve coming from our 'Commander'. "Do I look Indian to you?"

"You are the lucky man too have married this beauty?" Charlie gave a stiff nod. His arms folded in front of him. He looked like a cop eyeing a suspect. Chakotay suddenly got the hint and moved our 'orientation' along.

"Next, is there a Doctor in the house?" Everyone stepped back leaving Carlisle standing by himself as though he'd just volunteered. "Perfect," Chakotay replied. "You will start out in a set that will be off stage on a portable stage to the left. That will be sick bay. When you leave there and come to the bridge, you will also do as Chief Charlie. You come in through this door and act like a Dr. attending to a medical emergency." Carlisle nodded. "Are you sure you're not a movie star already?" Our Spirit Guide asked his back.

In the end, we were all assigned to our roles and ranks. I was surprised that often the rank was related to whatever was on the uniform I had purchased for them. Here was a complete list of our Cast of Characters:

Captain: Captain Chakotay

First Officer: Commander Sue

Second Officer: Lt. Commander Emmett

Chief Communications Officer (and Chief Moral Officer and Diplomatic Advisor) Lt. Commander Alice (me!)

Chief Security Officer: Mister Charlie --rank: Senior Lt. Commander

Ships Counselor: Counselor Jasper--rank: Senior Lt. Commander

Ship's Medical Officer: Dr. Carlisle—rank: Commander

Chief Engineer: Mister Rosalie—rank: Junior Lieutenant

Science Officer: 'Nine of Ten' (Renesmee)—rank: Cadet

Chief Operations Officer: Mister Esme—rank: Senior Lt. Commander

Chief Conn Officer (Helmsman): Ensign Edward—rank: Ensign

Ship Navigations Officer and Historian: Lieutenant Bella—rank: Lt. Commander

Apparently, when I had put the cute little eye piece on Nessie it designated her as a 'recovered' Borg kidnapped victim of some kind, thus the strange name. Oh, and Edward was none too happy about his rank either.

We met a few more of our crew members as well. One was a very nice lady in a silver suit named Jeri Ryan. She would be working with Nessie as the Astrometrics Expert. We were to call her 7 of 9. She had an eye piece that matched Nessie's. For some reason Rosalie reacted to the actress in an unfriendly manner. Perhaps in response to Emmett's dazed look. She smacked him upside the head and that wiped the smile right off his face.

The second crew member we met was Robert Picardo. He would be limited to the sick bay area and acted as 'The Emergency Medical Hologram'. He went simply by 'Doctor'.

We were told that there would be other actors that would show up as a result of the actions of the last person that we met for our 'rehearsal'. This person was an actor named John de Lancie, who was charming until he went into character. And that character was simply called 'Q'. Then he became almost unbearable with his theatrics. I realized that it was a tactic I might employ successfully some time.

Apparently, we would be traveling through space when we would be caught in the tractor beam of a Borg Cube. Q would show up and decide we needed help. Then he would 'transport' different Star Trek characters through time to suddenly appear and 'help' us out. I foresaw no difficulties with this scenario playing out in my mind. So as long as no one made any last minute decisions we were be good to go.

With orientation under our belt, our friendly Spirit Guide ushered us back through the security door and left us to our own devices in the main hall with the rest of the 950 Trekkies of the greater Seattle area.

We mingled with the other attendees. I was fascinated by the wide array of characters both Federation and aliens that were depicted. There was an excitement among the Trekkies. The entire room seemed to buzz with the intensity of it. And I loved every minute. It was approaching nine and so the twelve of us headed for a few rows in the center of the auditorium. After I was seated Nessie asked, while craning her neck, if I'd 'seen' Jacob. I knew she didn't mean it in the regular way, so after shielding my lap from view, I opened my purse and she watched as I thought of Jacob and looked intently at the opaque rock. Quickly Jacob's face appeared shining out from the stone's edge. It seemed that he was still behind stage learning some 'techno tricks' for our performance. He had constructed himself a rather nifty looking robot, (excuse me) Borg, get up. I was pleased with his resourcefulness. That was when I realized he was on the opposing side in our mock battle. I could see behind him Embry and Quil in their Storm Trooper costumes arguing with someone. Then a stage hand came and got them and led them away.

"It looks like Jake and 'his boys' are going to be busy for a while. I don't think we'll be seeing him until it's show time!" I told her as I put the stone back into my purse.

"Bella, Alice!" I heard two male voices call from behind us. I recognized them at once, even as Bella and I looked at each other and grinned. Then we both looked between us, over our shoulders to see Pete and Matt from the bookstore approaching us from behind. Edward on the other side of Bella and Jasper on my other side both became slightly irritated in the same instant. They came and plopped themselves down in two empty chairs behind us. Pete was dressed in Star Fleet Uniform similar to what most of us wore. His shirt was red. I wondered if there was any significance to the color. If I'd picked it for him, I'd have gone with blue. Matt on the other hand; well, what could I say. Had he tried to make himself into a Klingon? I believe that is what he was tonight. He didn't look very scary to me though. He mostly looked ridiculous; almost as though he'd tried 'Do-it-Yourself brain surgery and left the pliers and cotton gauze inside just under the skin of his forehead. I wondered if I had time to repair his costume and make-up so he could at least look the part better. One look at my watch told me I didn't; at least not if I wished to remain inconspicuous.

"Well look Bella," I gushed. "If it isn't our friends from UW--Go Whitepaw's Spirit' I clapped and then raised my hand in the air like a cheerleader. Both of the boys and Bella stared at me along with everyone who was seated in the three rows behind and in front of us. Okay, maybe I had overdone it just a teensy bit.

"I think the correct phrase here is…" Pete said as he held up his right hand in front of him palm forward and split into a strange V between his third and fourth finger. "…Live long and prosper." This greeting was met by a handful of people repeating the gesture back from around our small group.

Okay, now that was really weird.

"Greetings Earthlings, Pete and Matt," I wondered how well Bella would do here. "We bring you salutations from our home planet of Krypton."

"Krypton is Superman's home planet Bella." I said quickly and silently at her side.

"Sorry I mean our home planet of Vulcan?" This correction was met with a nod of approval from the pair before Matt finally broke character.

"Uh, we didn't think we'd find you two here. You're Trekkies!!!!!" Matt said with the same level of enthusiasm I had exhibited with my 'team spirit'.

"And both Officers I see. That is extrordinary." Pete continued to stay in character as a Vulcan. "Very commendable. You do outrank me as I am a Lieutenant Junior rank." Pete then proceeded to stand at attention. For the first time it occurred to me that they were not kidding about their Star Trek personas.

"And exactly what are you Matt?" I asked our warrior friend.

"Bekk Matt, my house honor is at your service." He held a fisted hand out in front of himself before he brought it to his chest. I half expected him to start pounding it there like an ape. Then under his breath he explained, "Bekk stands for Warrior in the Klingon language." They had an entire language?

I felt a hand wrap around my waist. Jasper whispered low and quick in my ear. "Do tell Alice love, who are these scary monsters that have stolen your attention away from me?" His mood was playful. He had already sampled my feelings to know there was no real threat. AS IF ANYONE had a hope of turning my love away from my soul mate.

"Well boys, I should introduce you to my husband, Jasper." My sweetheart went to shake their hand, thank goodness it was gloved! But the pair stood at attention again.

They said in unison, "Pleasure to meet you Counselor Jasper"

Jasper seemed to catch on quicker to the situation. "At ease men," He said with authority with a nod of his head. "Would one of you mind explaining to me how it is that you knew of my position here?"

Pete raised his hand tentatively. "If I may, Sir? Your pin designates you as your ship's counselor. The three pips on your collar, two gold and one red, designate your rank as a Senior Lieutenant Commander, Sir."

"That was of course a test Lieutenant." Jasper replied smoothly. "And you passed with flying colors." Both students appeared to visibly relax.

Edward was speaking low and fast into Bella's ear it was a private conversation meant to be shared with just the vampires in the room. "Okay, so who exactly are this Pete and Matt? How do you know them? And why do I get flashes of a bookstore in my head over and over again? Oh, and one more thing. Why are they mortified Bella, that you are going to ask them to report on an assignment you gave them a few days ago?"

Pete and Matt's eyes widened in recognition as Bella turned to introduce them to Edward. They of course, had seen his picture the other day. They also believed Edward to be a CIA agent.

"Pete, Matt, I don't think I have had the pleasure of introducing either of you to my husband, Edward." Bella said cordially as she wrapped her arm around him and placed her huge wedding ring front and center by placing her left hand on over his heart.

It took them a moment of stunned silence before they shook themselves from staring at Bella and turned to look up at my brother Edward. He smirked at them. They suddenly turned to each other confused and started conversing in a language I'd never heard before—and that was really saying something. I had heard a great many languages.

Edward rolled his eyes as he took them in and then turned to the rest of us and explained loud enough to be overheard by the pair. "They want to know what the big deal is with me, since I am a lowly Ensign. They don't have to salute because they outrank me. They are wondering why I don't salute them."

The two turned back towards Edward this time in horror. "You can understand Vulcan?" Pete said shocked.

"…and Klingon?" Matt added incredulously.

Edward nodded. They may have been speaking in Vulcan and Klingon, but they were still thinking in English.

This time Pete and Matt conversed in English since apparently the 'lowly Ensign' could understand their Star Trek languages.

"Since when does an Ensign know so many languages?" Pete mused.

"That's nothing, did you see his pin? Since when is an Ensign the ship's Conn Officer? Dude, he's FLYING the ship!" Matt countered.

I wasn't sure if they believed we were actually flying in space in that moment or not. They'd taken everything else so seriously.

Pete suddenly went rigidly straight. A look of fear came over his Vulcan face before it was hid behind a mask of calm. Jasper cocked his head reading his tension. Then Pete looked down at Matt and hissed. "CIA—he's CIA. DO you know what this means?"

Comprehension dawned on Matt's face in an instant. "Starfleet Intelligence? He's undercover. Remember Pete? Bella told us this in a clue. Yes, she said 'there were spies everywhere'."

They both looked up at Edward with newfound respect. They saluted as Pete spoke in a formal Vulcan cadence, "We are ready to serve the Federation in any matter you may require our assistance Ensign Edward."

"Yes," Matt gushed practically falling over himself. "Ensign Edward, we're your men."

Edward hid the threatening grin well. It only showed through the corners of his eyes. The rest of his face was carefully masked into seriousness. "That's good to know men. Bella, you picked some trustworthy allies for us—good work." Then back to the students he added, giving the Vulcan greeting sign, "I'll give you a sign if I need your assistance."

Pete and Matt seemed to be completely euphoric with the thought of a clandestine operation for which they might take part. They were just getting ready to sit down and eyed everyone in the room with wary interest when Edward turned back to them and added, "Now men, my wife gave you both an assignment the other day." He added under his breath in double time for our benefit, "I have no idea what it was, but…" Then he continued loudly to the pair who were now cringing. "Please report on how that is going."

Poor Pete and Matt. Their confidence from moments before was gone, replaced by an awkward gait born of lack of confidence. She shuffled their feet nervously unsure of their next words. Edward must have pieced together the assignment from their heads.

"Have you even started your assignment men?" Edward asked in a kinder tone. They both shook their heads, which were still on the floor.

"We may need some more time on that one, Sir." Pete mumbled to the floor.

"Sorry Bella." Matt stammered.

"Guys! Come on, you're making me look bad here." Bella hissed. "What did I tell you?" They looked up at her blankly—lost momentarily in her golden topaz eyes before realizing that they didn't remember exactly what she'd said. They finally shrugged their shoulders. "I said to find a girl who shared your interests."

"Umm, well see, that is sort of the problem." Matt piped up slowly. "We don't have any interests. Well none that girls would like."

"Yes, we're kind of boring." Pete said backing up Matt's claim.

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. You guys are very interesting and smart and you are definitely FULL of surprises." Bella shot back in a way that had Edward raise his eyebrows a fraction of an inch and made Matt and Pete both stand a little taller.

"I can think of something you have in common with some girls." I added with my mischievous grin. I saw what was coming their way in 3…2…1…

"Okay, I'll make it easy for you. Do you recognize any co-eds here tonight?" Bella said taking charge of the situation.

"Sure."

"Do you have classes with any of them?"

"Yes," They said together.

"Have you ever talked to them?"

Silence.

"Why? Do you not want to talk to them?" Bella challenged. When they didn't respond but became more sullen, she continued on. "Oh, right, you're to 'boring' for them. SO to save yourself the possibility of rejection, you take away their chance to prove you wrong."

Bella glanced once around the room. "We'll have to be quick. Alice how can the four of us appear less conspicuous? So that we can let the attention focus on Pete and Matt?"

"I know just what you have in mind and here they are." I reached into my bag and held out four pairs of strange visors. I felt a need to buy them, but didn't know why until now. They would cover our eyes enough to keep our beauty level down a bit.

"Oh Sweet! Geordi La Forge Visor's" Matt enthused.

"Well, when we're done we will give them to the four of you as souvenirs."

"There is only the two of us," Pete corrected.

"We'll see," I replied confidently as I donned my new eyewear. I hated it. Who would design such a device that narrowed your vision to slits was beyond me. After having the others reserve our seats we started out in the direction our students led us. They nervously walked up to a large group of students all dressed in an assortment of colors. Some of the others recognized Matt and Pete and high fived them. They gave us a wary glance. Matt and Pete made introductions for us and we chatted for a moment.

During this time, Edward read the minds of the girls in the group as Pete and Matt spoke. Jasper read their emotional reaction to the guys. They also read Pete and Matt's emotional and mental reaction to the women in the cluster of students. Edward had a silent conversation with Jasper in his mind. It lasted five seconds.

Then Edward straightened his shoulders and turned to Pete, our resident Vulcan. He said, "Pete, didn't you have something you wanted to ask Rebecca?"

Pete looked as though he'd just died on the spot. The co-ed with straight brown hair and sporting Vulcan ears smiled brightly back at him. He still didn't speak. I whispered in his ear. "About sitting with us for the show."

"Oh," Pete said loudly and then gulped. His heart was pounding double time. He couldn't speak coherently.

"Think Vulcan Pete." I told him confidently. I eyed Jasper meaningfully and a flood of calm came over the poor boy. It really improved his delivery.

"Yes, Rebecca It would please me very much of you would sit with my friends and myself for the show." He smiled back at her.

She gladly walked in a dignified Vulcan manner towards him but her excitement was barely contained. "Yes, it would appear that you have good seats and as we are from the same planet it is the logical thing to do. Such an arrangement would be advantageous to me as well.

"One down and still one to go," I murmured soft and low under my breath. I wished I'd taken a moment to try to do something about Matt's presentation. His hair and makeup looked hideous. He looked –so—so KLINGON!

"Uh Matt, we don't have all night here." Edward prompted him. Matt looked at him with undisguised panic. Edward continued. "Remember? You had something to ask Amanda?"

Amanda? That one surprised me. Where Matt had tried and failed to look like a warrior, Amanda had succeeded. Where Matt tried to be confident--Amanda actually was. Where Matt's costume made him look like a kid going trick or treating, Amanda looked like Zena Princess Warrior.

If that wasn't shocking enough, Amanda walked towards Matt with a sway of her hips and started speaking in what I had to guess was the guttural language of the Klingons. Luckily Matt would not have to say anything. I wasn't sure if he could. Amanda grabbed him by his metal sash and led him away from the circle of friends before suddenly turning to the rest of us as we followed smiling and shaking our heads. "Where are we going?" She asked confidently. Both of these girls had a flair for theatrics it seemed.

The lights started to dim just as we reclaimed our seats and Rebecca, Pete, Matt and Amanda sat behind us We heard Matt whisper to Pete. "What a woman!!!!"

Pete whispered back, "Speak for yourself. I've got a hottie too!"

*******

[A/N: So perhaps I have made the Cullens (at least some of them) not 'current' on Star Trek protocol, but this narrative is from Alice's POV, and I made it not be an interest of her in the past. The last part of this chapter will involve the 'show'. I have never actually been to a Star Trek convention and so I 'vamped' it up a bit with the show. I did find out that the company that puts on the Star Trek Conventions ALSO puts out the Twilight Conventions!]


	64. Chapter 55 Part 4

**Chapter Fifty Five  
Surprise-Part IV**

**Alice's POV**

The entertainment was interesting. Someone read us a Vulcan poem while a lyre was played in the background. There was a 'battle match' between two Klingons and two Romulans. There were three green women that did a strange belly dance. It seemed strangely out of place with the rest of the program. Finally, the Master of Ceremonies, who had introduced himself to us at the beginning of the program as 'Vice-Admiral Maxwell Forrest', announced that we were going on an adventure to explore strange new ploys and boldly go where no Star Trek Convention had ever gone before. He then explained about the pilot interactive scene recreation that was about to spontaneously occur. This was our cue. He then announced that it was my birthday and had me come on stage to cheers. Matt and Pete started whistling, their 'new special friends' joined in and then Jasper followed suit which got the entire family started. It was practically a frenzy of sound behind me as I made my way on stage and towards the leader of the fleet.

After a short introduction, Vice-Admiral Forrest led the entire room in singing, 'Happy Birthday'. I had no idea the sounds of close to a thousand people singing to me could be so exciting. It reverberated off the walls and vibrated the stage under my feet, leaving me so buzzed that it only heightened my thrill for my upcoming performance. In short order, The Admiral asked that our entire group come up for the 'simulation'. I was surprised again when Pete and Matt lead Rebecca and Amanda up with us. Apparently they were 'with our group'. I honestly was at a loss. I had NOT seen that one coming! Of course, I had not thought to look either.

The Admiral went through all of our introductions and announced he was putting together a new starship crew. We would 'man' the USS Prestige. He had the crowd laughing with his personable style as he introduced us, asked about our background and assigned us to our duty station. He was an excellent actor. I didn't think anyone suspected we had been pre-selected. Then he got to our four 'stow-aways'. His hesitation was so brief that to a human it would have been unnoticeable.

"What is your names my Vulcan friends?" The Admiral asked.

"I'm Pete and this is Rebecca." He sounded pretty psyched. Of course Jasper was standing right behind him too.

"And how about our Klingon and human warriors?"

"I'm Amanda and this is my friend Matt." No need to wonder who would be wearing the pants in that relationship. Still I had a feeling they would be very happy together. And my feelings were always pretty spot on.

In the end, because Rebecca was studying 'pre-med' she became Carlisle's nurse--or 'medic'. Pete as a Physics major became Nessie's section chief over the warp calculations. No surprise that from their costume choice, both Matt and Amanda were placed as Charlie's 'security detail'.

"Dr. Carlisle, if you and your medic, Ensign Rebecca would please report to Sick Bay. It is located on deck Five." The stage area to the right lit up and Carlisle and Rebecca left the stage and walked (human speed) quickly to the portable stage that had been made to resemble what I supposed a space ship hospital would resemble. When they entered the 'set', a man appeared with an electronic sound. He was dressed similarly to Sue's costume but his had blue accents. He was middle aged and had a receding hairline.

"Please state the nature of your medical emergency." The man said in a strangely robotic voice.

The crowd erupted into cheers again. We had met this man earlier this evening as well. His name was Robert Picardo.

"I'm Dr. Carlisle Chief Medical Officer assigned to this ship, the USS Prestige, and this is my medic Ensign Rebecca." Carlisle was taken aback. Well, at least he played as though he were. Rebecca was genuinely startled.

"It is about time! I was afraid my gig here would never end." His tone was rude almost cranky. "Wait, what ship did you say this was?" His tone became distressed.

"USS Prestige Doctor. If you are ready to be relieved I will be happy to oblige you. 'Computer, terminate the Emergency Holographic program.' There was a sound of electronic noises and then nothing happened.

"Why am I not on Voyager? Why didn't my program end? How did I get here?" Robert (the Doctor) whined.

"No time to have an identity crisis now Doctor, we have to prepare sick bay for our maiden voyage. Perhaps if you'll be sticking around you can give us a hand." Carlisle replied as the three of them set about their 'tasks' and the lights dimmed on their scene.

"Now, there are still a few crew members missing. So if you will join me in welcoming Jeri Ryan…" at the mention of the blonde's name the crowd started hollering and wolf whistling. "7 of 9, Ladies and Gentlemen; welcome to the crew of the USS Prestige. You will be working under our new Science Officer."

Rosalie walked up behind me and said low and quick, "Before we leave here today, please get me a uniform like hers."

"No problem Sis. And don't worry, she's pretty and sexy for a human, but she seemed a little intimidated by you."

While we held a private conversation, Admiral Forrester led Jeri towards Renesmee. The tall woman wore a similar eye piece over her left eye. "What is your designation?" She asked her in a clear businesslike manner.

"I am 9 of 10" Nessie said smiling.

Jeri turned to the admiral and said insulted, "I am to take orders from a child now?" She played her character very well. This part had actually been rehearsed.

Admiral Forrest's voice was stern. "She is your superior officer. And she is much more than she would appear."

Jeri appraised Renesmee with interest. "You are NOT human? You are something much, much more. What species were you from before your assimilation?"

Renesmee looked directly at the audience and with a mischievous grin said loud and clear, "I was Q."

From the gasps heard throughout the auditorium, I took it that this had some strange significance.

"How did…" Jeri played 'shocked' very well indeed. "Forgive me Cadet 9 of 10. Of course you outrank me. I will show you to Astrometrics now if you would like. It is on Deck 8. Follow me."

She led Renesmee and Pete off the stage and to the left where a second portable stage had been set up to resemble an electronic room of sorts with star charts and computer graphics.

After a few minutes of Jeri going through the motions of showing Nessie and Pete how to work the computers in the lab the scene darkened.

"Well it looks as though we have a position for everyone." The Admiral rubbed his hands together. The crowd went crazy. He was working them up into a frenzy. "What was that?" You could almost make out the cries of the crowd as they answered him. "Oh, I do believe you are right. I have forgotten the most important spot there is: The Captain." He snapped his fingers and said, "I know just the man. Recently back from a seven year adventure through the uncharted space of the Alpha Quadrant. And recently promoted to Captain, may I present to you Captain Chakotay."

At his words Chakotay came on stage and the crowd positively went wild. They rose to their feet in tribute to the man and for half a second, I believed he must've been a decorated space ship veteran.

"Thank you Admiral, I accept your commission and will now take my new crew out on this the maiden voyage of the star ship: USS Prestige.

The Admiral shook his hand and left the stage area.

Immediately Captain Chakotay issued orders to those around him. "Let's see how this bird can fly. Everyone to your stations; whenever you are ready Ensign Edward take us out at one half impulse. Lieutenant Bella set a course: 110, mark 14."

Bella punched in some numbers and in response the computers on the walls around the room began to light up as though she'd punched into some gigantic GPS Navigational System that would tell them every turn and stretch towards our destination. Edward sitting beside her at the Conn, then started pushing some buttons of his own and in response four huge screens along the sides of the auditorium showed the scenes of a space dock from an unseen vantage point that was pulling away from it. This would be us, of course. I was impressed with the level of detail they had put into this presentation.

After a minute and ten seconds Edward said, "Leaving Headquarters Jupiter Space Station."

"Very nicely done Ensign Edward, Engineering, are we ready for departure?" Chakotay asked Rosalie who was off to the side typing away.

"Aye Captain." Rosalie replied.

Chakotay nodded his head in approval. "Very good then. Let's take her out! Engage!"

"Aye Aye Sir," Edward responded as he pushed a few more buttons and a hum began from behind the stage. Then suddenly all four screens that had shown the space station getting smaller and smaller behind us was filled with stars and they suddenly turned into a blur of white lines that reached a pin point. I felt oddly as though I were travelling through it. I remembered seeing a computer screen doing this on screen saver mode once.

"Captain," Carlisle's voice sounded into the stage though he still spoke from the sick bay area. The lights came up briefly.

"Yes Doctor Carlisle."

"I wanted to report that the Emergency Medical Hologram unit is here and somewhat confused. He said he belongs on Voyager and we cannot seem to shut him down."

"I hear you Doctor. I'll send down our Chief Engineer, Lt. Rosalie." He made a motion to her on the bridge and she went off the stage towards the sick bay area. As she left the main stage area, the doctor hearing Chakotay's voice spoke up.

"Commander Chakotay, is that you? Please you must help me out here? Why aren't we on Voyager?"

"Voyager's been home for three years Doctor and you needed an assignment. However as you can see, you are not working alone this time. So Engineering is on its way to find out what is wrong; probably just a glitch in the new system."

"Wait Captain, did you say 'glitch'?"

Rosalie walked into sick bay and Carlisle pointed out the computer area that housed the Doctors program.

"Hello, I must say you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Are you human or something more? Let me run a scan of you. Perhaps we could meet later. I could give you a check-up."

"Actually Doctor, I'm here to give you the check-up." Rosalie said rather briskly.

The Doctor's voice took on a sullen tone. "Now you sound more like Belanna Torres; must be an engineering thing."

Rosalie touched her COMM badge and said, "Lieutenant Rosalie to Lieutenant Commander Emmett come in please."

"This is Lieutenant Commander Emmett, What do you need Rose…"He shook head and grinned sheepishly. "Uh, that is Lieutenant Rosalie."

"Sir, did you touch any buttons on your control panel?" She accused.

"I touched a lot of buttons Lieutenant. Why?"

"Do you remember the ones you punched?" She became exasperated. Everyone thought she was acting extraordinarily well. Little did they know that married to Emmett, she often affected this tone.

"All of them; some of them even more than once. Why?" Emmett's delivery was innocent.

"You may have just broken the entire holographic interface." She hissed at him.

Emmett looked around the bridge as though making sure everyone attending to their duties seemed unaware of his blunder. "Oops" He mouthed clear enough to send the audience rolling in their seats. Then to Rosalie he said urgently, "Okay, you are the best engineer I know, fix it and whatever you do, DON'T tell Captain Chakotay."

The lights dimmed and the stars seemed to twinkle back into existence from the four surrounding screens.

"Sir," Bella said urgently. "Our coordinates don't match the heading we set."

Emmett pretended to bite down on his fingers as though worried it was his button punching that had landed us lost in space. The crowd laughed again. Emmett was eating it up.

"Where are we?" Captain Chakotay said. "Astrometrics?" The lights came up showing Nessie, Pete and 7 of 9 at the controls plotting where our path had led us.

"Sir, we have passed our destination." Nessie said matter-of-factly. "We have entered the Neutral Zone."

"The Neutral Zone?" Our fearless Captain replied.

Ominous music started to play softly behind us. Wow, it was like living in the movies.

Sue was smiling happily. I noticed out of the corner of my eye Edward smiled back at her for one second as though they shared a secret. He caught my eye and in our quiet quick vampire speech explained to me, "Sue has apparently been a closet Trekker since she was a little girl. This is a dream come true for her."

Oh, the background music was my cue. "Sir, we are being hailed."

"Captain, there are two Romulan war ships dropping out of warp to our left." Esme said from her seat to the left back panel where buttons were lit up like crazy. There were more electronic beeping sounds and the background music continued but now in a minor key."

"On screen," Captain Chakotay commanded. The four screens around the room were filled with a foul looking man who demanded to know why we were breaking the treaty.

"My apologies, Commander. We had a malfunction with our navigations system. We will leave your space immediately." This from our fearless Captain.

"Sir," Emmett piped up. "There is a Borg cube approaching this location from the south and will arrive in five seconds."

The Romulan from the screen spoke again. "Accident? How can I believe your arrival to be an accident when you have brought the Borg along to ambush us!"

"Captain, the Romulans are preparing to fire." Esme called.

"Raise shields" Chakotay commanded quickly.

There were two great arcs that came through the tops of the audience and broke across the front of the stage.

"Shields are down to 50% and holding." Esme informed us.

"Prepare two proton torpedoes one for each target on my mark. (short pause) Fire! Fire!" There were bright red flashes to the sides of the auditorium with another noise I presumed to be the sound a proton torpedo would make.

Emmett told us of our status. "Sir, the first one was a hit; the second one a miss. And they are arming phasers again."

"Hold on everyone." This time there was smoke in the cockpit.

Oh, my cue again. "Sir, we have another incoming audio message."

"Let's hear it."

"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile. We are the Borg…"

"Cut it off." Chakotay said as the sound I pretended to control, stopped. "Great. Ideas anyone?"

"Commander!" This was a high sounding voice that was coming from the Holographic doctor. "I don't know if you're having a party up there or what, but the engineer was working on me and she suddenly left. Her bedside manner leaves a lot to be desired." Emmett chuckled under his breath.

"He has no idea!" Emmett said with a smirk. The audience laughed again. Emmett was hamming things up for the crowd.

"Stay professional Lieutenant," Esme reminded him.

"Doctor, you'll just have to make do for now. We are under attack and the Engineer had to leave to make repairs to our warp core." Then Chakotay addressed Carlisle.

"Dr. Carlisle if you are there, prepare sick bay. There may be wounded coming your way soon."

"Yes, Captain." The area of sick bay dimmed again.

"Sir, the undamaged Romulan warship has left the area. The damaged one is caught in a tractor beam emanating from the Borg cube." Emmett said as we all watched the four screens around us show a space craft being pulled to a strange block with green effects throughout it. "That cube is going to make things 'dicey'." Poor Emmett; he waited for the crowd to laugh at his pun but sadly—nothing.

"Well, well, well, Captain Chakotay, what WILL you do?" This was the other actor we had met earlier. His name was John de Lancie, though his character was mainly known simply as 'Q' in the series. He had quietly entered and walked towards the center of the bridge.

"Q, why am I not surprised to find you here?" Captain Chakotay retorted. "We're in a bit of a mess now so if you would mind leaving the same way you arrived, I'd really appreciate it."

Q turned to Sue on the bench where she sat as second in command. "Hello Sweetheart." He said as he eyed her up and down.

Sue was smiling happily. There was something about her smile that told me she was truly enjoying herself and interacting with the characters she'd watched on TV. She looked over to Q sitting next to her and said. "It is very nice to meet you Q; even if you throw a wrench in everything."

"You're out of line Mr. Q." Captain Chakotay barked. Of course he had been himself, a little earlier. "Commander Sue is My First Executive Officer and also the wife of my Head of Security. I doubt she has time to put up with the likes of you."

"Oh," Q said coyly. "Sounds like you're a little over worked at present. Perhaps some extra hands would be of use to you." He turned to Sue and said under his breath, "I'll speak with you later."

Before Chakotay could reply, Q snapped his fingers and security alarms went off throughout the ship.

Charlie spoke up then. "There are intruder alerts on decks 2 and 5. I will lead a security detail to detain the hostiles.

"Code Yellow," Sue announced and the lights changed in the bridge area. We all typed more furiously as though we were at a heightened sense of alert status.

Q snapped his finger again and there was a puff of smoke. The humans in the audience would see a new person sitting at the CON with Edward and Bella. For all of us behind the scenes, we didn't need our vampire sight to see that new arrival had lifted himself out of a trap door in the floor of the stage that sat behind the CONN console. As soon as the dust cleared and everyone saw the older Asian man, they began to cheer even louder than before. He looked as though he were trying to get his bearings with the CON that was unfamiliar to him. Finally as the cheers died down, he looked around himself.

"Where in the devil am I" He demanded. He looked at Edward and then at Bella. "You appear to have the Starfleet insignia, but your ship uses unknown technology to me." Then he looked out into space and pointed to the Borg cube and the Romulan Warship that was nearly pulled into the ship now as though it were digesting it whole. "And what in the blazes is that?"

"What is your name and rank Sir?" Chakotay requested.

The man turned around, seeing the Captain for the first time. He also appeared to realize his rank. "Lieutenant Commander Sulu Sir."

"Well, Mister Sulu, I don't know how familiar you are with the Q and the 'space, time continuum but you have been abducted by a Q who is a galactic gadfly that we'd all like to swat right now."

Charlie left with Matt and Amanda. They went first to the beginning of the stage. There, coming out of the curtained area of stage right, two young men appeared, looking unsure of where they were. Charlie and his 'security detail' stopped them with their drawn phasers. As the two came out into clearer view, the crowd went wild. I knew these guys immediately. I had just seen them act in the newest Star Trek movie about four months ago. They were Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. They'd come to recreate their roles as the younger Kirk and Spock at the beginning of their Star Trek careers. As I thought about that movie I was surprised I hadn't put this whole deal together sooner. Then again, I had been preoccupied getting a 'feel' for the fashion implications of our characters.

Upon seeing Charlie, Zachary Quinto spoke up. "Sir, if you would kindly tell us where to report for duty."

Charlie gave them an exasperated look. Clearly he didn't like the 'impromptu' aspect of our performance. It was also clear he hadn't seen the movie this summer. Huh, Charlie didn't really get out very much. "Well, follow the elevator to the first floor and report to Captain Chakotay."

"Captain Chakotay?" the young Kirk asked Charlie before murmuring to his fellows.

"Is there a problem with my instructions gentlemen?" Charlie sounded just like a cop.

"No Sir," Again it was Kirk Junior who spoke. "It's just that we were told to report to Captain Riker." That was another surprise. Two new actors and an unknown plot twist.

"Did we board the wrong ship?" Kirk asked Spock.

Then Spock spoke up, "This is the USS Prestige isn't it?"

"Yes, and our captain is Captain Chakotay. I don't know who this Riker is that you are talking about. If you have orders from Star Fleet then you are late reporting in. You'd better get up to the bridge. I have to check out intruders." The two newcomers went up the stairs and waited at the side of the bridge. Charlie and his detail went into the Sick Bay where they were trying to incapacitate a very white looking star fleet officer that spoke like a male automated answering machine voice.

"Stay where you are." Charlie said and the man put his arms very slowly into the air. Then he turned to face the audience and they went wild again. "Who are you and what are you doing on the USS Prestige?"

"I am Commander Data and I have no idea what I am doing on the USS Prestige, but if you would direct me to Captain Riker, we can get to the bottom of this." He sounded calm and reasonable.

"There is that name again. Why do you think that this man, Riker is even on board? Our Captain is Commander Chakotay."

"Chakotay? Voyagers First Officer? He was waiting for a ruling from Star Fleet to clear him from new charges of fraternizing with the Maquis." Data said brimming with information.

Charlie thought for a moment and then spoke to no one in particular. "Computer, is there a Commander Riker on board?"

"Affirmative, Commander Will T. Riker is aboard and his current location is in Jefferies Tube above Engineering."

Charlie looked at Data for a moment longer. Then he looked at his two officers and finally turned to them and said, "We may have unwittingly helped in a hostile takeover of a Starfleet vessel. We need to find this Riker and hear what he has to say." The three of them went off stage for a few moments; then Charlie's voice was heard from a speaker in Sick Bay.

"Doctor Carlisle, I am beaming an injured man directly to sick bay. He may or may not be the actual Captain of the ship."

"Understood Mister Charlie," Carlisle said and there was a hum of electrical sounds as another man, this one with dark hair and a rugged beard seemed to materialize onto one of the cots. Not bad special effects. Carlisle immediately began assessing his condition while Rebecca looked on, holding a contraption out to him.

"What do they teach you Doctors at Star Fleet Academy these days?" The Doctor said as he took the contraption away from Rebecca and began 'scanning' the new man's body with it. "You see, nothing to it. The medical tri-corder tells you everything you need to know to diagnose a patient."

"That is amazing. Especially when I consider how many years I have been studying medicine. To think how far technology has come. Why I'm practically obsolete." If they had any idea!

"Nonsense, Doctor Carlisle. Someone has to administer the hypo spray." He said as he held up a small instrument and gave it to Carlisle.

Carlisle looked the device over in confusion.

Rebecca saw his hesitation and added, "In the neck." Then Carlisle held the device directly to the new man's jugular vein and the device seemed to come to life. There was a whish of air sound effect that came from it.

"There see? He's all better now." The Doctor said. "Hello, do you know who you are?"

The man sat up on the bed holding his head. The crowd got their first real look at him. They exploded again in cheers. "Yes, I am Commander Riker, Captain of the USS Prestige. I was walking the halls this morning before the crew arrived and someone hit me on the head and everything went black."

"Computer, who is the Captain of this ship?" Carlisle asked.

"Answer: The Captain of the USS Prestige is Commander William T. Riker."

"Mister Charlie, please come to the Sick Bay and bring your team. We have a problem." Carlisle said into his comm badge.

Charlie's voice was heard off-stage. "On our way."

The Sick Bay area darkened.

We were back up. The two newcomers were just entering the bridge. Chakotay rose to meet them.

"Commander Sir, Ensign Kirk reporting for duty." The young Kirk stood at attention.

"Commander Sir, Lieutenant Spock reporting for duty. Sorry about the delay, we were detained below decks."

"Well, we are so glad you could join us gentlemen. Mister Spock, perhaps you could give me your opinions on what to do with this rather impressive Borg Cube coming after us."

"The logical solution would be to take evasive action while the Borg's attention is otherwise engaged." Spock said calmly.

My turn!!!! "Captain we have another audio message from the Borg cube." I pushed a few more buttons and a message sounded throughout the stage.

"Prepare to be boarded. Resistance is futile."

"Code Red," Sue commanded. "Battle stations everyone."

"Ensign Edward, get us out of here—Light speed! Mister Bella take us to this heading: 2343"

The screens on the four sides of the room had their stars turn into a tunnel again and we are whizzing away from the Borg Cube. In seconds it was completely lostfrom view.

However, as we began our 'jump', Jacob practically materialized on the Brig. His two storm troopers flanked him from behind. This was done with a strobe light as they came into view.

"We are the Borg. Species 5618. Prepare for assimilation."

There was a murmur from the audience. It appeared to be over Quil and Embry's storm trooper costumes. I thought they looked nice. And they were covered from head to toe; a nice change from their usual shorts and nothing else.

Q smirked and spoke to the Borg. "Looks like you went to the wrong convention when you assimilated those two." He pointed towards Quil and Embry.

Jacob tuned to him. "You are not human you are species 7100 the Q. We require you to explain what you mean by wrong convention."

"Oh why not," Q said throwing his hands into the air. "You believe you are so superior to others; that you are more worthy to live than they as distinct individuals. That they can only exists with you and your agenda. For all of the vast knowledge you have assimilated, you can't even get the Star Trek universe right. Your fellows are storm troopers from Star Wars. Maybe you should leave us alone and go hunt down the 'Death Star' next."

Q was met with an applause from the attendees in the audience.

Jacob didn't miss a beat. "Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Then with your knowledge we will locate this 'Death Star' and assimilate its species as well.

"Yes, well I am Q so good luck with that. In fact, 'may the force be with you'. Besides, I believe you are the one who is far away from the collective now. Perhaps it is time for you to be re-assimilated back into your own species. Borg!" He scoffed.

The lights came up in Astrometrics. Nessie saw that their projected course would put them into another adverse location. She mentioned this to 7 of 9 and Pete. Pete said that was not good. Jeri said there must be another glitch with the computer.

Renesmee hit her Comm badge. "Mom!" She yelled into space. Of course her mother heard her just fine but she had to pretend that she didn't hear it to stay in character. The audience ate it up. "I mean Mister Bella, this is 9 of 10, requesting a private conversation."

Bella looked around as though trying to figure out how to make her conversation at least appear private. All this while Jacob and his storm troopers were trying to be detained from destroying the ships controls and computer as they tried to assimilate Q. She took her pin off and put it close to her ear. "Okay 9 of 10, let me hear it."

"Those coordinates you gave the computer will put us into Maquis Territory."

"Okay," Bella looked around searching for some hidden meaning. Edward leaned over to her and whispered in her ear. Then Bella said into her Comm badge again. "Is that the same group of people Captain Chakotay has had dealings with? The ones that opposed the Federation?"

"Yes! So, Mr. Bella, who gave you those coordinates?" Nessie hissed.

"Captain Chakotay did himself." Bella said slowly turning her head to stare at the Captain, as he tried half heartedly to remove the Borg from Q, who seemed strangely unable to escape the Borg. Perhaps Jacob had a really good grip on him.

Back in Astrometrics, 7 of 9 tried to tackle Nessie from behind. Nessie didn't even turn in her direction. She merely stepped back from her position, took Jeri's arm from where she'd placed it on Nessie's shoulder and threw her over her head and landed her on the floor under her foot. Jeri was stunned. I believed that was literally too. Pete was amazed. At least Jeri didn't appear to have sustained any actual injury.

While this scuffle went on, Bella called to Sue to leave the fight and come over to hear through her Comm badge.

"Why have you tried to attack me? Are you still Borg then?" Nessie demanded.

"I am no longer Borg. I am loyal to my husband. Things are not what you think." 7 of 9 yelled.

"Who is your husband?" Nessie demanded.

"Captain Chakotay." She rasped out.

"How did you do that?" Pete's face showed his disbelief at Nessie's strength.

"Did you forget? I am Q." Nessie responded simply.

The two of them returned to the bridge with 7 of 9 in front of them as a prisoner.

While they approached the stage, Sue was a woman on a mission. She got on her own Comm badge and spoke with Charlie. He told her about Commander Riker. She then nodded and individually whispered in the ears of Bella, Edward, Emmett and finally me. Of course I already knew what she would say. It was time for a mutiny of sorts. Not because we were rebelling but because our commander was an imposter.

As Nessie, Pete and 7 of 9 approached the Bridge, Charlie, Rebecca, Carlisle, Matt and Amanda moved out of Sick Bay to approach the Bridge.

"Please turn off the computer before you leave sick bay." The Doctor was exasperated. "Hello, please come back and turn off the Emergency Medical Hologram. Anybody?"

Sue then took out her own phaser and pointed it at Captain Chakotay. "Captain Chakotay, By order of Starfleet regulation 89347-90, I place you under arrest and take temporary command of this ship."

"What?" Captain Chakotay sputtered. "By what authority? I am of sound mind."

"Oh, now this is really getting interesting." Q said as he tried to back hand Jacob unsuccessfully. "Please though, can't you wait until I can sit down and enjoy it with a bowl of popcorn? I just love a woman who can take charge."

Sue ignored Q. "Sound mind? That only strengthens the case against you. If you are of sound mind, then the penalty for impersonating an officer, confiscating a Federation Star ship and deceiving the crew is pretty clear cut."

The Astrometrics Group arrived then. Chakotay gasped as 7 of 9 came in trailed by an apparent 8 year old. Pete trailed behind them. I chuckled as I imagined what they would have thought if they knew Nessie was really only two.

The storm troopers immediately attacked 7 of 9. They might have been playing a part, but they weren't about to even try to touch Nessie. They valued their lives too much for that!

Then Charlie's group arrived from Sick Bay and upon seeing Riker, Sue grinned from ear to ear as she relinquished command to him. Commander Riker assumed his rightful place as Captain. He ordered a shield modulation for their phasers. Data complied moving at vampiric speeds at the console before everyone's phasers that Riker had ordered set to stun started finally breaking through the Borg's shields.

They were quickly felled. Riker ordered them behind a level five force field. Then he had 7 of 9 and Commander Chakotay taken prisoner as well and put into the Brig. He fixed Q with a stare and asked that he leave. He refused. Nessie went over to him and picked him up bodily and told him he'd better listen and show better manners whenever he spoke to a Star Fleet Commander. Edward and Emmett came over immediately to make it look as though they were all carrying the man. Nessie took him towards the elevator and snapped her fingers. Q disappeared.

"How in the world did you do that?" Commander Riker asked.

Nessie shrugged her shoulders. "I am Q too."

"Captain, we are being pursued from our last location in the Neutral Zone." The music started again--quick and fast. It would make great music to play behind me as I shopped.

"Is it the Borg Cube?" Riker asked.

"No," Bella said typing away on a useless keyboard. "Sir, it is the first Romulan Vessel."

"Romulans?"

"Yes, and we are arriving at our pre-set destination from coordinates given by Captain Chakotay. We are entering Maquis space."

We pulled out of warp, the screens that surrounded us showed all stars and a Marquee ship waiting for us.

"Captain, we are being hailed." I told him. "It is the Captain of the Maquis Vessel and he is requesting to speak to Captain Chakotay."

"Let him eat static." Riker said and then he turned to Bella. "Lieutenant set in a course for Star Fleet Space Jupiter Station immediately." Next he turned to Edward. "Get us out of here best possible speed.

"Aye Sir," Edward complied as the engine sounded and the four screens showed us moving into 'light speed' mode again.

"Return to Code Yellow." Sue said. Then she turned towards me and added, "Send a message to Star Fleet Command informing them of what has occurred and what we bring with us. If we are lucky the fleet will meet us and our stalking Romulans. Maybe even the Maquis ship if they pursue as well.

"You are correct Commander Sue." Emmett said this time checking his screen. "We are being pursued by both the Marquee vessel and the Romulan War ship."

"Sir, we have a secure message coming in to us from Star Fleet headquarters." I informed them.

"On screen," Riker said.

Admiral Forrester's face appeared on all four screens. "Commander Riker, I see you have uncovered our operation to draw the responsible parties to us and catch them red handed trying to cut a deal for a starship. We need you to return Commander Chakotay and 7 of 9 back to deal with our pursuers. They are acting as undercover agents for us in this matter. They must be believed by both the Romulans and the Marquee's before we can make our move to intercept them."

"Understood Admiral." Riker said shortly.

Captain Chakotay and 7 of 9 were returned to the bridge and accepted apologies from Captain Riker and Commander Sue. We met the two vessels at a location we sent to them and members from both ships transported to our council chambers. The deal was struck with them. The Marque would get the ship and the Romulans would get the crew. The Federation, who had been listening in on the proceedings, surrounded the three vessels. We could see them clearly on the four screens around the large room. We had all been called into the bridge, our 'visitors' believed it was to turn us over to the Romulans but it was to outnumber them. They were not pleased.

Everything worked out fine. We had given the Federation two ships full of Romulans and Marquee smugglers, and a Borg and two storm troopers to boot!

Except, everything WAS fine, until Edward, dressed as a Vulcan, returned young Spock's salutation with his hands in a split finger sign. Pete and Matt immediately tackled the young Spock to the ground calling him a traitor. I had not see that coming at all. I guessed Edward hadn't decided to do that beforehand. I guessed he also was too side -tracked to remember that was the sign he had said he would give the two students if he needed their help in his clandestine operation.

The curtains closed and the real security came and forcibly removed the two men from the actor. It took us some fast talking to get the boys out of trouble. Somehow, they'd thought Edward had flashed his CIA Badge to get them out of trouble. In truth it was my sweet Jasper who'd saved the day by using his gift of controlling the emotions of a whole room or in this case, backstage. One thing was for sure, it was an evening I'd never forget! It was filled with excitement, fun and lots of shopping and new makeup techniques. Best of all, it had been a surprise. I had taken along with all my family, on an adventure. We really had gone and explored strange new worlds. We really had sought out new kinds of culture, and we had definitely gone where no Cullen had EVER gone before!!!!!

***

[A/N: I hope you enjoyed that. I think if there was a Star Trek Convention that had an interactive scene play out like that, I'd buy myself a ticket. There are 2 more chapters left for the main storyline of 'Indian Summer. (Though the last one is in 2 parts). Then there is a 6 part Epilogue (called Epilogue 1) that covers the Battle of Akakor the following Summer. So for now there will be 9 more posts to the story.

There is a story collaboration I have been a part of with other writers that follows the storyline of Indian Summer, 10 years later—along with two other fan fictions: 'Dangerous Obsessions' by Angel and 'The Volturi Saga' by Lynn. There is an Epilogue 2 that connects the traditional end of Indian Summer (Epilogue 1) to this other story. If the other writers decide to put their stories over here, and we post this collaboration ('All Worlds Collide') on this site, I will post that Epilogue 2 at that time.

I really appreciate your reading my story and your comments. Tami :D]

I have a link under this chapter to my picture stash off my profile page. On this site, Lynn had made me a great picture of the Cullens on the Star Fleet Bridge.


	65. Chapter 56

**Chapter Fifty Six  
BOO!**

**Renesmee's POV**

It has been an interesting month and a half since I started going to public school. Grandpa was a genius to suggest I have interaction with other kids. While the lessons held nothing I didn't already know, my friends and teacher were my classroom. I loved playing games on the playground with them and helping in our study groups. When someone was sad, I loved cheering them up. When someone was mad, I loved calming them down. It seemed as though the more I gave of myself, the happier I felt inside and the happier I was, the more it bubbled out of me and affected the entire class. Even though I was not broadcasting, it seemed to have a similar effect.

So I guessed I should not have been surprised when a week before we left for New Hampshire—this would be the week of October 19th--- that of all the fellow students from my class, it was Victoria who sought me out. She had been hanging around me, always on the fringe, at the beginning of the week and getting a little closer every day until Thursday. When she found a moment I wasn't surrounded by others, she finally came right up to me. She was hesitant in her approach and I realized suddenly that she had been spending all of those days waiting for me to be alone. She wanted to speak with me privately. I was at the water fountain, getting a drink and pretending it was blood instead of something so thin that it would only serve to cause another trip to the 'girls' room.

"Hi Nessie," She stammered.

"Hello," I stepped back giving her a chance for a swallow of the clear liquid.

"Oh, no thanks. Listen, I have been watching you and trying to figure out how come you have so many friends? I don't get it. Next week is your last week and the whole class is missing you already. How do you do that?" She had been looking at the floor but her eyes looked up imploringly at the last question.

This had not been the conversation I had envisioned between us. I had suspected it would involve some sort of paybacks for suggesting to Luke he put a toad in her sack lunch in retaliation for her letting the air out of his bike's tires. I abruptly realized I had misjudged the girl in front of me. I had treated her like an enemy. Without conscious thought I had rallied those her behavior had hurt and we'd fought back.

For the first time I took a close look at Victoria and wondered at the underlying reasons for her bullying. What brought on her behavior? Had she always been like this? Had I become misdirected with my whole lesson in interacting with my peers? I felt guilty at once and worried I may have handled this situation all wrong.

"How do I make friends?" I asked as I tried to swallow the lump that suddenly filled my slightly burning throat. _'By helping everyone get back at you.'_ I tried to shake that thought from my mind. Victoria simply nodded. I had one week to try and fix things. "I never really thought about it before Victoria." I said slowly. "But I guess I treat people the way I would like to be treated." Helping Victoria become likable would be my mission.

Her eyebrows knit together. "You mean be nice?" She held the word out as though it were someone's smelly sock.

"Yes, for starters." I thought for a moment. "You know, my grandpa says that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." Victoria was chewing on the inside of her lip as she mulled over my words. I realized that I had never bothered to find out one good thing about her. This would be my first goal.

So that day at lunch I enlisted the help of my six lunch friends. At first they were shocked with my request that we try to help Victoria but I told them it would be our experiment. To see if being nice to Victoria could bring about a change in her behavior. By the end of lunch Thursday, they were all on-board and operation 'Changeling' had begun. We took a vow of secrecy though. No sense in trying if someone misinterpreted our motives and believed that they were anything but genuine. Well, it was mostly secret. Aunt Rose looked over at me from the teacher's lunch table and gave me a wink; that made me feel really good about my idea.

When I'd discussed my Victoria mission with my Uncle Jasper that night, he'd explained some things to me about human nature. From that frank discussion, I was sure Victoria's mean attitude was a defense mechanism she'd used to protect herself from being hurt. Uncle Jasper was very interested in my mission and asked for updates every day after school; often giving me new goals for the following day and allowing me to bounce ideas off him.

The last week of school, I was so focused on my project that Tuesday after coming home from school and going to the cottage to change, I almost missed the sight of Aurora flying in the skies around our house. Uncle Emmett was on the ground hooting and hollering encouragements at her. She'd grown to the size of a small pony and as she made another pass around us I saw that Aunt Alice was perched on her back. Her short hair was pulled back from her face as the wind blew it outward. She gave us a 'thumbs up', her face elated. Then they disappeared as they made the circuit once more. I shook my head in amazement at the sight before continuing towards the river.

"Hey, where are you going short stuff?" Uncle Emmett's voice matched his eyes. They were both bright and invigorated. "You're next. Alice was trying her out first to make sure it was safe enough."

"Me?" I was going to fly a dragon?

"Yeah, cool huh?" Uncle Emmett looked to both sides before saying to me more softly, "Only don't say anything to your parents. I didn't exactly clear it with the Mama first." He gave me a wink as Aurora brought Alice back and landed smoothly next to us. I was getting very excited. This was going to be fantastic.

I scampered onto Aurora's back as soon as Aunt Alice was clear and coaxed the beautiful creature, whose scales were a shimmering blue today, up into the sky. As she gained altitude, I wrapped my arms around her long neck and held my knees tight to her sides. She seemed almost maternal in the care she took to keep me righted on her back. I could feel her elation in flight. And I shared mine with her, using my peculiar hybrid affinity with creatures. Though I had to admit, Aurora was far more intelligent than any of the animals I had encountered so far.

We soared higher and higher. The house disappeared as we entered the large cloud bank and before I knew it, we had pulled through to the top of the blanket of white and grey. It was magical. She had leveled out her flight and in response I loosened my arms from around her and looked around me in wonder. The sun shone brightly and gave the entire scene a surreal look—an alien world. There were larger fluffier clouds above us and in the far distance I could see mountain tops that looked like tiny islands set apart from each other in a sea of mist. I completely lost track of time as Aurora flew me around and through the many cloud oddities. It almost felt as though we'd become part of a Dr. Seuss landscape.

I was listening acutely so I heard Emmett's barely audible call for Aurora over the whistle of the wind. She turned to his sound.

I said, "Thank you Aurora, for such a wonderful ride. You're the best, most beautiful dragon I know. I love you!" I patted her side gently from where I rested my hands on her back before I had to take both arms and hold to her neck tightly as she plummeted us back towards home.

As we approached the house, it seemed that Uncle Emmett had been busted again. Mom was in a state. Uncle Jasper was on hand trying to calm her down. Aunt Alice had sent Aunt Rosalie and Dad on a shopping errand for my school Halloween party that would be held three days later. Grandma was at the back door shaking her head at the scene.

"Emmett, you don't send a two year old flying off into the sky on the back of a dragon. What were you thinking? She could have fallen. She could have been hurt. She could have been burned…"

"Come on Bella, stop being the Momma bear for just a minute and listen. Okay, see Aurora needs to get use to bearing weight in flight. Nessie was the best choice for now, but Alice foresaw that you would throw a fit if Nessie went first, so she, being the second best choice went first to make sure it was safe."

"Alice checked it out first?"Mother was slightly mollified.

"Of course she did. She gave the okay first. Now where did she run off to?" Uncle Emmett's head whipped around so quickly it looked as though he were backhanding himself. The sight made me laugh as Aurora brought me closer to the debate. She seemed to give a little 'huff' of her own.

"Hi Mom!" I sang out.

"Nessie!" She cried out, relief strong in her voice. She got ready to spring onto Aurora's back while we were still a good thirty feet in the air. Uncle Emmett must have guessed her plan and grabbed her arm at the last minute and used his brute strength to keep her in place. "Let go of me Emmett. I'm getting my daughter down."

"She is coming down. But if you try to jump on Aurora's back, all three of you will come crashing down like a ton of bricks. Why do you think it's been Alice and Nessie getting the first rides instead of me?" Emmett was indignant. He acted as though Mom had hurt his feelings. I wondered if she had.

"Oh, weight?" Bella replied. Her responses became more normal the lower to the ground Aurora and I became. I sent her a message attached to her 'energy of light' telling her how silly she was being. Then I showed her how fun it was to fly with Aurora. I made sure to leave out the part above the cloud bank, although it was definitely the best part. No need to make her even madder than she already was.

***

The next morning I saw the first fruits of my mission to make Victoria likable. As my friends and I became more cordial to her, other classmates followed suit. It had been time for spelling and Victoria opened her desk to find her last pencil a stub and no longer usable. Normally she would steal one from someone who sat by her. Today however, she looked at it dejectedly as though it had somehow offended her. That was when David looked over at her and noticed her problem.

"Hey Victoria, here," He said quietly as he handed her his extra. She smiled at him and he grinned back. That little gesture had made her morning. I realized it was the first time I'd seen her smile since I'd started school. I invited her to sit with our lunch group that day, though we had to make room for the extra chair. She agreed. She usually sat alone.

It was during lunch that I reached my first goal. I found out one good thing about Victoria. She had a baby brother whom she loved to play with. Her mother worked hard at the hospital all day. Her Father was a logger and was often gone for hours. Victoria did the laundry for her whole family and some nights made dinner as well. I was in awe. Here I had such a large capable family with everyone bending over backwards to help me, and Victoria was doing things that I had never even thought of. We never did laundry. Aunt Alice wouldn't permit it; though I had caught her at the washer and dryer preparing clothes for Goodwill. And cook food? Perhaps my parents could teach me. Or maybe Grandma Sue would after I got back from New Hampshire. She could teach me how to make her amazing chocolate chip cookies.

Watching Victoria talk about her baby brother Ryan, made something change in her demeanor. There was a softening. Her face, usually scrunched up into a scowl, smoothed out. I was seeing the true Victoria.

I suddenly felt I wanted to do something nice for her. I asked her what she was dressing up for on Halloween. She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know; maybe a ghost or something." This brought on a lively discussion over everyone's costumes and I noticed Victoria go quiet again. I knew she didn't have the resources the rest of the class did--and in Forks that is really saying something. Most of the kids here were nowhere near as well off as I was. I suddenly felt very bad about having Luke put the frog in her meager lunch for paybacks. She had thrown her food away and gone without that day. As we had recess after lunch, I suggested to her that she come with me and Aunt Alice to shop for costumes. She was reluctant at first but with a little coaxing she'd agreed.

Thursday at school things improved for Victoria as well. The less hostile she was, the less threatening and intimidating she appeared to the rest of the class. The nicer she tried to act, the more sincere her efforts became. And like Grandpa's flies and honey scenario, it wasn't long before the former bully of the fourth grade class was producing honey instead of vinegar. She seemed genuinely happier too. As an unexpected bonus, the more she developed her self confidence around the rest of us, the more she participated in class. It was like watching her transform into a truly different person in the space of one short week. I was happy to realize that I really liked the new Victoria too. Or perhaps I should say, the true Victoria.

"Come on let's go!" Aunt Alice trilled from the parking lot where she waited, for Victoria and I, in a long line of cars while parents picked up their kids. She was standing outside of the door of her canary yellow Porsche and waving to us. Aunt Rose gave her a wave back before leaving us and going to the teacher parking lot and climbing into her red BMW convertible.

"We're going to ride in THIS car?" Victoria was shocked. I wasn't sure what she meant. She'd met my Aunt Alice at my birthday party and Amazon Zoo opening, and Aunt Alice was clearly standing at her car and waving to us.

"Yes, why?"

"That is the prettiest car I've ever seen before. What is it?" She breathed.

"It's a Porsche 911 Turbo." I replied.

"Does it go fast?" She had no idea what she was getting herself into, but it was too much to hope that Aunt Alice wouldn't have heard that challenge.

"Of course it does!" Aunt Alice chirped. "Get in and buckle up. I bet I can have us to Port Angeles in fifteen minutes; provided Nessie's Grandpa isn't cruising around the highway this afternoon." She paused before adding too quiet for Victoria to hear, "Nope."

I glanced around the school parking lot and noticed that with the exception of Aunt Rose's bright red sports car, this one was the only one that looked brand new and very expensive. Well, so much for remaining inconspicuous today.

***

When we arrived in Port Angeles and pulled in front of 'Alley Cats', one of my aunt's favorite boutique shops, Victoria's hands were gripping her seat, her knuckles were white. Aunt Alice had to literally pry them off her front passenger seat where she still sat with her eyes locked wide, staring in horror as if they'd been glued in and could only stare dead ahead.

"Oh Victoria, was that too fast for you?" Aunt Alice asked innocently. There was no reply. I got out from the back using the driver's door. "Well, my driving isn't that bad. You know they made me take NASCAR training before they'd let me buy this baby." She lied smoothly as she ran a hand across the leather dashboard. She unbuckled Victoria and lifted her out of the vehicle and set her on her feet on the side walk. I came up beside them. Alice was still doing all the talking.

"Gee, and I thought you wanted to be a ghost for Halloween, but instead you look more like you've just seen one." In response to Aunt Alice's unruffled voice, Victoria stirred. She looked at Aunt Alice and then back to me.

"You almost turned me into one." Victoria managed to get past her clenched jaw. That joke had the three of us laughing and just like that the mood shifted.

I should have known that my Aunt's idea for a ghost costume would not involve a quick trip to Target. No she marched us into this ritzy Women's clothing shop and found us what she had in mind. Never mind that they were way too big for us. She pinned them up on us in the back of the store so she could make the alterations tonight in preparation for the next day. Our next stop was Jo-Ann's Fabric Store where she bought a few yards of red thick canvas and a few more of a shimmering translucent gauzy material. Then she drove us straight to the house and once there, she allowed us fifteen minutes to go to the Amazon Zoo before calling us back to try on our new creations. We came in to find not just Aunt Alice smiling brightly at us, but Aunt Rose and Grandma and Mom as well. It had taken all four of them to prepare the two costumes with a swiftness that rivaled Aunt Alice's driving.

Victoria looked really awesome in her old fashioned dress of muted colors. Next they placed a flowing coverlet of the translucent shimmering material over the clothes. The effect was ethereal. Tomorrow night Aunt Alice would add almost white makeup to her face with dark highlights to complete the look. When she gazed at herself in the mirror it was clear to see she was happily surprised with the results. I wondered if, when she'd thought to be a ghost, she had originally planned on using a sheet with eye slits.

Next they put me in a dress with white tights and black shoes. They put a small apron around my waist and handed me a basket covered by a checkered linen cloth. Lastly they had me don a large red cape with a hood. Jacob happened to walk in to see me at that moment. The grin told me he'd thought of something quite funny that I hadn't figured out until he spoke.

"Now who's afraid of the 'Big Bad Wolf', Little Red Riding Hood?" I ran screaming from the room; my basket in hand.

"Give me what's in your basket and I won't eat you." He called after me as he caught me and swooped me up into his arms. Well, actually I allowed him to catch me. It was much more fun that way.

***

My last day of school was a little sad. I had become so preoccupied with my mission of making Victoria likable that the reality of my last day had been pushed to the back of my mind until it was here. I had mixed feelings. At lunch time, as I looked at my lunch buddies, Sarah, June, Nicole, David, James and Luke, I felt a sense of loss. I might not ever be able to see them again until they were seventeen years old. Otherwise there'd be no way to explain my faster maturation rate.

At the same time, I saw how they had welcomed the reformed Victoria into their circle of friends and knew my mission had been a success. I supposed this entire experiment, of making friends and interacting with other children, would have been a failure if I'd felt anything other than sadness as I left. I looked at the rest of my class seated at the surrounding tables: Wendy, Lori, Bryan, Danny, John, Tina, Jess, Wayne, Stephen, Andrew and Kara. I would miss them all. I had memories that involved each one of them. I realized how it must feel for any kid to have to pack up and move away from their friends and start over in a new place.

I was so deep in thought that I almost missed the bell signaling the end of lunch and June's parting words as we stood up to dump our trays.

"So Nessie, my mom tells me that New Hampshire has tons of beautiful maple trees, Birch and Ash. They've even got chestnut trees there. You are SO lucky! She showed me some pictures and you are going when the colors are brightest; oranges and yellows and reds. You have to send me pictures." June was so excited for me that it took me a moment to process her words. Why would her mother make a point of telling her—no, showing her, how wonderful it would be for me in New Hampshire? "Do you have a house yet?"

"Sure Mom showed it to me last week on the internet. It looks a lot like the one we have now—in front anyway. I think Grandma has some ideas for fixing it up more to her liking." I replied as I ignored the hollow feeling in my chest.

As we dumped our trays, her back was momentarily away from me and as she turned slightly back towards me there was wetness to her eyes that she blinked away in a second. Nicole took up June's narrative.

"You are so right June. And that's not all. James was showing me during computer labs yesterday that in New Hampshire they have barns built right over the bridges.

"Why would they do that?" I was genuinely curious and momentarily forgot my sadness.

"To keep the wooden bridges protected better so they'd last longer." James supplied from behind us.

I was surprised that the next friend to try to offer me an encouraging thought was none other than Victoria herself. "And they also have a really cool train ride too. I think it was Conaway or something like that. But it looked like a lot of fun."

"And they have a great hot air balloon festival in the springtime. And in Hanover, the City Hall has a clock tower just like in 'Back to the Future'." David piped up.

"Wait a minute guys, was this a class assignment or something?" I was becoming suspicious. There was no way they all just went out on their own to find out all this cool stuff about New Hampshire.

"No it was NOT a school assignment," Luke replied adamantly. Then he shrugged his shoulders and continued in his nonchalant manner. "We were all sad that you were leaving. Then June came to school the other day and told us what her mother had done with her to help her over the blues. We all decided to research it. And it worked."

"What was your Mother's suggestion June?" I asked eyeing her. We were out on the playground now, clamoring around on the monkey bars.

"Mom told me that if I focused on all the good and exciting things you would see in your new home then I could be happy for you and it would make me less sad. So we went on line and started looking at all the beautiful fall scenery that would greet you when you arrive." June's smile was brilliant. "And I really do want pictures. E-mail them to me. It's the only way I'll be able to avoid missing you terribly." She put her arms around me and she was joined by others.

At the end of our day at school, Mrs. Ramon presented Aunt Rosalie a huge card the entire class had made for her. She was touched beyond words and went around and hugged each kid in the classroom. Mrs. Ramon also presented me with a large handmade card and inside was the names and e-mail addresses of the entire class, including one for the class. Mrs. Ramon said she wanted me to take videos of some of the sights I saw for the rest of the school year and give them an oral report with footage each week, via the internet. So with the promise we would keep in touch, and of course knowing I would see everyone one last time tonight at the Halloween part, I said my goodbye to Forks Elementary School.

***

[A/N: Please remember that to Nessie Charlie is Grandpa, Carlisle is Granddad, Esme is Grandma and Sue is Grandma Sue]

"Hurry Jacob," I hissed. "Everyone will be here in an hour." I was already dressed in my costume and had resorted to pacing back and forth.

"Relax Nessie, I've got this wolf thing down cold. Only I don't see why Alice is making me wear this crazy 'wolf man' get up when I could just phase and really freak people out!" Jacob's reply was nonplussed. He had on a pair of black leather pants with a fake wolf tail stuck out the back. He also had on a leather jacket with fake fur coming out the top and arms. There was a mask to go with it but he'd opted for Alice to use her make-up magic to complete his look and she hadn't gotten a hold of him yet. "Anyway, I want to see how cute you look in that red cape. You know, the way you hauled off the bad guys at that Trekker convention I think you should forget being a Q, just put a big S on your outfit and lower your hood and you could go as Super Girl."

"Very funny,"

"Seriously Nessie, You know what, I'll bet you could pick me up too." His tone encouraged me. It dared me to try.

"I can pick you up with one hand," I said as I lifted him into the air. Of course I had to use both hands. He was too big to fit in just one palm. Even when I lifted him over my head his leg dangled to the ground.

"Help! Nessie's manhandling me! I'm being tortured by 'Little Red Riding hood'; shamed for all fairy tale villains to see." Jacob yelled in tragic wails of torment.

"Oh, this I have to see," Uncle Emmett said as he bounded through the back door and moved behind the front door to get the best view. "I love it when Nessie gives the dog his due. Are you teaching the 'old dog' any 'new tricks'?" Uncle Emmett wasn't dressed up yet at all. He was going to be Frankenstein. I couldn't wait to see that one.

"I'm not learning anything new here." Jacob said as I still held him up over my head with both arms.

"Sure you are, weren't you just begging?"

And that was the moment the front door opened and Grandpa and Grandma Sue entered wearing their 'Prince Charming' and 'Cinderella' costumes. One look at me holding Jacob and they both stood shocked. Of course Uncle Emmett was also learning a lesson about standing directly behind a door as they had opened it right into his face.

"Oww" He said in a vampire whisper behind the door. One of the hinges came loose.

They still hadn't noticed him with his face planted into the wood. _'Gee, I hope that doesn't leave a dent for the party.'_ I thought briefly.

Grandpa was over to me at once. "Nessie you need to put him down. You could get hurt."

"Not until he says 'Mercy' and 'Nessie is the fairest of them all'." I told both Grandpa and Jacob at the same time.

Jacob answered but it wasn't in the way I had expected. No Jacob's voice became a purr that sent shivers down my spine, and not in a creepy Halloween sort of way.

"Me—rcy, Nessie, you are without a doubt the absolute fairest of them all."

My cheeks flamed red and Grandpa, assuming it was due to exertion, insisted that I let him down and then proceeded to check me out. So it was while Grandpa was occupied with assessing my 'condition' that Uncle Emmett decided to make his presence known. He pushed the door back in place, startling Grandma Sue as he did so by adding the words, "BOO!"

She jumped, which was expected, and made Uncle Emmett grin like a Cheshire Cat. What wasn't expected was what happened following the jump. Grandma Sue collapsed and began to fall to the ground unconscious. Uncle Emmett's quick vampire speed saved her from hitting the floor as he held her limp body in his arms with a look of confusion.

"Has Grandma Sue passed out?" I asked diverting Grandpa's attention from me to his wife.

"Sue," He called as he raced to her side. He tried to rouse her by carefully shaking her head. "Sue Darling, can you wake up?" He looked up to Uncle Emmett who still held Sue. Grandpa's eyes looked angry. His tone matched it. "What happened?"

Emmett seemed to sense his precarious situation but I had to hand it to him, he still tried. "Umm, Jasper scared her just now."

Grandpa looked around the room. "Jasper? I don't see Jasper anywhere."

"No, that is because he scared himself too." Emmett lied casually "Would you believe he's a ghost this year?" Grandpa shook his head once and gave him another hard look and so he came clean. . "I didn't really do anything. I just closed the door and said 'Boo'. And then she passed right out."

Grandpa sighed. "Bring her over to the couch. This is the second time today this has happened. Last time she came to on her own. She had been having issues with low blood sugar and fatigue lately."

Emmett brought Grandma Sue to the couch and gently set her down, as he stood back up he commented, "Maybe Carlisle should take a look at her."

"Take a look at what?" Granddad asked as he descended the stairs swiftly in his costume that looked like some sort of tunic covered in leaves. There was a fake snake wrapped around his waist. What was he supposed to be? Camouflage?

He came towards Sue and immediately shot Uncle Emmett an incredulous look.

"What?" Uncle Emmett protested. Why does everyone always assume I did something?" he moaned.

In a normal voice he called to Dad, "Edward would you please bring me some 'smelling salts'." Then he turned to Grandpa and added, "Her heart rate is good and strong."

Grandpa was startled. "Sorry, but you can hear her heart beat without a stethoscope?"

"Yes," Then Granddad turned to Dad who had just arrived wearing a fancy white ruffled shirt beneath a black old fashioned suit. His hair had a temporary black tint to it and was parted on the side and he sported a black mustache as well. He looked like he belonged on a southern plantation for some reason. Dad handed a vile to Carlisle who opened the stopper and waived it under Sue's nose. After a few seconds she came around.

"What happened?" She asked weakly.

"You passed out Sue," Grandpa said grabbing her hand from where he knelt beside Granddad both of them next to the couch where she lay.

"Again? I'm sorry. Well at least I got fainting off my 'to do' list before the party started." Then she turned to Charlie to show she was better. "You'd just better be careful about sweeping me off my feet Prince Charming." She gave him a warm smile.

"This isn't your first fainting spell?" Granddad was putting puzzle pieces together faster than I could keep up.

"No, I fainted earlier today but it was really nothing. I just hadn't eaten breakfast because I was afraid it wouldn't stay down."

"You've been vomiting?" Puzzle piece number two had clicked into place.

"Well yes, I thought at first it was just a touch of food poisoning." Then she got worried. "You don't think I have the flu do you? I wouldn't want to be contagious around the children."

"No, I don't think you have to worry about that. But I do have one last question for you. How have your menstrual cycles been?"

For some reason this question made Sue blush as she looked around the room and took in all the males present except for me and her. My mom had explained this cycle thing to me last year in our biology lessons. Gee, I guess that would be something that will happen to me faster than normal too.

"Well, I am in my forties and getting ready for menopause so they aren't as regular as they once were. I haven't had one since before the wedding. Why?"

She started to rise up from the couch but Granddad stopped her. It was easy to tell he was concentrating very hard on something.

"Wait for a moment please." He said as he turned his head to the side and listened intently to her body. Then a small smile played at the corner of his lips.

"Let me see if I can hear it too." Dad said quietly. I hated when they had these silent one way conversations that left the rest of us out of the loop.

Granddad stepped back and Dad took his place and took up the same focused expression on his face.

"I can hear it too. Only what is up with the rhythm? It's got such a strange cadence to it." Dad said astounded.

More silent conversation passed between them. Then Dad answered Granddad's silent comment. "Yes, I can hear that now. You're right of course." Dad stood up after giving Grandpa a pat on the back and shooting Sue a big grin.

Granddad returned to Grandma Sue's side and helped her sit up.

"Well, I can tell you that you don't have to worry about being contagious or having the flu. You also won't have to worry about menopause just yet."

Sue's gaze was steady on his. "No? Okay, what is it then?"

"Congratulations Sue, you and Charlie are going to become parents again. You are expecting." Granddad said beaming brightly at them.

Grandma Sue's eyes immediately filled with tears. Grandpa's were stuck in a shocked expression. He didn't even blink.

"We're having a baby Charlie; isn't that wonderful!" She cupped his cheek with her hand. The tears finally broke out and spilled down her face. Grandpa was still frozen. The color was draining from his face.

Emmett's voice boomed from the back of the couch. "Looks like Charlie just saw the ghost now."

"Or maybe he's just becoming one." Jacob added as Emmett mock punched his shoulder.

"Well actually baby isn't exactly the correct term when two fetal heartbeats are detected." Dad piped up from behind Charlie.

"True," Granddad allowed. "You are being doubly blessed. You are having twins."

Grandma Sue cried out in joy while Grandpa passed right out.

Dad caught him before his head could hit the sofa table.

"Okay, can everyone agree that I was nowhere near him and this was NOT my fault?" Emmett pled.

Everyone ignored him as Granddad ran the vial of smelling salts under Grandpa's nose and he came around still being held by Dad.

Grandpa was groggy at first but he focused on Edward's face. "Oh, Edward I just had the strangest dream."

"Really Dad?" Edward said with interest.

"We were all dressed for some kind of costume party and…" he trailed off before re-focusing on Dad. "Son, why are you wearing a mustache with your hair like that? Are you impersonating Clarke Gable?"

"Yes, only more specifically, Rhett Butler." Dad said before adding as he sat Grandpa down on the sofa next to Grandma Sue who had sat up. "Only it wasn't a dream. It was real."

Grandpa turned his widening eyes to Grandma Sue. "Is it true?" He breathed.

Sue just nodded her head as Grandpa gathered her into his warm embrace. In a matter of minutes they were both in tears. They seemed to be happy ones at least.

"Dad, Sue!!!" Bella boomed from the stairs where she sat on the banister and slid herself down to the bottom. I hadn't known we were allowed to do that! I made myself a mental note to try it out before we left for New Hampshire the next day.

Mom was wearing a fancy red dress that was frilly and off the shoulders. It was floor length. I realized her costume went with Dad's. When she got to the bottom of the stairs she ran to the two of them and hugged them both. "Congratulations! And to think I won't be around to help you with your 2 am feedings and diaper changing." She sighed before looking at Grandpa smugly and for a minute I saw the carefree girl my Mom was when Grandpa was the only man in her life.

"I am so happy for you." She told him. "For both of you." Mom grabbed one of Grandma Sue's hands and one of Grandpa's. "You guys are already such great parents. You will be amazing. And to think I'll have some new little brothers or sisters or maybe one of both."

"I don't know how good I'll be. You were gone most of the time you were growing up." Grandpa said gruffly.

"I know, but you were still there for me when it mattered the most. You'll be fine. It's probably one of those things like riding a bike—you never forget."

"I hope you're right Bells."

"She usually is," Dad offered.

"Charlie you're the man!" Emmett boomed. "None of your guns are loaded with blanks." He guffawed loudly. Charlie turned red.

"Emmett," Mom hissed under her breath. "If you can't keep your mouth shut I will remove it for you."

"That doesn't sound very lady like of you Miss O'Hare." Dad said in a casual tone as he walked dramatically towards the stair case. Then soft as a whisper he added, "Its Showtime dear."

"But it's a good thing I'm heading off for school." Mom continued playfully to Grandpa. "You know, 'Gone with the wind' and all."

"Why is that?" Grandpa asked confused.

"Because, I don't know nothin' about birthin' no babies." She added batting her eyes. I was flabbergasted. My mom had always hated acting. My father had been coaching her for as long as I've been around. He said she had to learn to 'keep up appearances'.

"Okay Scarlett come over here right now," Dad replied. Mom dashed to his side at once.

"Oh Rhett, are you going to kiss me now?" Mom asked as she stepped into Dad's embrace.

Dad held her trying to fight the smile that threatened. I had seen them do this before, try to stay in character while getting the other to break first. Dad always won though. He touched his finger to her lips before replying, "No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how."

"Why does a girl have to act so silly to catch a husband?" Mom said dramatically batting her eyes up at him.

Dad looked up at everyone in the room. "What a woman. Let's you and me run away together. Elope right now.

Mom became shocked. "Why Rhett, we can't do that. What would people think?"

"Come now Scarlett, with enough courage, you can do without a reputation. I think I will kiss you and kiss you good."

Mom fluttered her eyes at him. "Rhett, don't. I shall faint."

"Well, there's certainly been plenty of that going around lately." He rolled his eyes. Everyone in the room laughed in response. Then he brought Mom closer to him. His eyes trained on hers.

Mom broke the silence by reminding him, "You said you wouldn't kiss me."

"Well you need it, and fortunately I am the only one who knows how you should be kissed and with the stamina to give them with the frequency you require. So, frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.' And then his lips met hers in a dramatic kiss that had Emmett shuffling his feet and clearing his throat and everyone else in the room cheering.

Charlie kissed Sue when the performance was finished, "I love you." He told her before kissing her again.

"Great. Thank you Edward and Bella. Now look what you've started." Emmett complained. "And MY bride is still upstairs getting her costume on. Maybe Jake will lay one on me. How about it Jake? I'll smooch with a pooch."

My Jacob rolled his eyes and grabbed me as though a talisman to fight off Emmett for him.

"Don't you even think about it Emmett!!!!" We heard Aunt Rose scream from the second floor.

"Kidding dear!" He said shaking his head. Then he looked at Aunt Rose coming down the stairs and screamed a truly terrifying scream. Aunt Rose was dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein and her hair was piled a mile high on top of her head. She shot him a look that complimented her costume.

Everyone else complimented her before Grandpa turned to Emmett.

"Well, everyone else here seems to be in a costume but you Emmett. Don't tell me you are being dressed as a…I can't even guess, a lumberjack maybe?" Grandpa said in amusement.

"Lumberjack? Why do you think that?" Uncle Emmett asked. "There's nothing scary about a lumberjack."

"Well you're tall and you are wearing a flannel shirt. Plus you're wearing tall hiking boots. All you need is an axe to complete the look." Grandpa said.

"That is not scary enough." Grandma Sue replied. "Say Charlie, does he look like any of the guys on the Wanted poster board over at the station?"

"Nope. Maybe he's got a superman costume under his shirt that he can rip off…" Grandpa was cut off by Uncle Emmett's quick retort.

"I am a scary monster." He sulked like a pouting child. Everyone in the room started to laugh. "For your information, I'm a vampire."

At his last remark, Grandpa actually started crying from laughing so hard. Though everyone else, Grandma Sue included became almost still. They weakly joined in, though Granddad and Grandma both gave Uncle Emmett warning glances.

***

The rest of the evening was wonderful! Victoria looked like the most styling ghost I'd ever seen. My friends wore an assortment of costumes that ranged from bunnies and fairies to werewolves and vampires. It was fun to see my friends one last time in a lighter atmosphere. And having my family mixed in with them reminded me that I was not going to truly be alone. They would be with me. Of course my family was a little eccentric to say the least, and so the true vampires in the room dressed up as other things as well. Grandma came down in an outfit that matched Granddad's but instead of having a snake, hers came complete with a twig that shot up as though grown from her head. It was covered with leaves and apples. I began to wonder if she were Mother Nature and Granddad was the Jolly Green Giant and I had mistook a vine for the snake. But Wendy saw them and burst out into laughter.

"Adam and Eve right?" She enthused. "You really look the part too."

Aunt Alice as Cleopatra and Uncle Jasper as Mark Anthony came down the stairs as soon as the party began. They looked remarkable. My classmates gasped at how striking Aunt Alice looked as she donned the costume that made her look like an ancient pharaoh. Her eyelids were painted black bringing out the 'Cleopatra' effect. Quil and Embry showed up in their storm trooper costumes, they were a big hit. Everyone was worried about where 'Miss Rose' was. It was a good ten minutes into the celebration when she descended the stairs with her escort Uncle Emmett, or perhaps I should say Frankenstein.

Yes. Uncle Emmett's jaw had been transformed with a harder jaw line. He wore light green makeup and had a few jagged stitches across his cheeks. It even looked as though he had screws coming out of his head. Scary monster indeed! At the sight of him we almost had another fainting spell from Sue. As it was half my friends screamed before trying to cover the noise with a nervous laugh.

Aunt Rose was at his side wearing a filmy white gown. Uncle Emmett had found his 'bride' after all. Though I'd seen her costume earlier today, she'd added a few touches. I'd never thought she'd do it, but Stephan and Andrew from class had dared her to be scary tonight and she didn't disappoint. She did look positively frightening. Frightening but still breathtakingly beautiful, that was my Aunt Rosalie! Of course her hair was still as golden blonde, pulled up and shaped to resemble a cone of some sort. But, new from when I'd seen her hair an hour ago, it had a dark streak running on each side from her temple to the outer edges of her hairdo. The other funny thing I noticed was that Emmett, terrifying as he was in his getup, still seemed truly scared at the sight of his wife. I wondered if were remembering her earlier entrance.

With their arrival, the games began in earnest. We did the monster mash, and then went on a tour of our haunted house. Emmett and Jasper had rigged every room with some sort of special effect that had everyone running for their lives. We bobbed for apples and Uncle Emmett told some pretty scary ghost stories. As everyone left by the appointed hour of nine o'clock, I felt another pang of sadness that I would be leaving them behind. Jacob, as though sensing my distress came over and put his arm around my shoulder and gave me a little squeeze.

"Hey Little Red, how's about you and me go for a hunt?"That perked me up.

"Sure Jake, that sounds like fun. But we'd better make it short. Tomorrow will be a long day."

***

And it was too. I mostly watched as my family flitted around the house with sudden quick movements as things were boxed up and loaded into a moving van. I felt as though my life were being disassembled in front of me. It was only noon and every time I spoke the sound echoed through the walls of the only true home I had ever known.

Mom and Dad had just arrived from the cottage with twelve more heavy boxes. I didn't know what was inside of them. I didn't care. Why was this so difficult? I'd known today was coming. Mom's cell phone rang from her pocket. She sat down and answered after checking the 'caller ID'.

"Hi Mom!"

'_Bella, I love you and Edward and little Nessie SO much! Thank you for my beautiful new piano. It fits perfectly in my living room. How did you know? It's almost as if you measured the space and knew exactly which size would fit the best; and the lessons too!"_ It was clear by the look on my Mom's face she hadn't known about the 'present' until Grandma Renee had mentioned it. It was a good thing this was a phone conversation. Sometimes my mom's face is so easy to read it's as if there is a billboard sign hung out on her forehead!

Awareness flashed across Mom's face. "Uh, Happy Birthday and Christmas too Mom!" she finally said. She smiled hugely and looked for Dad. She spied him underneath his piano taking off the legs as he prepared it for moving. He grinned up at Mom and winked.

"_Well, if this isn't the best Birthday/Christmas present ever. I truly thank you guys. Do not tell me how much it cost. It is so shiny and new. I'm e-mailing you a picture right now so you can see."_

"Oh Mom," My mother called to her own. "We just packed all the computers so it will be a few days before we arrive in New Hampshire and have them unpacked."

"_Oh, was it today you were packing?"_ Grandma Renee said sadly into the phone.

"Yes, maybe you can send me a picture from your phone." Mom suggested.

"_That is a great idea. And then I am going to start practicing right away. I want to be ready for when you kids come down for New Years. We can have a recital. I want to hear my beautiful granddaughter playing as good as her daddy. Okay?"_

Mom laughed. "Alright, well, I'd better get back to packing things up. I love you Mom."

"_I know Bella sweetie, I love you too. Give my love to Edward and Nessie and everyone else. Oh, and don't forget Jake as well. Bye now Bella."_

Mom got ready to say her good byes when she suddenly remembered something. "Hey Mom, I guess you haven't heard about Dad and Sue's good news." Mom added with a smile.

"_Oh, the news about the babies? I already heard about it."_ Grandma Renee said breezily. That was a surprise.

"How in the world did you know that? They only found out last night." Bella sounded almost amused.

"_Really, oh well that is a surprise. Alice told me about their bundles of joy back in September when I came over for your birthday celebration." _This was also a surprise. _"Wow, she must be psychic or something! Well, got to run. I'm picking up Phil from the airport. Will he be surprised to see this beautiful piano!"_

"Bye Mom," Bella said as she hung up the phone and in less than one of my fluttering heartbeats was under the piano with Dad kissing him like he was one of Grandma Sue's famous chocolate chip cookies. When she finally pulled away she said. "How did you know it was one of my dreams to give my mother a grand piano?"

"When she was here and we were talking to her and you had your shield down for me, the thought ran through your mind for a fraction of a second. SO I stored it away until it was time for Renee's birthday and made a surprise for both of you. It is one of the things that Rosalie and I did when we went out to run errands for the party the other day. We went to the Strait Music store and made a deal. We told them that if they would work with their affiliates in Jacksonville to deliver a 'Kohler and Campbell' baby grand piano to your mother's address and let us pay for it here, that we would purchase a second one from them for someone else." He said his eyes sparkling. He loved to give Mom presents and he positively thrived on making her dreams and wishes come true.

"Who is the second one for?" She breathed. "I mean we're leaving and taking your piano with us."

Mom's phone rang again. Grandpa's phone number had been assigned its own special ring tone so we all knew it was him right away.

"Think of it as a late Wedding present and Christmas too, if you wish." He said while placing another kiss on Mom's cheek.

"Hi Dad," Bella said shaking her head.

"_Do you know what is coming through my front door right now?" _

"Ummm, I'm going to guess a baby grand piano?" She chewed on her lower lip.

"_Dang straight. This is too much though. You kids are moving, starting school, and you bought me an Escalade already. How can I ever repay all this generosity? And did Edward know Sue has always wanted to learn to play the piano? I mean, did she think it when she came over with me once or something? Mrs. Yorkie down the street called to say that she had just received a check for a year's worth of lessons for my wife. Sue is so excited she is actually bawling. "_

"Edward is just full of surprises, Dad." She put her hand to Dad's face and mouthed _'I love you'_. "And if you're worried that it is too much. Trust me, it's better to just let Edward give you his presents. It's one of the ways he shows love. I guess you'll just have to suck it up and move the couches around a bit. Say, when are you coming over to say 'good-bye' to us?"

"_Well, we almost missed the piano but now we have to wait another thirty minutes while they set it up. Then we'll be headed your way. I guess we'll be thanking Edward when we get there then. Bye Bells, I'm missing you already."_

"I know Dad. Believe me I know." Mom said as she sighed and replaced the phone in her pocket.

After that conversation, I became more depressed. I would be leaving this house in just a few short hours. Everyone was busy packing and preparing for the cross-country trip. I wandered upstairs, starting in the attic that had the ladder extended for the first time I'd ever seen. It was time for me to say goodbye to my home. From the tiny window at the end of the attic, I saw Emmett bring Aurora around to the side of his new Hummer H2, he showed her where he had made a bed of blankets for her in the back with the third seat folded down. He had spent the last week arranging for the rest of his Amazonian animals to be donated, mostly to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. A pair of Jaguars was sent to my new friends at the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim. They'd probably get along well with the tigers and lions and bears. The funny thing was, as hyped up as Uncle Emmett had been about that zoo of his, after Aurora hatched, he really only wanted to spend his free time with her. I guessed it was hard for the other animals to compete with a dragon.

I wandered around the third floor. I could smell the scent of werewolf in heavier concentration from my dad's old room. Since my birth it had been pretty much taken over by Jake and the Clearwaters. I wandered around it aimlessly as I realized my good-byes had really begun when the Clearwater's had left for the Amazon a few weeks ago.

From Granddad and Grandma's room I could look out the window and watch as Grandma carefully dug up her new plants and re-potted them into a container suitable for travel. There were already some shooters springing up from them and she left two of the tender beginner shoots where they were. The rest, being the three original plants and about eight shooters were coming with us to Hanover, New Hampshire. Grandpa was eager to get his office set up so he could determine the hidden medicinal values they held.

Grandma also had plans for a new youth center she wanted to start once we arrived. She was quite happy anticipating the new experiences our short jaunt in New Hampshire would bring. Of course, she was used to moving along every seven years or so. Her room, once so inviting was just so—empty now.

By the time I got to the first floor, Grandpa and Grandma Sue were there waiting for me.

"There she is!" Grandpa said as he held his arms out for me. I was so happy to see him that I forgot his request of a few months ago and I leapt into his waiting embrace!

And knocked us both right over. "Sorry Grandpa," I was mortified. I was off him and pulling him to a standing position immediately. He seemed okay. His breathing had finally started back up and his pulse was still normal. At least my Mom didn't see. She would definitely kill me if she'd seen that.

"Renesmee," She called sternly.

'_Dang it! I was wrong.'_

"Please tell me you did not just run and jump on your poor Grandpa. He is not the same as your Uncle Emmett. How could you possibly forget that?" Her hands were on her hips and she glared at me, though she couldn't stay mad. Thank goodness for that!

"I'm fine Bella, really," Grandpa said to reassure her. "Just got the wind knocked out of me. That's all!" Then he turned back to me, "Come here pumpkin." Not sure where a pumpkin came into the equation but it seems somehow to fit. "Do you have any idea how much I'm going to miss you?" I looked at him and tears were in his eyes. They may have been in reaction to my own but I wasn't sure who's started first his or mine. I just knew that I held him tightly and cried myself out.

"Grandpa, you and Sue should come with us. They need police in New Hampshire too you know." I already knew it wouldn't work but I threw it out there anyway.

"Sorry Nessie, but I've got to stay here. But we'll see each other soon okay?" Grandpa said when his tears were dried up. "You will always be my Nessie. And there will always be a special place for you in my heart that will never go away. And I will always be with you in yours too."

"What about after the babies are born? You could forget about me then." I replied hesitantly. This had been another fear I'd had since last night when I'd heard the news.

"No Nessie, that isn't the way it works. When Bella married your dad, I didn't stop loving her. My heart grew to love them both. When you were born, my heart grew again. The same thing happened with Sue. And it will be the same when the babies come too. My heart will just grow again. Your place never goes away and it never shrinks. It stays right where it is. Okay."

"Okay," I stammered as I'd still not gotten over my pity party. Suddenly my parents were there in my hug with Grandpa. Sue was as well. We were all the people Grandpa's heart had made room for. We were his family.

"Mom, Dad," I said when I could compose myself.

"What Renesmee?" Dad asked me softly.

"You know how you said I might have to mix up my name every so often for different schools?"

"Yes." He said though he already knew what I was about to ask.

"Well, when we move to New Hampshire, I want to go by my middle name 'Carlie'. I don't really care if you want to still call me Nessie or Renesmee at home but for school I want to go by Carlie."

"Why is that baby?" Mom asked me as she stroked my hair.

"Well, for one thing, Renesmee is too big a mouthful for most people to say, but mostly because I want to be reminded of my Grandpa and how much I love him, every time I hear someone call my name.

"That sounds like a beautiful idea my Nessie." She breathed.

Grandpa started crying again. He didn't cry alone.

It was just thirty short more minutes as the house was swept up and last minute items were placed into the caravan of cars and trucks that would make the journey with us. Emmett's Hummer would pull the new Scythe but all of the rest were being driven. I would get to play musical chairs, hopping from car to car to chat with whomever I desired. I didn't think of this as I sat looking out the back of my Mom's old/new truck and Jake pulled us out of the garage and onto the long drive. All I saw was Grandpa with his arm around Grandma Sue standing in front of the too-still house as they waved good-bye to me and I blew them kisses. I wondered how I would ever hold on until Christmas.

***


	66. Chapter 57 Part 1

**Chapter Fifty Seven  
Indian Legends-Part I**

**Charlie's POV**

I watched as Nessie turned around from her seat in Bella's shiny red truck. The picture of her tear-stained face as she'd waved 'good-bye' to Sue and I was an image that was instantly burned into my memory. We sat there on the Cullen's front porch. Everything was surreally quiet, still. I don't know how long we stood there with silent tears running down our faces, wrapped in a warm embrace. But the afternoon sun had begun to dip in the western horizon as twilight approached.

"They're gone." I said, breaking the stillness. My voice was colored with disbelief. "Bella and Edward took my little granddaughter away."

"I know Charlie. Believe me I know." Sue said quietly as she dabbed tears from her own eyes.

I realized suddenly that she did, in fact, know exactly what I was feeling and more. She had suffered so much loss of her own. If losing Harry hadn't been enough, she had said 'good-bye' to both of her children just a few short weeks earlier. But her losses were being made up. She had me now. And I thanked my lucky stars I could be the man to fill the void in her life. And if Carlisle's estimation was correct, and Sue seemed confident it was, then the vacancy that came when both of her grown children left would be filled as well.

I looked at her and smiled wistfully. Every time I felt low, just looking into her eyes--so filled with love for _me_, was like a healing balm. I had to get us out of there or we'd be there all night and somehow, the darkening of the trees seemed to chill the night and made the silence all the deeper.

"Well, so this is what being 'empty nesters' feels like. Huh." I said as I leaned down to kiss Sue's forehead.

"Yes," She responded as she dabbed her eyes once more. "…empty for another eight months or so anyway."

"You know," I said as I took her hand and led her off the porch and towards our SUV. "The more I think about this baby thing the more excited I'm getting."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I think Bella's right. I missed out on so much with her growing up in Phoenix. After having Nessie around, I think I want to hear the 'pitter-patter' of little feet on the stairs." We'd reached the Escalade and I opened her door for her.

"Good because you're not getting out of it this time, Mister." Her tone had a teasing edge to it and a smile played across her face to match it.

We chatted about baby names as we pulled away from the white house that shone like a specter in the pale moonlight. Even with the distraction, I felt as though a part of my heart was breaking wide open. I comforted myself with the knowledge I'd see not just Nessie, but Bella and Edward, again at Christmas. I wondered how much older she'd look after the next eight weeks.

Halfway home, Sue's cell phone rang. She checked the number and excitedly answered.

"Leah! It is so good to hear your voice! How is the Amazon?" There was a long pause. I could tell by the happiness in Sue's expression that the Amazon was alive and well. "Did you get my message?" She looked over at me and winked. "Good. Is Seth there now?" She half-laughed into the phone and a playful smile threatened to break out across her beautiful face again. "Good, listen I'm putting the two of you on speaker so Charlie and I can give you a big surprise. Maybe you should go to speakerphone as well." Sue pulled back from her mobile and pushed a few more buttons. "Can you hear us?" She asked about 2 feet from the open phone.

"Hi kids." I added by way of greeting.

"Hey Charlie!" Seth sang out. "You treating my mom good? You know what her favorite thing to do is?"

"Ahh, watch Star Trek?" I knew that one thanks to Alice's surprise birthday party.

"Err, no." Apparently Seth was out of the loop. I had just given away inside information then. Oops! "She likes to go dog sledding back in the mountains and scuba diving at Dosewallips State Park."

"You left out her most favorite activity of all" Leah's voice admonished him from the phone's speaker. "She likes downhill skiing at Crystal Mountain. Although it has been a while for her, she may have to stick to the bunny trails from now on."

"Oh, Mom, remember that time you took us white river rafting?" Seth's voice was excited. Then he burst out in laughter at a memory. "Dad was hanging on for dear life and you were paddling so furiously into the swiftest currents shouting 'Woo hoo', to drown out Dad's screams!" They both were laughing at that. There was someone else's laughter too. It belonged to Nahuel. So they really were all there to hear our news. That was good.

I thought about Sue dog sledding, scuba diving and skiing and marveled at how much fun she had found in the place Renee had found so dull and dreary. I also wondered how recently some of those activities had occurred_. 'And I'd thought Bella's cliff dive was dangerous. I should have realized when she'd told me the LaPush kids did it all the time, she meant it 100%. Hell, it was a good thing none of them transformed into mermaids or tritons.'_

"Hi Sue and Charlie!" Nahuel greeted us.

"Hello to you too," Sue and I said at the same time and then followed it up with a synchronized laugh_. 'Damn I loved this woman.'_

"I certainly hope you aren't planning on doing any of the activities your kids have suggested." Nahuel sounded slightly shocked. "I mean, I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything. I just got you guys for family and I want to keep you."

Seth snickered as Sue said, "Thank you Nahuel, that is so sweet for you to say."

"He means that you're old now and he doesn't want your brittle bones to break, Mom!" Seth teased her.

Nahuel's next comment had a hint of mortification in it. "No, I didn't mean that at all. It's just that…"

"Relax Nahuel," This from Leah. "Seth has been calling her 'old' since he was ten." Then directed at us, "So enough of our craziness. What is your surprise? I hope it is a happy one."

"Oh it is." I piped up before I had suppressed my own giddy laugh. I found I was enjoying this much more not being on the receiving end of the news as I'd been last time. "Believe me it is."

"Good, we're all ears. Let's hear it!" Seth crowed.

"Kids," Sue began with another look at me. Her eyes danced with excitement. "Charlie and I are going to be parents again. I'm expecting."

Silence--for the space of about half a minute; I began to worry the connection had ended before they'd heard the news. Then suddenly there was a chorus of happy shouts from the other end of the phone. It sounded like 12 midnight on New Year's Eve all canned into a tiny speaker.

"I'm going to be a big brother finally! Yes!" Seth sang.

"Mom, when are you due?" Leah asked breathlessly.

"Sometime next June. I haven't gone to see Dr. Snow yet."

"You haven't? Then how do you know for certain?" Leah asked.

"Carlisle heard their heartbeats night before last when we went to the Cullens for Nessie's Halloween party." I added.

"Wait," Nahuel had picked up on my hint. "Did you say 'their heartbeats'?"

Sue and I looked at each other and smiled again.

"Mom?" Leah asked when we didn't respond immediately.

"It's true kids! We're having twins!" Sue told them excitedly to the sound of more happy cheers. "you should have seen Charlie. He passed right out--went white as a sheet. Edward had to grab him as he fell. Charlie came to and started telling him about a strange dream he was having, where I was pregnant. It was priceless!"

Everyone was hooting and hollering by then. Ha ha. Well, I guessed it was a little funny.

"So your mom will just have to put her skis away for now." I said to divert the current trend of conversation.

"That's true Mom," Seth teased. "I guess you'll have to start knitting baby booties now. Sit in a rocking chair and get some granny glasses."

"Oh no I have another activity to keep me busy." Sue said with another grin.

"Mom, that's what got you into this mess." Leah said in mocked shock.

"No silly, I have to learn how to play the new baby grand piano that Bella and Edward bought for us."

"Wow Mom, you just got all kinds of baby news today don't you!" Seth's lower voice chimed in.

"You're kidding!" Leah said wistfully. "How wonderful! Didn't you say once you wished you knew how to play?"

"Yep"

"Great. Now we have to try and keep up with the Cullens." Nahuel added dryly.

We had just reached the house when my cell phone rang as well. It was the ring that immediately got my attention. It was the one Nessie had programmed in for herself. It only played when she called. The ring tone was the song, 'My Girl'. As we walked into the house I flipped open my cell. "Nessie!" I said with excitement. She'd lasted an entire three hours before she couldn't wait any longer and called. They were leaving the borders of the state of Washington. She wasn't happy about that, nor was I.

***

The next few weeks flew by. Sue saw Dr. Snow who confirmed Carlisle's diagnosis and gave us a due date of June 12th. Because of Sue's age, the pregnancy was considered to be 'high risk' and she had to be careful not to overdo things. I guessed that kind of got me off the hook for bungee jumping off Mount Rainier. We had just finished breakfast before I headed off to work that morning. Sue had just taken two horse sized prenatal vitamins. From the look on her face, I didn't think they were going to stay down but with some effort they stayed put.

"Charlie," She called after she'd caught her breath. "Don't forget about the bonfire tonight."

"Oh yeah, are you sure you want to go?" I was concerned for her well being. The unusual Indian summer was finally at an end and it had grown colder and it was a good hike to the meeting place on the cliffs.

"Of course," She told me rolling her eyes. "Besides, I want to show you off; my husband—the newest and only honorary Quileute." She chuckled and I kissed her good bye before heading out the door.

"Yes ma'am," I replied as I winked and closed the door behind me.

***

When we arrived at the cliff top I was surprised to see a huge bonfire already blazing and my best friend Billy Black there and seated in his wheel chair. A blanket sat in his lap. His broad face was spread into his familiar smile. This was probably due to the rather large plate he held; heaped high with food with steam rising from the top.

"Charlie!" He enthused. "Congratulations, Man. I hear your bringing us some more Quileutes in a few months. Excellent." He looked at me speculatively. "Hey, don't you be eyeing my food. Get your own." He laughed.

"It's over here." Sam said from around the other side of the fire.

I led Sue by the hand towards Sam's voice, only to hear Billy call after us, "Don't take all of it Charlie, save some for Sue. She's eating for three now." There was an answering cheer of hoots and congratulations from the massive Indians around me. Why did I get embarrassed? It made no sense whatsoever.

In short order we were eating a delicious meal of fried fish, clams and even shrimp. That was before the hotdogs came out. I sat back in utter astonishment as the seven 'pack brothers' put away over five dozen—and this was just after eating their own rather large serving of the good stuff like the rest of us. It was good to see Quil and Embry. I'd seen a lot of them from the Cullen's place and had grown fond of them.

"So how are you getting along without Jacob, Billy?" I asked to distract myself. I'd almost gotten sick from watching Paul stuff three hotdogs into his mouth at once.

'_How impressive,'_ I'd thought sarcastically. I wondered how Billy's beautiful daughter Rachel stood it. She seemed so happy beside him watching him stuff his face. And besides that, how could he eat like that and keep such an impressive physique? Then I realized it must be a wolf thing. _'Weird.'_

"Jacob's been gone from the reservation for a long time. Since he got in so tight with the Cullens he's spent most of his free time with him. Of course he made a point of coming at least once a week, but it was easier with Sam living here to make his home base over with Bella's new family.

Paul was standing. He made an effort to swallow the three hotdogs whole. Seriously, I was sure he hadn't even chewed once. Surely wolves chewed their food. This wasn't normal werewolf behavior, was it? His intent became clear when, as soon as his mouth was empty, he began to speak. Apparently he wanted to reply to Billy's last statement about Jacob. I was right and partly wrong. His statement was in response to Billy's comment, but it wasn't about Jacob. No, Paul had something to say about my daughter.

"Bella the va--" He got out before he was stopped by Quil shoving another full hot dog into his open mouth, bun and all.

"Here keep these in your mouth. It will help keep your feet out." He commented in the same easy banter of the others.

"Thank you Quil." Paul said with the hot dog in place.

I turned back to Billy and saw him angrily eyeing Paul. From the corner of my eye, I saw Sam leveling a stare at him that literally sent a chill down the back of my spine. I felt Sue pat my leg and I slowly turned to her.

"It's a beautiful night isn't it?" She said as the ocean breeze blew her hair back from her face.

"That it is," I said as I lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. "I'm glad we came. It is very cheery being surrounded by friends."

"True, and surrounded by love." Sue added as she gave my hand a little squeeze.

"And a beautiful night to hear the legends of our people," Ancient Quil intoned from Sue's other side.

At his words, the casual atmosphere changed. The whistle of the wind merely added to the ethereal stillness, making the atmosphere tingle around us with an otherworldly charge.

Billy started speaking about their earliest fishermen ancestors. As he spoke his voice, much more rich and melodic than usual, took on a measured cadence as though he played a drum. I had known this man my entire life, yet I'd never heard him speak like this before. With a start I realized I was listening to something he had memorized and had repeated for years. I was hearing for the first time in my life, the rich oral history of the Quileutes.

I sat mesmerized as he spoke of Kaheleha, the tribe's first Spirit Chief. The story itself was rich in lore and steeped in myth. I could see the tale play out in my mind as he and his warriors left their bodies to fight with wolves and bats to scare away their enemies.

After telling this story, Sam Uley took over the oral history as he mentioned a chief that followed years later named Chief Taha Aki and the traitor Utlapa. A hiss sounded from the others around me at the mention of the second man in this tale. Was it just my imagination, or did the air seem to become musty, redolent? Whatever it was, it felt as though there were spirit warriors present at our bonfires listening to the tale of their deeds. And they were heroic too. When Sam told of Taha Aki having to share a body with a wolf because Utlapa had stolen his, I somehow saw Sam in my mind as he transformed into a wolf last June while playing baseball with the Cullens. Usually I tried not to think about such things. It made me shudder. This was the first time the memory did not cause my standard reaction. This time it played into the legend. Abruptly, I realized that these were not tall tells but accurate historical accounts of a clan of people who's magic helped them survive where others did not.

I was surprised when my dear wife, as a member of the council took over the narration at this point. She explained how Taha Aki had lived the spans of three old men's lives, and how he'd married a third wife after the deaths of his first two. The third wife was his true spirit wife and he had decided to give up his spirit wolf so he would die when she did.

As I watched my wife perform the oral histories of her people my heart swelled with pride in her poise and delivery. _'Well, my true spirit wife is my second wife.'_ I'd thought wistfully.

Sue then went on to tell the story of the Third Wife's Sacrifice. When she told about the wolves that went to investigate the deaths of Makah maidens they came across a sweet scent in the forest that burned their noses. This had made me think of how Renee used to smell right after dousing herself with perfume before it had a chance to settle down. Sue's never did that. She always smelled just right.

I was shocked that the three wolves the tribe had sent out tracking were killed by the unknown monster. When she told of the two maidens that went missing the next year it started to sound like the rash of missing and murdered back packers we had seen a few years back. I suddenly felt as though a blindfold had been removed from my eyes as I put together those deaths with the wolf sightings. In that instance, I knew they were somehow connected. The wolves were called upon again to assist in ridding the land of this menace. They found the same sweet stink to the forest.

Sue then described the battle that ensued when they found the creature, which looked like a man but was hard as granite rock. He had killed one already and her bloodless corpse lay on the ground. The second was in the beasts arms with his mouth at her throat. He snapped her neck and tossed her aside as he stood to meet the threat before him. The maiden's blood was on his lips and his eyes were ruby red.

Thinking of a stone man brought Emmett to mind. He had abs of steel. He never caved when Nessie ran up to greet him. He was practically unmovable.

The story of the battle continued as Sue told of the fierce strength and speed of the creature. I immediately thought of Edward racing me to our ball field as I screamed for help. And then I had another memory; One from a conversation with Bella and Edward at their cottage last June. A conversation where she'd explained about Edward's death-defying act of heroism. Her voice resounded through the chambers of my mind as I replayed her words in my head.

"_Edward literally flew across the parking lot and knocked me out of the way. It was so fast that no one saw him. Just like how we were running here pretty fast but Edward beat us anyway." _I had nodded as I shot glances at Edward who nodded his own head remembering.  
_  
"But that wasn't all. The van was turning sideways against the back of my truck and was coming straight at us again. Edward braced his arm against the oncoming van and protected me from being crushed to death. But the van was now coming to rest right where my legs were. So then Edward lifted up the van, moved my legs out of the way and then let the van fall back in such a way that Tyler wasn't further injured. Dad, Edward saved me three times that day."_

I also remembered Esme's initial confusion as we walked into the Star Trek Convention and she thought the people dressed up with pointed ears to be elves. I began to wonder just how large this supernatural community extended.

Sue then described how the strange stone monster ripped one of the wolves apart as though he were a doll. That visual image made me shudder. It certainly didn't sound like something an elf would do. At least not the kind I'd imagined that might get a job with Santa or something.

When Yaha Uta finally sunk his teeth into the creatures throat and beheaded it, his torso still tried to kill him so the lone remaining wolf was forced to tear him to pieces, which he carried home to his people. I had another mental shudder rip through me at the thought of the elders laying out the sweetly sick smelling remains out for examination and a hand started creeping its way towards a severed arm. Talk about creepy. The elders finally torched the monster and spread its ashes to the four winds. Sue explained that Taha Aki wore a small pouch around his neck, so he'd be warned if the monster ever tried to put himself back together again.

I was so shocked I gasped aloud when Billy pulled out a small leather thong from under his shirt. At the end was a small pouch, blackened with age. There were snickers from around the campfire. I tried to suck it up and appear as casual and unruffled as those around me. I didn't fool anyone; especially not with my dear wife's next words.

"Our people called the creature, 'The Cold One', 'The Blood Drinker'. They were hard to kill and could live indefinitely."

I sucked in air involuntarily as I thought of what this monster might have really been, if it were even a true story. Though everything else had held a ring of truth to it; so then maybe?

Next Sue proceeded to tell the story of the Cold Woman who came searching for her mate. They described her as the most beautiful thing any of them had ever seen. I immediately thought of young Rosalie. I had complimented her on her beauty before. There was no denying she was strikingly beautiful and could rival any actress or model and leave them jealous. Sue explained that the people thought she was the goddess of the sun because the sun shone down on her and glittered off her white skin and golden hair that flowed down to her knees. Now she still reminded me of Rosalie, but the glittering skin sounded more like Bella's shield than anything else. Did this Cold Woman have a similar protection? I was so caught up in my musings that I had to catch up with the story.

The story went on to tell how she had come to find her mate, but ended up seeking vengeance instead. After killing many of the tribe's people, word reached Taha Aki, where he sat in council with his third wife and his two sons and other elders. Upon hearing the news Taha Aki's son, Yaha Uta immediately transformed into his spirit wolf and went to destroy the blood drinker, everyone else followed. The imagery was staggering as Sue told of the many lifeless, bodies they found, drained of blood as they searched for the beautiful woman. Yaha Uta/wolf finally caught up to her and it was a close fight as the Cold Woman was not the fighter her mate had been. By himself, Yaha Uta was defeated and in a rage of despair, Taha Aki transformed into an old ancient wolf. He was strong with his Spirit Man and the fight began anew.

The tale was riveting and I clutched at my chest unconsciously as she told how the third wife grabbed a knife from one of her young sons at her side. She'd just seen her one son killed before her and her husband was in a fight for his life. She took the knife and lunged toward the Cold Woman, but then did the unexpected. The brave third wife plunged the knife into her own chest. The blood that followed distracted the blood drinker, who could not resist the lure of fresh human blood. The trauma of seeing their mother's sacrifice traumatized the two young sons, who consumed with rage, had sprung forth as their spirit wolves, though they were still too young. They helped their father finish off the Cold Woman.

Once again I was lost in thought as I imagined the courage of this Indian woman, the Third Wife, and her sacrifice that saved her family and her people. I realized I wouldn't have my Sue today, had it not been for this valiant woman who was her ancestor. My mind wandered once more as I thought of the strange happenings that had occurred in the recent past—especially during the months the Cullens went away. The time when Bella told me about the large wolves, when she was terrified and screaming in her dreams every night. I wondered if she had seen one of these blood drinkers. Had there been a cold woman who stalked her dreams back then as well?

The narrative was passed from Sue to Old Quil. His age had been telling on him recently and everyone leaned in closer to hear his soft, cracked voice as he began.

Old Quil spoke of how the things learned by their ancestors were passed through the ages and as time passed, the threat of the Cold Ones became less prevalent and the descendents of Taha Aki no longer transformed into wolves when they reached manhood. I thought about what I'd learned of how old Seth had been when he'd changed into the wolf_. 'Manhood my foot!' _I'd silently scoffed as I then thought of Leah next and shook my _head 'Manhood indeed.'_ I added mentally with forced sarcasm.

There was something else that was trying to break through my reverie. Something big I was missing. I had a feeling settling into the pit of my stomach as though just the thought of some new understanding was waiting to bust out of me and shatter the cozy little ledge I'd perched myself onto in this bigger world of the unknown.

Then Old Quil looked directly at me as he spoke of a larger coven that came almost three generations ago. I did the mental math, he was talking almost seventy five years earlier, so at least I knew the story had become somewhat more current. Old Quil told how there were differences to the new clan of Cold Ones and that their golden eyes gave proof to their claim to not be like other blood drinkers, of their kind. They claimed to not exist on the blood of humans but animals instead. Our chief and Alpha at the time, Ephraim Black, knew that they were outnumbered. He knew that the Cold Ones would win any battle they engaged in. The Cold Ones leader Carlisle, said they were not interested in fighting with us but offered instead a treaty. They had promised to stay off of Quileute lands and pledged to not harm or bite any humans. They asked us to keep the knowledge of their true nature a secret from others. Ephraim agreed to this arrangement as long as they kept their word and were not a threat to humans.

I'd caught a chill at the mention of Carlisle's name_. 'Dang,'_ I'd thought as I shivered involuntarily in reaction_. 'Maybe I'm a blasted Cold One.'_ I'd rubbed my arms and allowed the friction to smooth out my goose pimples. I wondered if perhaps this seventy year old man who shared a given name with Bella's father-in-law, was the reason they had hated the Cullens so much for so long. Maybe that'd been where they got their golden eyes. It was hereditary. Maybe this Carlisle was Dr. Cullen's great grandfather; though that wouldn't explain the eyes of the rest of the family—or Bella's. I shook my head to dispel my wild speculations. _'Surely the Quileutes weren't that superstitious though. I mean come on, Carlisle was clearly not a man older than seventy years old. He was in his mid-twenties.'_

Then I remembered a comment Billy had made into a PA system during our ballgame last June about the good doctor. _"Next up is Dr. Carlisle Cullen, who has been up to bat so many times that it is lucky for us no one has been keeping track."_

Old Quil concluded his remarks with this comment, "They've stayed true to their side, though their presence does tend to draw others in."

That was when a few things became clear, falling like pieces into a ghastly puzzle. Something Old Quil had said at first I hadn't registered because I side-tracked myself with thoughts of how the tribe defined 'reaching manhood'. But he had said, _"as time passed, the threat of the Cold Ones became less prevalent and the descendents of Taha Aki no longer transformed into wolves when they reached manhood."_

I was looking into the faces of seven werewolves in the firelight--protectors and defenders of their tribe, of the people. I again thought of the wolf sightings from a few years ago and how they had always been around victims. I began to realize I had erroneously assumed it had been the wolves that were responsible for those deaths and disappearances. But clearly they had not. The autopsy reports showed that most of the victims had been drained of blood. It had baffled me as much as it had the forensic team. Where had the blood gone? Then with that mystery left unsolved, the Cullens returned and the threat vanished. The experts were called to Seattle to use their skills at finding evidence surrounding the serial killings of the area.

With a sudden surety, I realized the monsters had returned--these 'Cold Ones', these 'Blood Dinkers'. They had returned and the wolves had made another appearance to protect those in the area. I remembered Jacob being sick and Bella's claim of a LaPush gang. She'd figured it out. She was always so observant. Still the attacks continued. That was until Edward's family showed back up. I remembered, somewhat with chagrin, how I'd warned Bella away from Edward and his family--demanded really. Guess I'd been wrong about that as well. I wondered briefly if the Cullens, being X-men and all, had scared them off.

*******

**[A/N: So, I have one more part to this the last main chapter of 'Indian Summer' before the 6-part Epilogue. I hope that you have been enjoying my fan fiction. I had a lot of fun writing it and 'living' in the Twilight world for a time :D]**


	67. Chapter 57 Part II

**Chapter Fifty Seven  
Legends-Part II**

**Charlie's POV**

I was startled out of my reverie by Billy's booming voice as he took back up the narrative once more. I very nearly jumped. And here I'd thought they were done. I wondered what time it had gotten to be as I stared up at the moon that was now high in the sky. I was very thankful those boys didn't change with the full moon because that was what we had tonight and I was sure with the mood and scary stories being told, I didn't care for a demonstration at that moment.

"There are more things we have learned about these 'Blood Drinkers', these 'Cold Ones'. Most of our added understanding of their true nature, their gifts, their perception and their ability to make ethical choices and by thus, retain their essential humanity, came to us from a brave young woman who sought to protect those she loved at all cost. I will now tell her story. It is a story that will be added to our history and tonight is the first time of its telling. It is the story of Bella."

I was shocked beyond words. Here I thought I'd just put the puzzle pieces together just to find out the puzzle was considerably larger than I'd ever guessed. And my daughter apparently had more interactions with these 'Cold Ones' than a few nightmares.

"My Bella?" I whispered, though in truth, I had not even realized I'd spoken aloud.

"That's right, 'your' Bella, who now has her own story in the Quileute legends, though she isn't a Quileute herself. It was partly to honor her that we made you an honorary member of the tribe." Old Quil spoke matter-of-factly from his wizened face.

I nodded mutely as Billy took up the tale of my daughter. Some parts I had already heard from Edward and Bella. Most of it was news to me. I felt as though my skin would crawl when I heard how Bella's blood called to Edward and he had nearly killed her that first day of school, but he had left school instead and traveled to Alaska. Billy explained that with time, he came to realize that the more he was around her the more desensitized to her scent he became and the easier it was to ignore, though it never went away.

I didn't like the direction this story was going. If Bella's blood was calling to Edward that could only mean that he wasn't the X-man I'd envisioned him to be. I also realized that my best friend had known this all along and had kept me in the dark. That must've been some treaty. My only hint had been the Quileutes hatred towards the Cullens. Not much given away there.

Billy went on to tell of the van accident where Edward had saved Bella and then onto the incident in Port Angeles where he'd saved not only Bella but countless future victims of a rapist/murderer. Not your typical 'Blood Drinker' behavior. So far, Edward was still running in league with the X-men not the dangerous 'Cold Ones'.

The story continued with his efforts to stay away to keep her safe from himself but he had already fallen in love with her. Bella was Edward's other half. This would have made me roll my eyes had I not seen how happy they have been together or how anxious Bella used to get whenever he went hiking for the weekend.

Then Billy said something that made my mouth hang open wide. I knew it had when I began to drool. He said there were greater powers at work to bring the two of them together. To hear Billy tell it, Edward, who had lived for so long with never knowing the love of a soul mate before fought a losing battle as he tried to keep his distance from his destiny.

I began to wonder exactly how old Edward was when another memory came to mind. I could hear Nessie's musical voice in my head from our trip home from the airport.

"_Oh, I'm marrying my Jacob when I grow up. Which will probably be in another five to seven years."_

"Uh, Nessie," I'd replied trying to sound reasonable._ "Jacob Black is too old for you."_

"No he's not. I'm growing up fast and he's holding still." I'd wondered at the time what she'd meant by that. I got it very clear now. Time for there to be a wife number three, according to the stories._ "Besides Grandpa, He's closer to my age than my dad is to my mom."_

"Now you're talking nonsense Kiddo." I'd told her as I patted her head._ "Your parents are the same age. Besides you're too young to be even thinking of marriage. You're not even two yet!"_

I started to make a mental list of things Bella was going to have to explain. Edward's age was item number one on the list.

I listened in disbelief to the account of the three traditional 'Cold Ones' that came to their family baseball game, uninvited and unannounced and the panic that had ensued. I remembered Edward picking Bella up that evening and his promise rang through my mind, _"She'll be safe with me sir, I promise."_

I listened as though hearing a horror story as he spoke of the efforts Edward went through to keep that promise to me and keep my daughter, who he had already fallen in love with, alive. That night when she'd left and shattered my heart. It had shattered hers as well. She had done it to protect me from those nomadic monsters. I had never understood how she could have become so unfeeling in her behavior that night. This new scenario sounded so much more like the daughter I knew so well.

The Cullens had broken into three groups. Jasper and Alice had taken Bella to Phoenix, Esme and Rosalie came back to tail me—to keep me safe. That thought touched me as much as it perplexed me. I'd never seen them once. The third group, consisting of Edward, Carlisle and Emmett had gone to hunt the leader, James, whose gift of tracking had led him to become a sadistic beast who reveled in destroying people's lives. I stopped breathing as Billy told how James had eluded the Cullens and traveled to Phoenix, tricked Bella into believing he had her mother hostage and she had in turn deceived Alice and Jasper before leaving to offer an exchange, her life to save her mother. In that moment, as bizarre as the story was, I knew it was nothing but the truth. Because I knew my daughter and that was exactly what my Bella would have done had she believed someone she loved were in danger.

The chills came more frequently as I learned how James had bitten her; an act that would have changed her into what he was. Edward arrived and stopped James from killing her and through an extraordinary show of restraint had sucked out the poisoned blood from my baby's battered body. Somehow while ingesting the blood he thirsted so desperately for, he was able to stop when it was all out and get her to the hospital. I was chilled to the bone as I visualized this and the phone call I'd received claiming she'd tripped on hotel stairs and fallen through a window. I began wondering if the chills I felt were perhaps another way to become one of these cold ones.

I wondered at the continued restraint my son-in-law had after their return when I had thought all sorts of vile things of him and blamed him for her condition. I marveled to realize his self-control kept him from lashing out at me in response to my thoughts; especially if he were one of these 'Cold Ones' who were capable of killing an entire village in an afternoon. I thought of all the times that Edward had shaken my hand, or he'd brushed by me and I'd shivered in response. I'd chalked it up to being outside so much or merely a metabolic anomaly, something that Carlisle had surely addressed.

I was surprised to learn of the paper cut Bella had received on her birthday and how it had led to Edward taking him and his family out of Bella's life. I remembered hearing about the bonfire being lit on the cliffs as the Quileutes celebrated their departure. That was when I realized I was at that very moment with the Quileutes at a bonfire on the cliffs and the Cullens had recently left the area again. Well, at least they were holding a tribal council this time instead of a victory celebration. No wonder Bella loved the Cullens so much. They had all protected her at all cost—hardly the act I would expect from the 'Cold Ones' that frightened the tribe so badly.

Then Billy got to the part of the disappearances around the area and the sweet smell that had returned once more. They found two 'Cold Ones'. One with red wild hair, named Victoria and the other a dark haired creature named Laurent. I gripped the edge of my canvas chair as he told of my daughter, hiking alone in the woods and coming across Laurent while he hunted. The werewolves had arrived and saved the day that time. They had taken Laurent down.

I'd remembered that day too. Bella had come in the house looking as white as, well, as white as she was now. She shook with fear as she told me about the wolves. That was when the look of terror became constant for her. She'd jump at the slightest noise. She'd wake up each morning and run in my room to check on me. I had to practically drag her off to bed each night too. That had been a living hell. I was glad it was in the past. If I'd known then what I'd just learned tonight…well, I'd have been competing with Bella for the 'Scariest Screams, Due to Nightmares' award.

Bella's safety became the pack's responsibility as they learned that Victoria was after her. Since Edward had killed James, she felt that killing Bella was fair turn about. The wolves kept her safe, though Victoria remained a step ahead of them and killed innocent hikers to quench her thirst. The story continued with Alice seeing Bella's fool hearty act of jumping off the cliff. I knew this part so I felt it would be a safe time to let out a sigh of relief. At least I knew the rest from here on out.

Just when I was settling into a calmer more relaxed state, it was soon shattered as the true reason Bella took off so abruptly with Alice was revealed. This had always been another example of an act that went against what I'd known about Bella nature; leaving me grieving one of my best friends to go off joy riding to see the fellow who'd broken her heart. No, that behavior never fit with her nature. But running off, traveling halfway around the world to keep Edward from killing himself sounded exactly like something Bella would do. And how long had I grounded her for it upon her return? Item number two on the list of things to ask Bella about: For being such a truthful person, why did she lie to me about something I would have been proud of her for doing and feed me a song and dance instead that had me seeing red?

Next came the Volturi, who cloaked themselves in secrecy and power. Bella exposed herself to them and was nearly killed on the spot as she saved Edward from revealing their secret publicly so they would end his life. They'd barely made it out alive by Alice's and Edward's promise that she would be changed soon. Wait a minute, hadn't Felix and Demetri told me that _they_ were from the Volturi? I'd wondered what they'd meant at the time, but had decided it was an Italian thing and had dropped it.

I was shocked to hear when Bella's clothes had gone missing that spring. They were actually stolen by an unknown 'Cold One' for an army of _newborns_ Victoria was creating in Seattle. _'So that was what was behind the serial killings',_ I'd thought as if a light bulb had gone off in my head. It burst into shattering pieces as I heard that this Victoria had created them to destroy my daughter. How many lives had that woman destroyed just to get at my daughter? I'd heard of vendettas but that took the cake. _'Talk about your crazy.'_ I glanced away from the fire and into the forest behind me. I wasn't sure if I expected this insane psychopath to come sauntering out or what, but it felt way to dark to hear the rest of this macabre story. Especially since the telling of it was twisting my stomach into painful knots.

"Bella was a friend of the tribe and practically a member of the Cullen family as well." Billy said as he continued his story as though oblivious to my extreme discomfort. Sue wasn't though. She took my arm and wrapped it around her shoulder before leaning in closer to me. The warmth immediately helped to quiet my stress.

Jacob, with my help and blessing, had made a play for Bella; though he'd not 'imprinted' on her. Now here was something I'd been wondering about since I'd heard Leah use the word at our joint wedding. I leaned over to Sue and asked her in a whisper what that meant. Before she could respond, Sam announced my question to the entire assembly even though I was apparently alone in my ignorance. When he told me, I thought it was the craziest thing I'd ever heard_. 'Of course, I'd also seen a small dragon fly to Emmett while hunting for Deer'_, I reminded myself.

Edward and Jacob were at odds with each other over not just their species inbred hatred, but over who was best suited for Bella as well. And as misguided as Jacob had been at the time, his close proximity to Bella kept him in the loop of knowledge as Bella and the Cullens pieced together what form of revenge Victoria had planned. When they realized an army of twenty _newborns_ were coming to attack and they each carried an article of clothing with Bella's scent on it, I gasped in horror. TWENTY 'Cold Ones' were intent on finding and destroying MY daughter.

Then I learned of the alliance Jacob forged to prevent this army of monsters from taking my daughter away from me. That was when I also learned how Seth and Edward had acted to protect Bella far away from the main battle when Victoria came to find her. Edward had saved her again. He was a super hero in my book, even if he were one of these dangerous 'Cold Ones, though I still didn't believe that one--unless they were similar in some strange mutated way.

Next, I heard the truth of Jacob's motor cycle accident and how he'd protected Leah from one of these _newborns_, who were apparently even stronger than Emmett. Just the thought made me want to laugh. Nothing and Nobody was stronger than Emmett—unless it was possibly Felix. I thought of that day when I'd watched as Carlisle and Edward worked so hard to keep Jacob alive and out of pain resetting his bones and taking care of his needs. They had done this, coming straight from the battlefield where all of them had fought to protect not just everyone in the area, but more specifically--my daughter. No wonder Bella had cried herself to sleep that night. I guessed the third thing on the list for Bella would be to ask her if motorcycles were really even dangerous for any of them at all.

Then Billy continued his tale as Edward and Bella got married and headed off to their island for their honeymoon. This had begun to feel uncomfortable to me in an entirely different way. Bella was my little girl and I didn't want her privacy being compromised to tell a good story. It wasn't of course. I should have known my best friend Billy would have more common sense than that. There was some apprehension over their physical intimacy as 'Edward's kind' didn't mate with humans. The strength alone could kill them. This was news to me and for a moment I boiled in fury before I reminded myself that Edward had always been extraordinarily careful with Bella and had they not been intimate, I would not have the most amazing granddaughter in the world right now. Of course, Edward and Bella had already explained to me that they thought Edward was sterile and we all knew that wasn't the case. Hind sight was always twenty-twenty.

I thought again of the conversation at the cottage with Edward and Bella:

"_This is a lot for me to process. But I think this will do it. I understand now just enough so that I can do what I can to help Nessie. I always knew she was special. I didn't really understand just HOW special she was until now."_ I'd said as I smiled at the two of them.

_"She's a true miracle Dad. We didn't think Edward could have children. We were all in shock when we realized she was coming."_

"_Really? Well, I can't imagine not having her here. I'm glad we got our little miracle."_ There were tears in my eyes again as I realized the truth of my words. Who would have thought that a rough old fool like me could be so completely changed by such a sweet little girl? As always, I got a lump in my throat as I thought of my little angel.

_"Bella went through a lot to make sure she got here safely."_ Edward had commented.

"_I'm glad you did kid. And I'm glad you're okay."_ I had hugged them both for a long time. Even through my jacket, I'd once again felt a wintery chill in their embrace.

"The higher powers that had a hand in bringing and keeping Edward and Bella together, had a reason for their actions. There was an assignment for them to fulfill by being parent to a very special child. The child that we have learned will grow to be 'The Hope of the World'." Billy continued. He'd lost me again. I'd no idea what he was talking about. But I could see that title making sense as I remembered the news of over a two-week period, of no crime in the Seattle area simply because my little Nessie was so happy to see ME. I thought of her excited expression that day at the airport and my hand went automatically for my pocket. But then I remembered it was too late at night to give her a call.

I was brought back to the story with another shock. How many had there been tonight? I'd have to recount them later. This time it was Billy telling of how when Edward brought Bella home pregnant, that the wolf pack was set to destroy her and the Cullens out of fear for what they'd bred and the danger it could pose for others. It was with a shock I remembered sitting on First Beach with Alice as she prepared the place for Sam's wedding this last June; after Sam had tried to have them all killed. There was no doubt that the Cullen's couldn't be these 'Blood Drinkers' the elders had been talking about all night. They were the epiphany of virtue and forgiveness—not the vengeful monsters driven for a thirst for human blood, the 'Cold Ones'.

It wasn't my imagination either, that as Billy's voice took on a note of pride as he told of how his son stood up to Sam and refused to follow orders that he took on his heritage as the 'True Alpha' and he broke off from the pack and high tailed it over to the Cullens to help protect them. I about cried when I heard it was my new son Seth, who was close on his heels to second him. Leah followed the next day. With two separate packs, and the loss of the element of surprise, the attack had been called off.

I just about had a heart attack as Billy told exactly how Edward had saved Bella's life with Jacob's help and apparently his permission—another thing to add to my list for Bella. Since when did Jacob Black get to call the shots on whether she lived or died?

Billy explained to me that Edward was venomous. He had been storing his venom up to preserve Bella's life, as it healed humans but also turned them into the same kind of creature in the process. Bella's heart had stopped. Jacob began CPR. Edward had filled a syringe full of his venom and injected it straight into her heart while he then proceeded to bite her at as many pressure points she had. Billy explained this 'biting' was the way the poison was normally administered. Jacob became discouraged and said she was dead but Edward wouldn't give up on her and after Jacob left the room, he continued to pump Bella's heart until it had healed enough to take over on its own.

Meanwhile Jacob, half out of his mind, had gone downstairs and in a sudden fury went to kill the baby that had killed Bella. That had to be the last thing I'd expected Billy to say. I'd run out of fingers for shocking revelations tonight, but so far that had to be the granddaddy of them all. I'd seen Jacob with Nessie. He'd take on anyone who laid a mean finger on her personally. But Billy was dead serious as he told of how Jacob's eyes met the newborn baby's and he imprinted on her. What did he say? Jacob was going to kill her then no, he was in love with her and planned to marry her when she grew up? And Bella and Edward were okay with this? From his next statements it became clear that Edward and Bella were not okay with this development at first. That was reassuring. Edward and Bella were the most down-to-earth young people I'd ever met.

I replayed a comment made by Nessie for the second time tonight but with more intent this time.

"_Oh, I'm marrying my Jacob when I grow up. Which will probably be in another five to seven years."_

_  
_I'd been Captain Oblivious the whole time. I sighed, _'So much for my police training, my powers of observation.'_ Still, as much as I had tried in the past to push Bella in Jacob's direction. I didn't want him trying to make the moves on my innocent little granddaughter. That would be item number four on my list of things to discuss with my daughter. She and Edward allowing Jacob to imprint on a newborn and then not keeping him away from her until she was at least thirty or forty years old.

Billy's story was about at an end. I was extremely thankful, as I had too much information thrown at me too quickly. My 'need to know' mantra had been torn to shreds as I'd realized just how much it had left me clueless and in the dark. There were so many startling revelations that I was only just beginning to sort out and as the pieces were coming at me hard and fast, I'd yet to make sense of the puzzle as a whole. There were still some important concepts I needed to think through.

He did end by telling of the Volturi's visit and their intentions and how the packs and the Cullens had enlisted the aid of many of 'their kind' to help make the Volturi see reason. Had that been the reason Bella had been so distracted and tense her first Christmas with Edward and Nessie?

I remembered Bella showing up one December morning with Nessie and Jacob and I'd asked where Edward was. It was Jacob's voice that had answered.

'_Entertaining friends. You're so lucky you're out of the loop Charlie, that's all I'm going to say."_

Were those friends the others who had come to stand with them against the powerful royal family? Was that why Bella had told me it wasn't such a good time for me to go visit them there? I dropped my soda can when Billy told how Bella had put Nessie on Jacob/wolf's back to run away when she believed they would all die. He also explained about the powerful gifts of the two young Volturi twins and how Bella's shield protected the entire assemblage of protectors leaving the powerful royal coven to return to Italy with their lies and power lust exposed.

That sounded like my Bella. To have a gift developed from her strongest attribute—her need to protect. I had been so lucky to play a part in her life, even though she'd kept so much from me. Billy had ended his narrative and the council meeting ended, though no one moved. They all sat with their eyes intent on mine. The pieces were all still clicking silently into place as I reconciled what I'd known and heard before with this newer, stranger knowledge. The world as I'd known it had been shattered into a million pieces leaving in its wake a much darker colder and alien place. Yet still one with a warmth to it. If it held people like Carlisle and Esme; if my lifelong friend Billy Black and my wife Sue were involved as well.

I tried to think through the confusion to what my mind still didn't want to accept. The reality of what my daughter had become. I remembered a comment Paul had made back in June to Emmett as I umpired the most outrageous ballgame I'd ever seen; the game that had destroyed my desire to ever watch regular dull, old Major League baseball again.

Emmett had just plowed him over at first base, breaking one of Paul's ribs. He'd spat out to the hulking Cullen, _"Stinking, filthy VA *&%#$*...X-MAN."_ I had guessed Paul was just to mad to even get out a decent insult. I had noticed that he'd stammered over the last word like he was choking on it. I'd chalked it up to pain. Then I'd remembered he was about to make that same statement tonight about Bella before Quil had stuffed a hot dog into his mouth. But what was a 'va—'?

Later in the game, when Emmett was pitching and Paul was up to bat, their confrontation had continued.

"_Oh" _Emmet ha said tauntingly, _"Is little Paul upset? How's the little poke in the ribs doing?"_

'_Emmet, come on. Cut it out!_' I'd silently plead. Paul had a nasty temper.

Then Emmet pitched his fancy hard ball spin that looked like it would leave me eating dirt cakes again but Paul managed to hit it--straight at Emmet's head. Emmet caught it a fraction of an inch before it would have replaced his nose.

_"Out"_ I'd called.

_"You are one lucky leech." _Paul retorted as he threw the bat down.

I remembered I'd shaken my head at Paul's choice of insult. The last thing I would ever have thought to call Emmet Cullen was a leech. _'Big foot maybe, Goliath maybe, Stone Gollum maybe, but, leech—get out of town!'_ I'd thought at the time.

Now I wasn't so sure his assessment was so off. Didn't leeches suck blood? Wouldn't blood drinkers suck their blood from their victims? Hadn't Billy just described for me in crystal clear detail of exactly how Edward had saved Bella? Biting her at as many pressure points as possible? Allowing his venom to heal and change her system. And what was it Emmett had said just two weeks ago when he'd defended his position of being a scary monster after I'd told him he looked like a lumber jack. As it came to me I dropped my soda can. The blood drained from my face completely. My insides froze into a block of ice. I couldn't seem to get enough air in my lungs. The world started to spin and I fought for control. I tried to focus on the flames before me to keep me from passing out. I looked into the concerned faces of Sue, Sam and Billy.

"Bella's a vampire?" I got out before I lost my focus and the blackness took me from the warmth of the flames.

*******

**THE END OF THE MAIN STORY OF 'INDIAN SUMMER'**

**I would like to take a moment to thank all of you who have invested so much of your time in this journey with me. It has been a real experience that has opened up my 'bottled up creativity' and taught me much along the way from grammar to posting on the internet! I have also made some wonderful friends in the process. Thank you for your enthusiasm, your love, your encouragement, comments and pointing out when I got off base a bit. It has really meant a lot to me that you cared so much about my fan fiction. You are the best. Thanks for not giving up on me! It has been a much longer road than I originally planned. (My first outline had twelve chapters and I thought it might go to 16!). So I would really just like to say 'Thank you truly!!!!!!!'**

Love,  
Tami

PS I do still have my Epilogues. It is in 6 parts and covers the following summer at Akakor. That ends my fan fiction.

**As I mentioned earlier, there is a second Epilogue as a lead in for 'All Worlds Collide' (a collaboration with other authors that springboards off Indian Summer as well as 2 other fan fictions, 'Dangerous Obsessions' and 'The Volturi Saga') and is not really a part of Indian Summer. [It basically puts Felix and Demetri back under Aro's thumb through Aro's underhandedness.]**


	68. Epilogue 1 Part 1: The Battle For Akakor

Epilogue One  
The Battle for Akakor-Part I

Bella's POV

**It was hard to leave my Dad behind in Forks, but I knew I'd left him in good hands and in eight short months he'd be way too busy to miss me or my little daughter. I'd hoped that Nessie would settle into her new life in Hanover, NH and not stay too sad. And I knew she was grieving as we'd traveled cross-country, even without Edward's pained expressions as he listened in on her thoughts or when she'd climb over the seat to curl up in my lap before crying herself to sleep. I had known it without her phone calls every three hours to update Charlie about what she'd seen along the way, just so she could hear his voice. **

**Thankfully, I had been correct about her ability to settle into her new environment. She had been apprehensive about starting the fifth grade in the middle of the year but after the first day, her jitters disappeared. As she'd requested, everyone at Ray Elementary School called her Carlie Cullen.**

**While she went to class, Edward and I worked hard setting up our two bedroom suite at our new house so we'd be ready to dive into the world of academia upon our return from Christmas holidays. **

**It was Thanksgiving Day when we received THE phone call from Charlie. Oh, we'd had plenty before this one. Actually all of our phone conversations had seemed strained since our departure and Edward and I had chalked it up to his discomfort expressing emotions and missing us. He never seemed apprehensive with Nessie when we overheard their phone exchanges. I'd secretly wondered if he was mad at us for leaving. When THE phone call came, Edward and I learned how wrong our assumption had been. We were at a distinct disadvantage with Edward's mind reading ability not being able to travel through the wireless network. Apparently, even with Alice's new freedoms with her **_**sight**_**, stick my father in a tribe full of werewolves, and Alice's visions went on the blink.**

**The entire family had just sat down in our large dining room. The table was laden with food, a beautiful oven roasted turkey, complete with all the trimmings, sat in the center on a silver platter. Surrounding it were serving bowls of mashed potatoes, cranberry salad, yams, buttered rolls, fresh asparagus, pumpkin pie and two crystal glasses were filled with eggnog. The whole thing looked and smelled positively nauseating. Jacob's eyes told just how our taste in food differed. Renesmee was eyeing the banquet wearily. Carlisle had blessed the dinner. It was the longest prayer I'd ever heard. I believe he was thankful for everything from the house we lived in to the snails in the forest. When Jacob's stomach growled angrily, Carlisle finally wrapped it up and eight of us watched every bite that Jacob devoured and Nessie picked at.**

**We were just watching in disgusted fascination as Jake put a fourth slice of pie on his plate. He'd made sure there'd be no leftovers. The bony frame was all that remained of the 25 lb. turkey. Nessie discovered she'd liked the yams, cranberry salad and pie, or in other words—the sweet stuff. That was the moment Dad's ringer went off on my cell phone and I excused myself from the table and walked out on the front porch to enjoy the morning sun dance across my sparkling skin as I talked to my favorite father.**

"**Dad, I am so glad you called. Is Sue still cooking your dinner since you are three hours behind us in Forks?" I breathed as I turned my hand to watch a prism pattern dance through the glitters.**

"**Hi Bella," Dad sounded uncomfortable, uncharacteristically distracted. "Uh yeah, she's been pretty busy in the kitchen since early this morning. How was your dinner?" It sounded like a pointed question somehow.**

"**Well it was good…" I said tentatively**_**. 'At least to Jacob it was,'**_** I continued the sentence mentally. "Why do you ask?" For some reason I got the feeling there was more to the question than pleasantries.**

"**Just wondering what you ate for your Thanksgiving meal." He'd put some emphasis on the word 'you'.**

**There was a pause as I tried to guess at where he was coming from. I decided to stick to the vague truth. "I didn't actually have any of the regular meal. It didn't look appealing to me. But I did have a big meal just last night." That wasn't an exaggeration. I had found a black bear, a moose and in honor of Thanksgiving I'd even caught me a wild turkey.**

"**Hmmm, the thing is Bella," There was another pause. I hadn't heard Charlie so uncomfortable to speak since he'd given me the 'sex talk' my senior year of high school. At least I knew that base had already been covered.**

"**Listen Dad, whatever it is. Just spit it out. You know I don't bite." I responded playfully.**

**He laughed nervously in response. "Well, the thing is, I accompanied Sue to the cliffs last Friday and I heard about their legends, you see. I don't know how I'd managed to go my entire life, with my best friends being Quileute, and not have heard them before now, but…" He trailed off. I started to have a sinking feeling settle into the pit of my stomach. I knew the legends. I knew that they talked about the 'Blood Drinkers' and the 'Cold Ones'. Had my dad put it together? Was he in danger now as a result? What would he think of me?**

"**I've heard the legends myself. They are rather fascinating don't you think?" I tried to calm myself. My voice sounded high and ringing with a growing anxiety of my own.**

"**Yes they are fascinating but I think 'enlightening' might be a better descriptive word to use. Did you know that they have a new legend?"**

"**Really? You don't say." I sounded as though I were choking on my words. Edward came out the front door with a concerned look on his face and sat beside me on the bench. He held my hand. "The Quileutes have a new legend?" I bit my lower lip. Edward gathered me in his silent embrace and rested his chin on the top of my head.**

"**It was VERY interesting and all about a girl named Bella who brought the werewolves and a unique clan of 'Cold Ones' together to protect her and everyone else in the area from vampires."**

**I tried to swallow but my throat wouldn't cooperate. Instead a strangled moan escaped my lips. "Vampires?" I asked. My eyes were still on my arm with the sun gleaming off it like sparkling water. I lifted my shield and thought, **_**'He knows! What should I do? How do I protect him now?'**_

"**The wolf pack will protect him, love." Edward whispered reassuringly in my ear. I nodded my head but it only addressed one of my fears.**

'_**What will he think of me now?'**_** I shuddered at the possibilities**_**. 'I don't want to lose him. Why did the Quileutes do that?'**_

"**He's one of them now." Edward whispered quietly. He hugged me and kissed the top of my head before swiftly adding. "It must be hard for him to process this if it took him an entire week to mention it. He's called four times since then. He loves you Bella. Give him time to work through the shock. I believe he still wants to be a part of our lives. Just don't panic and remember I'm right here." I nodded my head weakly.**

**Charlie's voice broke the silence. "Yes Bella, vampires. Just like Emmett said he was on Halloween. I know what you are Bells. I'm just having a hard time understanding it…well, believing it." His voice didn't sound angry or revolted. It just sounded sad.**

"**I'm sorry, Dad." I breathed. Edward's arm tightened on my shoulder. "I couldn't tell you. When I found out, it made some very powerful people unhappy. It endangered my life. I could never risk yours after seeing how certain vampires love their rules."**

"**That would be the Volturi?" My dad had his police voice on. Perhaps he felt more comfortable approaching this conversation as though it were a fact finding mission.**

"**Yes, but I'll…" I fought to put some resolve in my voice. It worked. "…I'll never let them learn about what you know. You'll be safe." I willed my words to be true.**

"**I know you will Bells." There was a pause before he spoke again. "So I was wondering a few things. Are you up to answering some questions for your 'slightly out of touch with reality' old man?"**

**I laughed in relief. Edward did too; just before he leaned in and kissed my nose. **

"**Anything you need Dad. Shoot." **_**'Is the worst really over? Does he accept me? It sounds like he still loves me.'**_

"**Is that Edward I hear laughing with you?"**

"**Yes, it is."**

"**Hi Dad," Edward added.**

"**Hello Edward," Charlie replied politely. "It's a good thing you're there but I hope Nessie isn't."**

"**No, she and Jacob are getting ready to go hiking through the sugar maples."**

"**That's right I remember her mentioning how beautiful they looked this time of year." He quickly returned to the matter at hand. "So about my questions; at the bonfire, I learned that you guys are supposedly immortal. Is that correct?"**

"**Yes, it is."**

"**So you aren't going to age anymore?"**

"**No, I'll stay 18 forever."**

"**Oh great, listen Bells, do everyone a favor and don't tell your mother. She'll either be jealous or demand that you change her yourself."**

**Edward and I laughed together.**

"**So exactly how old are you Edward?" Charlie asked from the receiver. His tone was slightly more relaxed. I'd wondered if he'd remain so when he heard this one. I changed the phone to speaker so he'd hear Edward as easily as Edward could hear him.**

"**I was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1901." Charlie's only response was a gasp. Edward ignored that and continued. "When I was 17 years old, I contracted Spanish influenza. It killed both of my parents and had pretty much killed me as well. My mother's dying request to Doctor Cullen was to save me, by whatever means necessary—to do what no one else could. Carlisle was very lonely and so he did just that."**

"**That is…well, that's something." Charlie said sounding thoughtful. "So, I guess that would make you one hundred and eight years old. Bella, you really went for a mature man didn't you? Sorry Edward, I guess I didn't really believe the whole immortal bit."**

"**That's okay Dad," Edward responded. "I've lived a long time, but I was seventeen when I was changed, and my temperament and personality were set in the perspective I had at that time. So while I've lived for 108 years, I still look and feel and act like a seventeen year old."**

"**A very mature, responsible seventeen year old," I corrected.**

"**Okay, I'll get used to it. Just give me some time. It feels a little funny though; you calling me 'Dad' when you're about sixty years older than me." Charlie gave an incredulous laugh.**

"**Well you feel like a Dad to me. I don't really remember my own. Of course I have Carlisle for a father too."**

"**Too late now Dad, you're just going to have to suck it up; Edward isn't going anywhere." I chimed in.**

"**I don't want him to go anywhere." Charlie said with some feeling. "Like I said, I'm just trying to process all of this."**

"**Good," I stated emphatically. "What other questions did you have?" I asked to steer the conversation in a different direction. I wasn't so sure that hearing Carlisle's age would be helpful to Charlie's precarious state of mind just then.**

"**A few more for now," Dad replied before he plowed into question number two. "Why exactly did you lie about going to Italy to save Edward?"**

"**I couldn't tell you the truth. Like I said before, to know would have put you at risk and I couldn't chance that risk. You were too important to me. I couldn't lose you."**

"**I understand that you couldn't go into specifics Bella, but I'd never have grounded you had I known what you were really up too. If I'd known Edward's life was in danger and that you had rushed off to save him…that it was a matter of life and death. Bella, sweetie, I would have been proud of you for that. Instead you fed me some song and dance and I knew you were patronizing me. It was very frustrating to me. Promise me Bella, that you'll be truthful with me about important things from now on. I know you're married and a grown up now, but don't leave me in the dark like that again."**

"**I'm sorry Dad. I thought I was doing the right thing at the time. Now, well, now I'm not so sure." I admitted a bit shamed faced. I hung my head. I felt Edward's hand rub my back.**

"**Would you like it if Nessie did something like that and told you she went joy riding when she returned?"**

"**I guess I see your point, when you put it like that." I replied slowly.**

"**Well, no need to worry about it now. It's water under the bridge. I'm just a little irritated over being lied to. But I am real proud of you for what you did--even though it was dangerous, reckless and not handled very well. It was heroic and any father would be proud of having a child who cared about others to that degree."**

"**Thank you Dad. That really means a lot to me." I was relieved. I was so worried about his revulsion of my new life but instead he seemed curious, and happy to get some answers that made sense to things that had nagged him for some time.**

**Charlie sighed. "I suppose motorcycles don't really pose a danger for any of you, do they?"**

"**No, not really." Edward answered. I heard a smile in his voice.**

"**So what about this imprinting thing between Jacob and my Nessie? I was shocked to hear that part of the story. But you seem okay with it. How could the two of you allow that to happen?" Charlie was irritated again.**

"**Oh, we didn't allow him to imprint at all." Edward said defensively. "I was upstairs working to save Bella's life at the time.**

"**And we both just about killed him when we found out." I chimed in.**

"**Really? What stopped you? I'd have helped if I'd been there!" Okay, maybe he'd been a little more than irritated.**

"**Nessie stopped me Dad," Edward said calmly as he stroked my hair. It was very soothing to me. "She spoke directly into my mind and asked me not to hurt her Jacob. I knew I was a father then and I had to set a good example for my little daughter.**

"**Umm, it was Seth that stopped me." I added meekly.**

"**Okay well, speaking of Nessie's delivery, it was in the legend but it was told in such a way, that Jacob was kind of the hero and not Edward; something about granting an exception to the treaty?"**

"**Well, he was pivotal in keeping the treaty intact. He also performed CPR and kept Bella alive while I was delivering Renesmee and working to save her." Edward said to explain why Jacob's assistance was needed. "So he was a hero that day."**

**Charlie's answer was curt. "****Since when does Jacob Black get to call the shots on whether Bella lives or dies? He wasn't any blood relation to her and she wasn't his wife either. There was no legal jurisdiction that put him in that position." Charlie paused as though composing himself. "Edward, what would you have done had Jacob said 'no'?"**

"**I was already prepared to save her with or without Jacob Black's blessings. It was what Bella wanted and frankly I already knew that I couldn't live without her."**

"**Well, I'm glad to hear that!" Charlie answered decidedly. "No one is happier that Bella is still with us than I am—except maybe you, Edward." He conceded at the end.**

"**Thank you Dad." Edward's voice was full of emotion. "I can't tell you what it means to me to hear you feel that way, understanding what you do now."**

"**Well, I do mean it. I'm, not saying I'm good with a lot of this yet, but I would be like your mother was Edward. I would be begging you to do for her what no one else could do. I would want you to save her at all costs. So the Quileutes can tout Jacob around as the hero of the day all they want. In my book, it was you. So I thank you for that; Even though it sounds very inadequate."**

"**You're welcome," Edward said softly as his arms tightened around me again. "But I couldn't give up. She was my life."**

**It was shortly afterward that THE phone call came to an end. An end much better than I had hoped for. The ending comment was of us still being X-men to him.**

**Though I was still concerned for Charlie's safety, I felt that Edward was right. The wolf pack could and would protect Charlie. And it was strangely exhilarating having all the secrets out and not having to hide anything from my father, one of the most important men in my life.**

*******

**We had received permission to take thirty credit hours a term and even with my vampire mind and not sleeping, it was a heavy workload to juggle, considering my already full life with my family.**

**We'd taken a desperately needed break in the Spring at the end of Winter Term, for a week in Inverness, Scotland. It was very beautiful and the people were wonderful but the crazy adventures that Emmett, Jacob and Nessie got us into there, could fill the pages of a book. Needless to say, I was never so happy to see Dartmouth than I was on our return trip home. **

**I had worried about how Charlie and Sue would make it to Akakor in July with two newborns in tow. Not to mention how we would explain their need to be there. Even though I'd promised to keep Charlie in the loop, we had some pretty strict guidelines concerning the perfected beings and I didn't exactly know where that line should be drawn. I decided to adopt a 'wait and see what happens' approach concerning their existence and involvement in our lives. My concern was unneeded. In March, as we'd begun our spring trip, we'd met up with both of my sets of parents at the JFK International Airport in New York City, where we filled an entire first class section of our plane to Scotland. It was on this flight that I heard the happy news from Sue that Leah and Nahuel were also expecting. She told me that though her pregnancy was progressing at an accelerated rate, it wasn't as drastic as mine had been. They were estimating her due date to be July 15, 2010. They didn't know it but that date naturally coincided with the deadline for the temple ceremony at Akakor. I wondered if this event was the reason the two of them had shown up in Alice's vision.**

**I was more than ready to return to the world of academia and buckle down to a grueling Spring Term. It finished four days before Sue gave birth to the twins, Nathan and Naomi. Since Nessie's school was out too, we'd flown out for the event. I should have known my dad would be a natural with babies, after I'd seen how comfortable he was with Nessie. Still, I was surprised that he balanced both of them in his arms as easily as his fishing gear. And his grin was much more satisfying when he was showing off his babies than showing off his catch of the day. He did give Edward and me a few wary sideways glances whenever we took them in arm to cuddle but all in all, I thought he handled his new understanding of our true nature pretty well. Sue on the other hand…let's just say, Sue was struggling. I remembered all too well when Nessie was a newborn and I wanted to protect her from dangers like myself and Jacob. Of course, I had to admit it hadn't stopped as she'd grown either. I got after Emmett at least once a week for some crazy activity he'd involved my daughter in. Maybe being over-protective was a mother thing?**

**Edward, Nessie, Jacob and I stayed with Dad and Sue for a month and they came with us when we left for our trip into the jungles of the Amazon Rain Forest. We met up with the rest of the family as well as the Denalis in Miami before catching our international flight to Manaus Brazil. I wasn't sure exactly what Carlisle had said to them to get them to come but they seemed quite eager for the adventure.**

**As we traveled over the Gulf of Mexico, I'd opened my shield to Edward and reviewed with him the many things we'd learned so far about what we needed to do on our short excursion. I'd never seen Akakor before. Of course who had? It was later named the fabled city of El Dorado, the lost city of Gold. There had been some archeological digs surrounding a lake where some believed the city to be, but according to Leah and Nahuel, that had been an outpost. We'd be picking up the Cougar helicopter once more in Manaus to land in the lost and ancient ruins of Akakor shortly after nightfall.**

**Our first information came from what Zafrina, Senna, Kachiri, Huilen and Nahuel deciphered from the Morning Star Sun Sapphire while Emmett held it in their living room at the palace at Akahim. Edward and I were not there but we'd heard about it in minute detail upon our return trip from Isle Esme. The rest we'd learned through the temple ceremonies themselves. In particular, Alice's vision a year ago during part of the Sun Temple ceremony in Akahim.**

**I ticked off in my mind what we already knew of what was shortly to come to past.**

**First we'd all been given code names: Carlisle was 'The Man With the Silent Heart and a Soul as Bright as Day'. Esme was 'The Heart'. Jasper, 'The Feeling Warrior' and Alice was 'The Seer'. Emmett's code name, being the instigator of the whole fiasco, was 'The Activator' and Rosalie was 'Beauty Incarnate'. She'd loved that one! No surprise that Edward was 'The Reader' and I was 'The Shield', or that Jacob was 'The Alpha'. The big shock at that time had been our little daughter's code name: 'The Hope of the World'. It still made me tremble inside to think of it, pride so fierce, shock so disquieting and anxiety so acute as they warred for my attention. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri were code named, 'The Guardians of the Moon'. The only member of our party last year to have not received a code name had been Huilen. She had since been given one as she'd been called into a ceremony herself at the ruins of Chavin in Peru. Her code name was 'The Teacher of Truth'; a name that Nahuel had heartily approved for his Aunt and surrogate Mother.**

**All of the Gem keys had to be locked in their keyports with the outer doors to the tunnels opened in each of the twelve cities as well, by 7pm on July 15, 2010. It would be the evening of the 14****th**** of July when we arrived in the city of Akakor for its ceremonies to begin. Talk about cutting it close!**

**After each of these keys were placed in their perspective locks in a certain order, it would deactivate destruction devices placed at fault lines and under mountain volcanoes in this region. This was the final fail-safe measure devised by the gods to either restore the people of the Ugha Mongulala to their heritage and inheritance or to prevent its fall into hostile forces."**

**Tomorrow will be either a 'Day of Restoration' or a 'Day of Destruction' for the peoples of the Amazon. Though the original reason for the drastic safeguards had been to keep the sacred artifacts from falling into the wrong hands were the descendents of the Ugha Mongulala destroyed.**

**Somehow there was a petroglyph of our family in the middle of the Petroglyph Forest near the ruins of Chan Chan.**

**Zafrina, Senna, Kachiri and Huilen spent time scouting out the locations and searching for participants for the nine ceremonies to be conducted after they returned with Nahuel and Leah from their wedding in Forks.**

**Leah agreed to help 'Clean up Emmett's mess' in her new role as 'The Wolf Queen', but declined Emmett's offer of help.**

**The twelve ancient cities that were to hold ceremonies to open the underground tunnels, Temples of the Moon and Sun Temples were: Akahim, Chan Chan, the port city of Ofir, Cajamarquilla, Cuzco, Nara, Paititi, Cadira, Chavin, Salazere and Akakor.**

**There would be forces at work to prevent us from meeting our deadline. Some would apparently be other indigenous people of the area who had forgotten their own history and didn't understand what we sought to accomplish. Some were men in militia garb. Nahuel and Leah had told us there were vigilantes in some regions that didn't want their power structure jeopardized. Our opposition would be fierce and they would have heavy firepower. There would be many who fought against us. Most of them not understanding that we worked for their very survival.**

**We were told to beware of 'The Two-Faced Man' and 'The Pale Warrior'. I had worried that these had been Marcus and Felix. I re-thought that when Felix himself called Aro a 'Two-Faced Man' under his breath after a demanding phone call from the Volturi leader. That would make Caius 'The Pale Warrior'. I shuddered as I looked across the aisle to my father as he held his month old daughter Naomi and made her laugh. Because the third group Alice saw coming was the Volturi. And my Father was walking into danger with his little family and his head full of facts—vampire facts.**

******


	69. Epilogue I Part 2: The Battle for Akakor

Epilogue One  
The Battle for Akakor-Part II

Edward's POV

**It was twilight as we landed in Manaus, Brazil. An airport shuttle loaded up our gear and drove us to a distant hanger, where parked out front, our Cougar Helicopter was fueled and readied for our departure. Bella sat beside me in the co-pilot seat as we went through the check list at vampiric speed. We were up in the air and heading into the sunset, towards Akakor, faster than a bat could fly. I had to grin over at the love of my life as I listened to the mental chatter from Charlie. He was apparently shocked beyond words to witness his daughter flying a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-lift aircraft with the confidence and assurance of a seasoned pilot. **

**She looked over at me quizzically but no explanation was necessary as Charlie, who sat directly behind us, turned to Sue and announced, "My daughter is flying a really big whirlybird." His voice held no inflection. I looked at Bella and we both suppressed chuckles.**

"**I see that!" Sue's response was enthusiastic. "This is wonderful! Did Edward teach you Bella?"**

"**Yes, he did last year when we were here." Yes, his tone and his thoughts were slightly escalating up the scale towards panic. I glanced over at him. I'd wanted to reassure him, however he was looking out the window; watching the lights of Manaus get further and further away. "Right? Bella?"**

"**Relax Dad," Bella chimed as she turned completely around in her seat to stare her father in the eye. She was amused by his antics. "I don't have all of my hours yet. That is why Edward is the pilot. This trip counts as part of my training."**

"**Please turn around and keep your hands on the stick Bella!" He scolded her. **_**'We're going to crash! We're all going to die! Whatever would possess Bella to take up piloting helicopters anyway?'**_** His heart rate was becoming unhealthy. I wasn't the only one to notice.**

**Carlisle's concerned thoughts overlaid Charlie's mental chatter of doom. **_**'Edward, please calm Charlie down a bit. It would be better not to have a medical emergency just now.'**_

"**Dad," I said in my most soothing, comforting voice I had. It took Charlie, in his panicked state, a full two minutes to realize I was addressing him instead of my father, Carlisle. When I had his attention I continued. "Would you like to know how many years flight experience I've had?"**

**His forehead creased into lines of deep thought as he considered my words. His heart-rate started to return to normal levels. His thoughts became more rational. **_**'Edward is 106 years old. That could count towards a lot of flight hours. Plus he'd never put his family at risk—especially not Bella or Nessie. But do I really want to know?' **_** "Yes," Charlie gulped. "How long have you been flying, Son?"**

"**Well, I can pilot many kinds of aircraft, but helicopters I have flown for the last thirty two years. I have logged over thirteen hundred hours; and a thousand of them have been with this model." I could tell my calm, assuring voice had the desired effect on his panic.**

"**Well, that's really something."**

"**And this aircraft is one of the safest ones there is." Bella chimed in.**

**Charlie turned to Sue again. His expression was sheepish but it was easy to detect a note of pride in his words. "My daughter can fly a huge helicopter."**

**The rest of the flight was uneventful. It was a new moon and with the light of day making its exit, the sky of the Amazon was blackest night. It was easy for me to sense Aurora who'd caught up to us in Manaus and flew at our side. She'd had to climb in altitude several times during our travels thus far, to stay inside the cloud banks and away from prying eyes. She'd been in near constant mental communication with Emmett though. Emmett, who'd turned into quite the mother hen to the adolescent dragon. She'd recently grown enough to support Emmett's weight in flight.**

**Renesmee, Jacob and Charlie and his little family all slept until they felt our cabin pressure change, due to my slowing approach to Akakor. The city, though still mostly in ruins, had electricity now and from the looks of things, was well on its way to recovering its splendor of days gone by. I could appreciate that even in the dead of night due to my super sensitive eyes.**

"**Wow," my beautiful Bella breathed. "And I thought Akahim was magnificent!"**

**It was magnificent too, especially now that Bella had come to complete the picture.**

"**Where?" Charlie asked sleepily. "I don't see anything**_**?" 'What in the world is she seeing out there? A lightning bug?'**_

"**You will!" Nessie replied; so excited that she was literally bouncing in her seat—all evidence of sleep vanished.**

**I took a moment to make mental adjustments as I became inundated by the thoughts of the villagers who had congregated inside the stone fortress of Akakor. I knew that most had been gathered for tomorrow's ceremonies. Others had already congregated in opposition at the north and southwest areas of the city to stage a coup. **

**Nowhere did I sense the thoughts of Aro or Caius. Nowhere were there thoughts from the surrounding hills and jungles of vampires. I relaxed slightly with the knowledge our real opposition had yet to arrive. Though she hadn't mentioned it, I knew Bella had been anxious about bringing her father and his new family into this conflict. I had felt it earlier from the tenor of the thoughts she'd shared with me as she'd reviewed what we knew already of tomorrow's events. Perhaps it had been her hope that we would have unseen help from Carlisle's new siblings that kept her panic tightly in control. My Bella had always had a great deal of faith. She'd also commanded an extraordinary amount of courage. I was in awe of her as she marshaled them to produce an optimism that shattered my doubts and misgivings. Bella had always been a terrible liar and I'd made studying her face a priority since I'd met her. I marveled to realize that there was no façade here. Bella seemed to exude confidence. Her own stress had been replaced by a conviction that shown through her eyes and radiated to her beautiful face. **

**As we touched down, Aurora lighted on a hill to our west. Even with the darkness, the group of opposing natives stationed there could make her out from the reflected lights of our landing pad. Their thoughts were a mixture of panic and dread. Of course, who wouldn't? A dragon wasn't something one saw every day. As if sensing their anxiety Aurora turned in their direction and let out a roar that sounded like something I'd heard from the Tyrannosaurus Rex in the movie, 'Jurassic Park'. That had been enough to convince them that perhaps having a Jaguar King and Wolf Queen wouldn't be all that bad after all. They began breaking their camp immediately. **_**'One hostile tribe down.'**_** I thought dryly to myself. **

**Just then I lifted up over the last mountain peak and the lights of Akakor came fully into view. It was easy to find the landing pad. It was ringed in red lights and looked like it had anciently been used for just such vehicles to use for a like purpose. Apparently, not everyone agreed with my assessment. As we approached, Charlie's thoughts became more urgent.**

'_**Thank goodness Edward got us here safe and sound. It was so dark I was sure we were goners. No…wait! What is Edward doing? Is that a volcanic crater he's trying to land us in? No, Edward wouldn't be that irresponsible. Would he?'**_

"**No Charlie," I assured him immediately. "Not a volcano; just lit up to look like one. I think someone is developing their flare for theatrics." My eyes narrowed as I sought the culprit by immediately casting my mind out to hear any thoughts around our scenic 'airport'. It only took a moment to find the culprit. He was hidden behind the closest hill to the north watching our approach with a slightly perturbed Huilen by his side. It would seem as though Felix had too much spare time on his hands. That and perhaps he'd hung around Emmett a little too much.**

**I sifted through the cacophony of sounds and searched for a mind or two more familiar to me than the rest. I heard nothing from Nahuel or Leah. The mental signatures of the three Amazons were also gone**_**. They must've not returned yet from their day's ceremonies at **__**Salazere. **_** I finally caught a more familiar 'voice'. His thoughts rang through my head with crystal clarity.**

'_**Mom's here!!! I can't wait for her to see Ava. She is going to be amazed at how much my little Ava Isabella has grown. I wonder if she'd mind if I woke her up.'**_** It was Seth and was he ever exuberant. From his mind I could see that he held the young girl, his imprint, in his arms. Her sleeping frame content in peaceful slumber, her darkened curls brushed around her head like an adoring wreath of delicate swirls. Ava stunned me not just with her innate beauty but by her growth. Not even one yet and already she looked to be more like four or possible a small five year old. It reminded me of my own beautiful princess who was currently kneeling between Bella and me to see the approaching spectacle. She'd grown so quickly too. Now at almost three she looked like an adolescent of between eleven and twelve. I was relieved that her growth rate had started to curb a bit. Seth's thoughts broke into my reverie again. '**_**And I'm going to meet my new brother and sister too. I hope I look good. Huilen tried to do a nice job cutting my hair…'**_

**Seth was as startled as I—as I was looking through his mind—when Ava suddenly woke up and back flipped out of his arms before stretching her small body and shaking her head while her curls tumbled around her shoulders. She looked up at Seth and grinned. In that smile, I saw how well their relationship had developed already. She was one lucky girl.**

**Bella and I landed the helicopter smoothly, and Charlie breathed a sigh of relief as he clamored out of the cabin with baby Nathan in his arms.**

"**Careful Charlie," Sue called out to him in her usual unruffled, pleasant voice. "You'll have everyone believing you're afraid to fly with your daughter."**

'_**That would be because it's true!**_**' Charlie cleared his throat. "No, it's not that, it's just that I need to use the facilities. It was a long flight." **_**'That sounds like a reasonable excuse.'**_** Then Charlie looked over at me again and gave me a weak smile before shaking his head. **_**'Sorry, I keep forgetting Edward.'**_

**I was not surprised to find Sue enfolded in Seth's warm embrace before her feet had hit the ground. He took one month old Naomi from her arms and held her deftly in his big hands. "Hello little sister. I'm your favorite big brother Seth. I'm going to have so much fun spoiling you rotten." She stirred in his rocking arms and opened her black eyes to peer at him. Her tiny mouth twisted in an expression that seemed to ask, **_**'who are you again?'**_**. **

"**Now what is that all about?" He continued in the soft falsetto voice one often used when addressing babies. As if in answer to his question, Naomi promptly spit up all over Seth's shirt. **

'_**Oh yeah,'**_** Jacob thought wryly**_**. 'She's got the whole little sister thing figured out already.' **_** He laughed and pounded Seth on the back. "It's good to see you again, man. Looks like just the sight of you curdled your sister's stomach."**

"**Sadly I used to do the same thing to Ava too." Seth responded as though confessing a deep humiliation. "I just seem to have that affect on women."**

**I shouldn't have been surprised to see how Seth also handled the infant with the assurance and confidence of experience. After all, he'd had plenty of experience with Ava.**

"**I don't think you need to worry about spoiling her Seth," Emmett crowed from still inside the aircraft. "She's left you a pretty 'spoiled' present already.**

"**Haha," Seth said rolling his eyes at the vampire and his Alpha.**

**At that, little Ava tottered towards us, her eyes heavy with sleep, as she reached up to Seth. Ignoring the white wetness on his shirt that reeked of rotten food, and pulling herself agilely into his free arm. He had a little girl in each and they gazed at each other. Naomi seemed to be studying the young hybrid, Ava stared with open curiosity. **

**I had another surprise when Felix and Huilen made their presence known to the rest of our company and came into view around the hill that had concealed them from view. It wasn't the fact that they were there that had been the surprise, but rather the fact that they approached holding hands. Their thoughts were a hum of contentment. That was before Felix saw Charlie…**

"**Charlie is here!" He literally jumped ten feet into the air. Charlie seemed to tense at first before calming his features into a tentative smile**_**. 'Okay, so this hulking man running towards me is a vampire but this shouldn't scare me senseless. Geez! He is scaring me though. He's freaking me out. I've got to calm myself down. Think of him as a rather large hulking, boy scout…not a former Volturi guard who tried to kill my kids before. Pretend he has fairy wings and a wand…not a blood sucking vampire coming to suck me dry….Oh help!'**_

**Bella took a step towards her father as though she could read his mind as clearly as I had. She quickly patted his back and whispered her assurance in his ear.**

**Felix was to his side in a flash, Huilen now in tow. "Charlie, this is such a surprise! He started to grab the policeman but seemed to stop himself as he gazed at the still sleeping Nathan in his arms. "Oh, sorry little baby." He added in a sheepish whisper. Then back up to Charlie he added in a more quiet tone. "You remember Huilen don't you?" He'd brought Huilen up close to his side, wrapping his arm around her. **_**'I know Charlie will be happy for me. Anyone would be lucky to have someone like this sweet and spicy woman beside them. And I have been very lucky lately!'**_

**She smiled warmly up at him. Charlie was dazzled but quickly recovered. "Of course, we met at my wedding. You're Nahuel's Aunt, right?" **_**'She must be a vampire then. I guess that would explain why she looks almost as young as Nahuel himself. Will I ever get used to all of this inhuman beauty?'**_

"**That's right. It's nice to meet you again Charlie. And congratulations on your new arrivals." Huilen added looking down with a gentle tenderness to the baby in his arms. **_**'Oh, these new babies remind me so much of the week Nahuel was that small.'**_

**Charlie beamed and nodded in acknowledgment. Felix held the Amazon vampire tight into his side and stated the obvious. "Huilen is my girlfriend." **_**'I can't believe it! She isn't denying it. Maybe she does sort of like me under the pique after all!'**_

**My father-in-law collected himself. He smiled cautiously over at the massive vampire. **_**'Well, that's good I'll bet that if Felix is happy than everyone will be happy.'**_** "You are a lucky…man." Charlie responded forcing good cheer into his voice. Felix didn't consider the pause before the last word. '**_**I remember what you said Edward.'**_** Charlie thought at me**_**. 'I can't ever let on with him or Demetri that I know the truth. You're all just super heroes. Am I doing alright?'**_

**I smiled at him warmly. He was doing exceptionally well.**

**I also noted that Jasper was standing close behind Charlie helping to alleviate his discomfort.**

"**Well, let's get these babies out of the night air and into the palace." Carlisle said as he gathered up four large bags and started down the path leading to the first large pyramid that was fully restored and brightly lit up. The insides were every bit as breathtaking as the palace in Akahim was. I quickly assessed from the addition of gold leaf paneling, gilded frames and ceiling work, that the legends of El Dorado had been nothing short of fact; also that the Spaniards had never gotten their hands on it.**

**I was bombarded by the thoughts of my family as we entered the palace and was led through the many opulent rooms that reminded me of the French renaissance but were even older and half a world away. Charlie's mental chatter was the loudest, cutting through the musings of the rest.**

'_**Holy smokes! Leah had said she lived in a palace. I thought she was speaking metaphorically. This is…this is…' **_** Even in his thoughts his words were failed him. **_**'I don't think even the Cullens could keep up with this splendor. This is like being royalty. Kind of like Nahuel and Leah really are the king and queen of the Amazon. Ha! Right, maybe they share this with lots of people. Maybe they're just house-sitting for someone. And we're staying here? I hope I don't break anything.'**_

**He continued in this fashion throughout the tour. Huilen had taken it upon herself to play hostess in Nahuel and Leah's absence. As she took us through the opulent rooms, my family's thoughts varied. Carlisle and Esme were comparing the designs to ones similar throughout Europe. Jasper was simply happy to take in the flawless details in minute detail. Alice was trying to figure out how to replicate two or three items for our home in New Hampshire. Rosalie had taken Renesmee and gazed at the two of them in the many beautiful gold framed mirrors that graced each room. Emmett, well, Emmett was trying to decide which pieces he could stick in his pocket undetected. With thirteen vampires in the room, it wasn't likely to go unnoticed. I gave him a look; his sheepish expression let him know he'd been 'made' already. The Denalis walked from room to room conversing with each other. They had lived for longer than any of us Cullens and they were discussing the various aspects of the legends they had heard of El Dorado.**

**After we were shown to our guest rooms and stowed our luggage, Huilen and Felix led the group into the main hall. The room was huge and in the very center was a domed ceiling which held an elegant chandelier that sparkled brighter than the golden leafing on the walls and ceiling. There sitting on a sofa, awaiting our arrival, was Demetri and his mate, Mia. Mia looked radiant despite her chalky undertones. Her eyes a sparkling golden topaz, let me know that she'd survived long enough on animal's blood to bring her crimson newborn eyes to a faster end. Demetri's eyes held the same golden undertones. This lightened my heart to know they seemed to have really made a serious commitment to forgo the traditional vampire diet; especially since we weren't around to be their conscience. If anything, Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri's food of choice might have swayed them in the other direction; not understanding the nature of their 'protection' for the people of the Amazon region.**

**Demetri and Mia greeted us warmly. Their minds indicated no deceit behind their words either. Perhaps like Eliazar and Carmen, the Volturi would let them part ways without hard feelings. But somehow, I really doubted Aro would be so accommodating…at least not this time. Not when he'd been tricked by their deceit and defection. Not when he craved a vampire hybrid of his own.**

**We spent the next hour catching up on the news. They had been enjoying the jungle with Ava and Seth. The four of them had become quite a tight family unit and it was easy to see that Demetri and Mia had come to the same conclusions about Seth I had myself. He was absolutely the best choice anyone could want for their daughter. I didn't need to listen in on their thoughts to understand they had grown to love him and were quite protective of him. It was evident in the way they interacted. I did listen in however, perhaps it was out of habit and I was just a tad curious. How did a vampire turn over a leaf so completely to the point of welcoming a werewolf into their lives as their daughter's intended when our natural instinct was to defend and destroy against such? The answer was clear enough to read in their minds. They thought of him as their son. Their situation wasn't that different than Jacob becoming an integral part in the lives of my little family. I thought of him now as a brother, and a son. However, unlike Jacob and my family, Demetri and Mia had not had time to process the existence of shape shifters and understand their purpose. They had not fought side by side with them to preserve human life either. I felt as though I had witnessed a true miracle as I watched their family ties that bound them together—strong and unbreakable. It almost felt as though for a moment I'd been granted Marcus' gift of measuring the strength of their bonds.**

**I soon caught up on the activities being retold for our amusement. Apparently Felix had taken Huilen out hunting for dragon eggs. I could just imagine Huilen out there keeping an eye on Felix, feigning interest in his quest, all the while knowing that there were no dragon eggs to be found. She had been there when Samon had given the egg to Emmett. While they scoured the Amazon from one end to the other, they had come to know each other better. **

**I learned much more from their thoughts about each other than the simple narrative they provided vocally for the rest. From Huilen's thoughts I gathered that at first she'd wanted nothing to do with him. He'd intimidated her. But then he'd opened up to her and shared some of his deepest feelings and it had touched her in a way she hadn't expected. Through these excursions she'd taught him about her home and things she knew about the jungle around them. He'd thought her knowledge impressive and her maternal instincts towards Nahuel fascinating. Felix was completely in love with Huilen. Huilen was more hesitant; not that she didn't love him…she was pretty sure that she did, but she'd been raised to be more reserved and cautious about matters of the heart. She was coming around though.**

**Carlisle finally shifted the conversation to a more pressing matter. **

"**Have either of you heard anything more from Aro?" He asked of Felix and Demetri.**

"**No," Felix responded, "But there have been whispers in the jungle of their arrival. I'm guessing they aren't happy either."**

"**They are coming. Make no mistake about that." Demetri said his tone suddenly somber. "Their mental signatures get stronger each day. They are coming in from the North East. If they continue at the same speed they have traveled thus far, I suspect they will arrive with their guard tomorrow afternoon at 3:33 pm."**

"**Precisely when this area will experience a total solar eclipse; they will have a five and a half minute window to have their coming cloaked in darkest night." Mia added. **_**'And they will try to destroy my family. They will try to take my daughter and my husband away from me. But I won't let them. They'll have to go through me…and Seth too.'**_

"**That seems rather fitting for them." Jasper replied. His sarcasm added a lighter tone to the distraught musings in Mia's mind. Of course, Jasper would have felt her distress. It was what had prompted his response. "It's as if they bring darkness with them; to announce not just their arrival but their evil designs as well."**

"**Well, I say, 'let them come.' There's nothing they can do in darkness that can remain hidden from us. We see as well as they do. Besides, between Felix and me, we can take them all." Emmett's cocky spirit definitely turned the mood around. He and Felix seemed to size each other up, grinning at the prospect of being the dynamic duo. **

"**They'll arrive shortly before we start the ceremonies." Alice broke in, as a vacant look came in her eyes. I saw her vision as she had it and I shuddered involuntarily. "And Demetri is right about the eclipse announcing their arrival too. They are bringing a contingent of twenty guards with them. I see Alec, Jane, Chelsea, and Renata among them." She paused before continuing. "There are also armed militia grouping to the south of the city. They see Akakor to a threat to their power base. They come heavily armed."**

"**Are they armies from a specific country?" This question was from Rosalie.**

"**No, they wear no insignia. They appear to be local. Perhaps some sort of mafia, leftist guerrillas, and powerful drug lords." I said as I viewed with Alice those she saw in her vision. They were just the sort of people Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri were around to keep the people of the Amazon safe from.**

**In keeping with my thoughts, Demetri remarked, "Well, that sounds like dinner time for three pretty scary looking friends of mine."**

**Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a shudder run through Charlie. Demetri saw it too**_**. 'Uh oh, hope I didn't spill any beans there." **_**Demetri thought quickly.**_** "Well, he appears to have composed himself. Perhaps he thought I was speaking of jaguar friends.'**_

"**We have two tribes of Amazon Indians that have sent small forces to oppose us as well." Huilen spoke as she took up the briefing. "They are located to our west and southwest. Nahuel told us to ignore them for now and he would try to meet with them when he returned tomorrow. He felt that it was fear that motivated them and he was determined to keep them out of the conflict at all cost."**

"**It may be safe to say that the war party of warring tribesmen to the west is leaving as we speak." I added as a small smile played across my face. I was met with quizzical looks. "It would seem that upon our arrival, they became more frightened by Emmett's dragon than any threat the Jaguar King and Wolf Queen might pose. They were breaking camp before we had the luggage out of the chopper."**

"**Aurora just cleared her throat." Emmett conceded with amusement. "And she does have quite the set of lungs." He said proudly. Everyone laughed in response.**

"**When are you expecting Nahuel and Leah to return?" Esme asked when the laughter had died down.**

**It was Huilen who responded. "They should be here anytime now. They finished up the ceremonies at the tunnel and temples in Salazere this afternoon and were waiting until full dark to start their approach to the city. It would seem that Leah can't phase while she is pregnant and her condition has slowed them down a little."**

"**How is she doing?" Carlisle asked with more than passing concern.**

"**Remarkably well. But she is due now and she tires easily. The baby is kicking up quite a storm, but Leah's pretty tough herself. She seems to be holding her own just fine. Once last week, the baby kicked so hard it broke her rib. But it had healed itself within the hour. How's that for do-it-yourself repairs!" Huilen sounded impressed. **

"**They're approaching the city gates as we speak." Demetri added thoughtfully.**

**I reached out with my mind and finally found the familiar thought signatures of Leah, Nahuel, Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri. Leah was weary but excited to see her Mother and the babies. Nahuel was concerned for his wife's activities that had required her to travel so close to her delivery. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri must have already known about the militia that gathered to the south as they were already planning a hunting expedition to 'take out' a handful of them before things got too busy tomorrow. **

**There was a litany of other voices surrounding them. But another mental voice cut into my focused concentration. It was the voice of a young woman. She was anxious, fearful, filled with dread so acute it was painful in its tenor. The 'voice' thought in Portuguese. I translated it automatically as I listened in.**

'_**How many more vampires are here now? fifteen? I know Shiloh told me to trust these people but how can I do so at such a disadvantage? And Shiloh isn't here right now either. Will he return with our Wolf Queen before these dangerous beings discover that I am one of the 'Children of the Moon'?' **_

******

I have a collage of pictures from some palaces I put together to represent the restorations done at the Palace at Akakor. I also have some banners on my picture site for the epilogues.

Hope you enjoyed this part!


	70. Epilogue 1 Part 3: The Battle for Akakor

Epilogue One-Part III

The Battle For Akakor

Charlie's POV

**Well, I had been immersed in the land that time forgot for about eighteen hours. For eight of them I'd been dead to the world. I had awakened to a rather loud squawk and immediately started fumbling for my alarm only to find there was no clock to be found. The gosh-awful noise sounded again and again. I'd stumbled out of bed and finally looked up. There, in a high window, sat a large colorful parrot. Sue was delighted. That was until the racket woke the twins up.**

**When we went down to breakfast, we were greeted warmly by my very pregnant step daughter Leah and her husband Nahuel. They escorted us to the dining room where an elegant spread of food was set up in warming trays. Several people were already eating. Seth had greeted us with little Ava at his side. Each had already served themselves rather large portions of steaming food. None of which I recognized except for the eggs. Well, it smelled good. I'd mused, **_**'Well, when in the Amazon, do as the Amazons.'**_** And they did have a large variety of hot dishes to select from. Some had rice, some potatoes; some had corn as the main ingredient. There were also a good number of fruit choices, of which I did recognize bananas. I'd tentatively selected a few things and sat down to steel myself for my breakfast ordeal. Perhaps I'd watched too many National Geographic specials. I was wary of what was mixed in with the things I did recognize. There were visions of worms, bugs and fish eggs in the back of my head. After seeing Sue dive into her food and declare it 'delicious', I started in on my own. After my fourth helping, I headed outdoors with Sue to explore the city. We each had a baby strapped to our back.**

**My daughter Bella and her vampire family were already outside taking in the sights. I was very thankful that they'd all eaten before we'd started our trip. Nessie came sauntering up to me and took my hand and I was immediately happy beyond words. Before I knew what was happening, Bella and Edward had relieved us of our young ones.**

"**It's a trade Dad," Bella had said when I began to protest. "Nessie wants to spend some time with you and Edward and I want to spend some time with my new brother and sister."**

**We'd spent the next few hours touring the city and ruins with Huilen as our guide. Felix found us and tagged along at Huilen's side, grinning at me often. I'd have sworn that at least once he winked at me. I felt like I was Indiana Jones as we went through openings in what appeared to be cone shaped mountains but were really pyramids that had been lost for so long that vegetation now grew over them. The restored parts of the city were the palace, the Sun Temple, The Moon Temple, the main square and several smaller buildings where people resided. There were markets set up in the main square and commerce was in full swing.**

**When I saw something I wanted to buy for Sue, Bella told me to wait until tomorrow because the ceremonies were to begin soon and we'd be busy for the rest of the day.**

**And before Felix had shown up, Huilen had been discussing with Sue and I some more about what would be happening. Apparently we'd be down in an underground passageway at 3pm, in the Moon Temple at 4pm and at the Temple of the Sun at 5pm. I was wondering how the babies' naps would fit into that scenario and thinking that maybe I would volunteer to take them back to the palace instead. I'd seen a satellite TV in our room and I was sure I could find some sports to watch while they rested. That hope was squelched when we returned back to the palace to meet up with Leah and Nahuel for a late lunch. **

**Apparently, we'd been summoned by name to participate in the coming proceedings. Well, maybe not exactly by name, but Sue was the 'Mother of the Wolf' and I was the 'Father of the Shield'. Sue was supposed to place a portal key into a Keyport in the Sun Temple. I was supposed to read some stone tablet. I hoped it was in English at least. That, and also, I hoped it was large print. I hadn't admitted it to even Sue yet, but I might be needing some reading glasses soon.**

"**Maybe its time to visit the optometrist Dad?" Edward said coming up beside me. His tone was breezy with a hint of sarcasm. His smile was smug.**

**I hadn't heard him approach and he'd clearly been listening in again. "Sorry, I don't mean to be rude." He continued. "But this is something you'll want to witness. It will be WAY more exciting than any sports game today. Trust me." He'd added as he patted my shoulder.**

"**I'm a little worried about Leah." Sue said to me; while Edward and I both glanced over in Leah's direction where she was surrounded by numerous people none of us recognized. "She has been holding her back and pausing every fifteen minutes. I could swear two or three times I've seen her with a flicker of pain across her face before she composes herself again." As we watched, it happened again and Leah was definitely in pain.**

"**Maybe the baby is kicking her ribs again." I said trying to soothe Sue's worry. "Maybe Carlisle should take a look at her before we start there ceremonies. Maybe she can have a pain killer or something."**

"**I don't know." Sue said doubtfully. "If I didn't know better, I'd say she was beginning labor."**

"**What do you think Edward? I mean, what is she thinking?" I added. Sometimes the mind reading thing came in real handy.**

"**Well, she is in pain that comes and goes." Edward confirmed Sue's assessment. "But she doesn't need to see Carlisle." He added as he turned to the stairs where Carlisle and Nahuel were descending swiftly and talking guardedly. They both looked concerned as they crossed to Leah and Nahuel put his arm around her and spoke softly to her. Edward continued, "She's already seen Carlisle. He said she is in early labor but that with first babies it could take several hours to progress. The plan is to continue with the ceremonies and they will keep a chair for her for when she needs it. Carlisle will be on hand to check her whenever needed."**

**I couldn't believe I was hearing this. "I'm sorry." I said noting the tone of incredulity in my voice. "Why exactly can't we postpone these ceremonies a day and make sure Leah is taken care of first?" Sue was nodding her head in agreement.**

**Edward seemed to choose his words carefully. "All of the ceremonies have been done in a specific order and all must be done by tonight by 7pm. If there is a delay, it will cause some booby traps to trigger and set off cataclysmic explosions in the region."**

**I didn't know what to think. I wasn't sure I believed it. One thing was for sure, Leah and Nahuel did.**

"**They're not the only ones who believe it." Edward replied to my thoughts. "I believe it, Bella does, my entire family does and everyone who has already been called to participate in any of the ceremonies at any of the other eleven temples believes it; as well as three fourths of the native Amazons."**

"**This is about those legends from the Amazon that Carlisle was telling me about isn't it?" I asked my son-in-law as the pieces finally started to fit together.**

"**Yes, only it turns out they aren't legends after all. They're fact."**

**I was still mulling that over when Nahuel called everyone into the main hall that seemed to suddenly be dwarfed by the congregation.**

"**If I could have everyone's attention," He began as the room became silent. "Welcome to the Tunnel opening and temple ceremonies at Akakor. We would ask that those participating please come to the right side of the room as I call your title. If you have been asked to fight, please go to the left side of the room. If you are in neither group, we would ask that you go to the basement floor of the palace to await the outcome. We'd like to keep as many people safe as possible." He glanced down at Leah and rubbed her shoulder for a moment. It seemed as though another pain had come and he'd known somehow just before it had actually come on. It was a little disconcerting but also sweet.**

"**Alright, for the Tunnel Opening, we will need 'The Russian Temptress'." I was surprised to see Edward's cousin come forward and stand alone to the right of Nahuel. Huh, I'd thought she was from Alaska. For the ceremonies at the Moon Temple, we will need, 'The Compassionate Spaniard' and 'The Shock Toucher'." She was joined by her two sisters. I believed their names were Carmen and Kate if I remembered correctly. Nahuel continued. "Garrett, you may join them if you wish." He said to a vampire that looked a bit like Indiana Jones himself. Garrett joined the rest of the Denali's. They were not left standing alone for long.**

"**Now, for the ceremonies at the Temple of the Sun, we need, 'The Man of the Wolf Who Straddles Two Worlds'." As he spoke a tall muscular dark-skinned youth left a younger woman to stand very warily next to the Denalis. He looked at his frightened companion, who still stood in the center with the rest of us and winked. I was surprised to see there was a man described as a 'wolf' who was not someone I'd known from the reservation. I began to wonder just how far this shape shifting thing went. Maybe he 'straddled two worlds' because he was from another planet. Maybe he'd started this whole mess.**

**Nahuel's voice broke into my reverie. "Our next participant is 'The Mother of the Wolves'." **_**'Well, we're up,'**_** I thought as Sue squeezed my hand before she left my side and stood next to the wolf man as though it were the most natural thing to do. I just hoped he didn't have any alien viruses. "…and 'The Father of the Shield." I started to walk over to join her but Renesmee refused to let go of my hand. She looked to Nahuel with a hopeful expression. "Yes, Renesmee," Nahuel said affectionately. "Of course you may join your grandfather." There was a small pause for laughter as the two of us made our way to the group to the right. **

**We were soon joined by Seth, as 'The Wolf Protector', who came with Ava much to the relief of Demetri and Mia. They seemed genuinely worried about this battle for some reason. Of course, a battle was no place for a child. I began to get a little unsettled myself as I realized ALL of my family would be possibly in harm's way this day. The three tall, scary looking Amazons joined our entourage next as the 'Guardians of the Moon'. I'd seen them before but Renesmee insisted that they were 'good guys'. Well, I was certainly glad they were on our side.**

**We were at the end of the list when Nahuel announced, "Our last participant besides my wife and myself, is 'The Girl Child of the Moon'. There was a buzz of murmurs throughout the room as everyone looked around to see who Nahuel meant. Finally he looked to the girl who the alien wolf man had left alone. "Yes Migina, this is you. You get to come with your brother for this adventure." The young woman's eyes lit up and she immediately joined him.**

"**Now, if the others who were invited would join in observing the ceremonies would join this group now." At his words, there was a flurry of activity as around two dozen local Amazon Indian tribes' people came forward. Many of them looked to be chiefs or something--if their feathers were any indication. We were also joined by Carlisle, Esme, Bella and Edward.**

**Nahuel next assembled the fighting team who would hold down the fort while we got the easier job. I was not surprised to see Jasper, Emmett, Felix, Demetri, Jacob, Embry and Quil there. I was surprised to see not just Mia, but tiny Alice and breathtaking Rosalie there as well. **

**I was about to protest when Edward put his arm on my shoulder and quietly told me not to worry because they were a lot tougher then they looked and they actually enjoyed fighting. I doubted that very much. After many whispered goodbyes to families, they were joined by every able bodied man that was left from inside the city. Some of them looked scarier than the vampires did. In all, there were about six dozen tribesmen. They might not have marshaled the latest in weapons technology, but their weapons of choice looked plenty deadly to me.**

**In a matter of minutes, Nahuel had the remaining group, which consisted mostly of women and children ushered down a stairwell where a modern elevator door opened. It took three trips to get everyone down to the basement level and when that was done, Nahuel nodded to Jasper before taking Leah firmly by the hand and leading our group out the main door and into the main plaza of the ancient city.**

July 15, 2010 Tunnel Ceremony 3:00 pm

Still Charlie's POV

**I was surprised to see that where just this morning it had been a bustle of activity; the main square was now deserted. Not even a hint that a human had been there just an hour before**_**. **_**The sun's light that had just come out as we'd returned to the palace had again retreated behind a cloud, taking away the brilliancy of the colors and leaving them faded. It felt as though time had reclaimed the landscape somehow.**_** 'It's like we're all walking ghosts.'**_** I'd mused as my practiced eye looked for any trace of passage. I knew there had to be something; perhaps at least bent blades of grass.**

**Nahuel was sure of his course and set a fast pace. I was lucky to keep up. I certainly didn't have time for a thorough investigation. It was easier to see how every twelve minutes our pace slowed while Leah's steps faltered. I knew because I'd been silently timing them. The only one who knew what I was doing was Sue, who'd seen me do the same for hers. Well, I guessed Edward knew what I was doing too. Leah's contractions were quite a bit apart. Sue still had hours to go with the twins when her contractions were in twelve minute intervals. I fervently hoped the same would hold true for her daughter. I was pretty sure the two worst times to have a baby would be in the middle of a battle or some hocus pocus ceremony with a bunch of primitive Amazons looking on.**

**Finally, Nahuel rounded a stone wall and the ground began to bank quickly downward. Nahuel swiftly lifted Leah up into his arms just before another contraction hit and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead without slowing his pace. He murmured something in her ear and she smiled through the pain up at him. Sue told me that he had carried her last night most of the way from Salazar while evading hostile forces massed around the city. I wasn't sure what it was about him. Clearly he was stronger than normal and he was definitely a charismatic leader, but I didn't think he was a vampire. His skin was a rich brown and his eyes were an even deeper brown. I didn't think he was a wolf man either. But clearly he was something. **

"**He is the same as Nessie." Edward said from behind me. He'd been so quiet I'd almost forgotten he was there. I guessed I'd been too caught up in my thoughts. Apparently Edward had been caught up in them as well.**

**I glanced back to him as he held my sleeping son Nathan. Bella was at his side smiling down at her little sister who had grabbed a fistful of her long dark hair and was trying to put it into her little mouth. "You mean he's a half-vampire, half-human?" I whispered back to Edward who grinned from ear to ear. I was thinking of Nessie attacking that mean old grizzly bear over a year ago.**

"**Yes, and he has gifts of his own." Edward added. "He can 'whisper' and 'gentle' both people and animals."**

"**Well, I guess that would be a handy gift to have when you're going to be 'Lord of the Jungle'." As if to emphasize my statement, a monkey with a baby clinging to its back, scampered past us as we came to the end of our descent.**

**We were in a small stone room. The atmosphere was so changed I could feel it. The air became mustier, heavier, and cooler. It felt as though we had passed some unknown portal into a different world. Maybe we were in the alien brother and sister's world.**

"**They're not aliens Dad." Edward whispered behind me. **

**Huh, I was actually getting used to having him in my head. Who'd have thought? Well, I'd use it to my advantage then. I thought**_**, 'Then what are they exactly?'**_

"**Not sure," Edward's quiet voice answered me as though I'd asked him aloud. "They definitely smell of wolf. But different than the Quileutes and not exactly the same as traditional werewolves either." I could tell he was perplexed as well.**

'_**You'll have to tell me what the difference between the Quileutes and the werewolves are later, when we're not in the middle of something.'**_** I thought back to him. He nodded once to me before Nathan stirred and he looked down and started rocking the little bundle he held very gently. It was hard to think of Edward as a vampire. He just seemed so--human. A small smile played across his face and I wasn't sure if it was in response to my thoughts or the dreams of a one month old.**

"**We are about to enter the main tunnel of Akakor." Nahuel announced. I was surprised to see that his mouth didn't match up with his words. My granddaughter was at his side as though performing a service for him. Then I felt her gentle spirit and Nahuel's words that seemed to carry to me in her thought message.**

"**Is she translating?" I asked Edward almost too loudly.**

**I turned to see his face lit up brighter than I'd ever seen it before. Bella's mirrored his. Mine matched theirs as Edward explained, "Yes, in about four different languages at the same time. She's sending them out using her gift but in Nahuel's voice instead of her own. They'd called her last month and asked her if she could practice it for them." I was so proud of my little Nessie, I about felt as though I'd burst from amazed satisfaction!**

**I heard Nahuel's voice continue, "This tunnel area is larger than the others you may have seen as all the other eleven tunnels merge into this one." **

**Still carrying Leah, he led us into the underground passageway. It was the size of a Super Bowl stadium concourse--a good thirty feet across with stone walls, floors and ceilings. There were small openings every fifteen feet at the top that allowed air and light to stream in. I was glad to see through them that the sun hadn't permanently gone into hiding—especially down here. I caught the patterns of reflected prisms across the stone walls as we passed under each opening. Bella's shield was acting up again. Well, maybe that was a good thing. I turned around to admire it, but was surprised to see that Edward's face was glittering just as brightly. '**_**Don't tell me you've got a shield too, Edward?'**_

"**No, only Bella's got a shield in our family. The skin is just something we vampires like to do in the sunshine." He said so quietly that it felt like a whisper in the wind. I shuddered once involuntarily.**

**Before I could ask him more about that, we had arrived at the end of the road so to speak. There were three walls ahead of us. Nahuel called 'The Russian Temptress' up and a brilliant white square-cut gem of some sort was placed in her hand. I noticed her skin sparkled as much in the diffused light that streamed in around us, as the gem itself. Was it a diamond? It was the size of a golf ball. It shone as she pressed into an indentation above the passageway to the left. There was a small click that sounded behind the door. Then she repeated the procedure with the door to the right, where another click answered her actions. Finally she turned to the center wall and when she copied her actions of before, a very dramatic sound followed. There was a grinding of wheels and gears. The earth itself seemed to groan in response. Suddenly all three doors dropped out of the way to reveal three separate darkened tunnels concealed behind each one. Everyone gasped but I noticed that Leah's had been one of pain while everyone else had gasped in awe. That contraction had come eleven minutes after the one before.**

**Two other things happened in quick succession. First the light streaming in through the tiny windows started to fade until we were in pitch darkness. The second was a loud explosion of sound that shook the ground under our feet and rained dirt down on us; presumably from between the cracks in the ceiling. **

July 15, 2010 Battle for Akakor 3:00 pm

Jasper's POV

**After the civilians had been safely evacuated to the state-of-the-art bomb shelter that had somehow been installed below the palace, and Nahuel had departed with those needed for the ceremonies, I marshaled my troops around me for battle placement. I had 33 minutes before the Volturi arrived and I'd hoped to dispatch the other forces before things really got ugly.**

**In the dark of night Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri went out for a second and third time to 'hunt' the armed militia to our south. They were spacing their attacks out to make it appear as though their victims had simply deserted and gone AWOL. Before the sun rose, their numbers had been depleted by half, leaving only two dozen for us to deal with. The three Amazon vampire warriors had also gone out in the dead of night and very silently damaged a number of their weapons so that they'd fail to work properly. I hated to kill those men, as they could become meals to hold over Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri for some time and so many militia vigilantes had gathered that these might be the only ones around for such meals for a while. I sent two Indians from the ****Yanomami tribe into the city to scout out a stronghold that could act as a prison. It was a good thing I'd made a study of some of the more common dialects here in the Amazon Rainforest when we'd visited last summer. Edward wasn't the only Cullen who was a quick study of language.**

**Nahuel had tried repeatedly to reason with the opposing tribe of natives that camped to the city's southwest. They were one of the fifty tribes that were settled so deeply in the jungle highlands that, before Nahuel and Leah approached them, they had never made contact with the outside world before. **

**The group was a joining of two of such tribes. Most of the unknown tribes, welcomed The Jaguar God and Wolf Goddess, having their own seers to foretell of their arrival or at least having the legends handed down intact to them throughout the centuries. But these two tribes were very aggressive and would not listen to reason. Perhaps Nahuel's gifts, given some more time, could have persuaded them. But they were so hostile their minds were closed and they refused to hear the truth of his words. Even this morning he'd met with their chief's under a flag of truce with four jaguars by his feet to bring the point home. It seemed as though the leaders didn't like having their power base disrupted anymore than the militia to our south did.**

**I next sent for the Ticunan Monkey Hunter whose name was Ninham. He had gathered his elite fighting force of forty men. This had been part of his charge given to him in the Temple of Chan Chan when Chandra had blessed him with the gift of ten men. Each of his warriors was skilled and deadly. I had watched them this morning as they drilled on the side of the palace lawn. They were trained in the all-but-lost art of invisible fighting.**

**I sent them out in two groups. The first group of thirty warriors I gave the mission of sneaking up on the hostile native forces from behind concentrating their attack on the leaders but to take out anyone who got in the way. I felt that given new leadership that was more reasonable, the main group could be spared. If we were to wipe out the entire army, it would leave the remaining tribe without means of hunting. I knew there would be those at home with families that would mourn their loss as I would if something were to happen to Alice. Just the thought filled me with anxiety.**

**So I gave them instructions to detain those who surrendered until we could determine their sincerity. This of course would be no problem for me, but only after the main battle had occurred.**

**I sent the other group of ten to the sides of the militia encampment. Once there, they were to wait silently and invisibly watching and to work to incapacitate the hostiles should they gain the upper hand.**

**That being done, I ringed the outer city walls with my human troops that had been armed with poisonous blow darts, poison coated spears and soon-to-be flaming arrows. Right over the main gate and closest walls, I placed, myself and my own elite forces, hidden from view facing east, where Alice had 'seen' the arrival of the Volturi would come. Bella had nodded to me as she left with the others. That nod let me know she had shielded the entire city in a bubble of protection. As long as it held, we would have nothing to fear from Jane, Alec or even Chelsea. **

**Right on schedule, the sky darkened into blackest night as the sun was completely eclipsed by the moon. Not that this dimmed my view, it merely announced the arrival of the real threat.**

**As if to drive that point home, two vampires hurtled over the fence in a blithe move that we were prepared for. It was Felix and Demetri who reacted by dismembering the guards before their feet had even landed on the ground. Their moves were habit, much in the same way my own was; such was the life of a warrior who lived through their many battles.**

**Just then from our south a rocket launcher shot through the sky and landed conveniently in a stack of logs that had been set aside for construction purposes. The ground rumbled in response. I'd guessed that weapon had been one our Amazonian 'friends' hadn't 'fixed' for us. Felix and Demetri added their kills to the flame and the fire roared in response.**

**Two minutes later, the sun returned from behind the sun, only to be covered in a mass of clouds. The result was a lightening in the sky that allowed the weaker human eyes to see their targets without the distraction of the glittery vampire skin.**

**From the looks of things as our battle commenced, none of the opposing groups had been taken out yet, there was at least one missile launcher operational and being used, and the forces that had been clustered before had strangely flattened out leaving our position in the city of Akakor completely surrounded.**

***


	71. Epilogue 1 Part 4: The Battle for Akakor

Epilogue One  
The Battle for Akakor –Part IV

Leah's POV

**We'd been pacing ourselves since we'd arrived back in the Amazon, after the wedding, to accomplish the remaining nine temple ceremonies before this final ritual here in Akakor. The real ordeal had been finding and convincing the assortment of tribes' people, who represented the different cultures from the region, that we'd been instructed to gather, to join us and participate. Sometimes it had taken all of Nahuel's skills of negotiating and my shape shifting to convince them to listen. One day in early March, we were in the middle of one of those difficult conversations, when I discovered I was unable to phase. I'd concentrated on doing so. I felt the heat shoot down my spine in preparation, and then, nothing. I'd stood there naked behind bushes trying time and time again while Nahuel smoothly covered for me and for the first time, used his talent for 'whispering' to the tribal elders to calm their mistrust and allow us to collect their most revered medicine woman to join us for the seventh temple opening at Nara. That was the first sign to me that something was different. Something had changed to my body, though I had no idea what that something was.**

**No matter how many times I'd tried, the result was the same. It was another three weeks before the morning sickness set in. Still, I didn't put it together. As we traveled throughout the region, Nahuel consulted with the healers of the various tribes and I swallowed more vile concoctions than I'd ever imagined existed. **_**'Ambassador Leah doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings now right?'**_** I'd thought to myself sarcastically as I'd held my breath and gulped the putrid liquids of various colors that more often than not made a quick reappearance along with anything that may have been on the inside of my stomach as well. It had slowed us down somewhat. I'd wondered what kind of bug I'd caught that was disabling both my ability to phase and my wolfish healing powers. **

**Nahuel had decided, since at each of the temple ceremonies, one of the four perfected being siblings made an appearance, that perhaps we might learn their thoughts about my condition as soon as we'd finished with the temple opening the following day. If not, then we'd travel to higher grounds so our high powered satellite-cell phone's would get a signal and call Carlisle to get him working on the mystery for us.**

**That call became unnecessary when during the Sun Temple Ceremony, Dagda had appeared, took one look at me and proudly announced, "Leah, am I the first to tell you and your Nahuel the happy news?" I'd looked at him blankly before turning a confused look to my husband.**

**I'd remembered my relief while I thought, '**_**Well, 'you're dying and have ten days left to live' wouldn't be considered happy news, so maybe my condition was temporary.'**_

**Nahuel figured it out before I did and I watched his face change from the worried expression that had begun to plague him, to one of utter delight and astonishment before I was suddenly in his arms and he crushed me to him. "Leah, oh my lovely Leah! We're going to be parents."**

"**Well, darn, Nahuel!" Dagda replied in mock exasperation. "I wanted to be the first with the happy news. Now I have to settle for being the second." His face became one of pure joy, the light that burned behind his face became almost blinding. It was hard to look at without shielding my eyes. "Congratulations to the Wolf Queen of the Amazon and her husband the Jaguar King, who in four and a half months will be the proud parents of the heir to their kingdom. This, their first born son, will be a legend among his people. He will be born the night of the total eclipse and, provided all is accomplished, his arrival will herald the birth of a new nation." As he finished speaking, the intensity of the light emanating through Dagda lessened until he appeared again to be the man we'd seen before.**

"**I'm having a baby?" My voice had been but a whisper as a hope so fierce it almost undid me began to work its way through me. Before I knew it I was trembling and tears were running down my face. **_**'Carlisle was right!'**_** I'd thought. **_**'I'm not a dead end at all!'**_

"**Nahuel, we're having a baby!" I'd choked out before his lips made speaking impossible.**

**Of course, I'd not considered how the effects of pregnancy would impact our schedule for the remaining four temple ceremonies to have completed before Akakor. We leaned heavily on Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri to help us locate participants. I wasn't exactly sure how they were able to convince those they retrieved for us, to come. Perhaps they simple took them while they slept. I was too preoccupied to ask; preoccupied with my growing bulge that was rock hard and growing daily. Thankfully, it hadn't grown as fast as Bella's had, but still twice as fast as a normal pregnancy. I quickly found out if I traveled by walking, more than twenty miles in a given day, I became quite ill. Nahuel took to carrying me a good portion of each day. The ladies of the villages we did meet were eager to assist me. Their kindness and love always touched me in profound ways. They did not treat me as a stranger to their lands, but a fellow sister—a kindred spirit.**

**The last month had been the hardest as we'd worked fervently to complete the last two ceremonies before Akakor. My little bundle of joy had taken on all the characteristics of a star athlete. He kicked and jumped and once even back flipped in my bulging abdomen; breaking ribs. That had hurt like a son-of-a-gun. I'd tried to imagine during the hour it took to heal how Bella ever survived her fragile human bones breaking without screaming with every movement that followed. **_**'Nothing like walking in someone else's shoes—even sort of—to appreciate their fortitude and strength.'**_** My new step sister had more strength and determination than I'd ever given her credit for.**

**As we returned yesterday from Salazere, I'd begun to have a persistent pain in my lower back that would not go away. I tried to ignore it as I greeted my mother, Charlie and my new brother and sister upon our return. I was a pretty good actress, so I was sure it had been Edward's mind reading that had led to Bella knocking on my bedroom door at 1 am. She'd come in and sat in a semi-reclined position and settling me on her lap while Nahuel tucked a blanket over the both of us. The coolness of her body was enough to numb my back and I fell into an exhausted sleep. **

**This morning, I'd awoken well rested and thought the pain had gone, but after Bella's 'ice pack' treatment had been removed for a while, the ache returned with even more force. By late morning it was joined by an occasional round of sharp pains that all but took my breath away with their intensity. They felt as though all of the muscles in my abdominal wall were clenching in a spasm. When the fourth one hit within an hour, I realized I was in labor. The day of the battle for our survival, the day of the final temple ceremony, the day of the deadline…would of course, be the day my baby would chose to arrive. I'd reminded myself, that I was Leah Clearwater and determined to suck it up as best as I could. Nahuel was not fooled. **

"**Leah, you know how important today is. Dagda told us the day our little one was born would be a sign of the birth of a new nation—our nation. Lean on me today my lovely Leah. I will lend you my strength and we'll get through this together, alright?" He'd whispered into my ear when Carlisle had left our room after telling me that I was 95% effaced and 3 cm dilated already. I'd silently nodded to my dear husband, whose tenderness in that moment had me batting tears out of my eyes. **

'**My contractions are still fifteen minutes apart. I can do this.' I thought as I steeled myself and gave the love of my life a small smile. He took my hand and we left the privacy of our rooms and descended the stairs to the gathered company in the main hall and I did my best to put my 'public face' on.**

**Nahuel had become so attuned to my body that he sensed each contraction just before they hit and he slowed our pace while I braced myself and held his hand, or arm so tightly it would have broken a human's bones. Nahuel didn't say a word, though it couldn't have been a pleasant experience for him. As we descended the slope of a hill that led to the lower level of the tunnel, a contraction hit me so sharp my step began to falter Nahuel swung me up into his arms before I collapsed. He did not return me to my feet when we arrived at the portals, or when the sky left our company in total darkness, and he had to assure the humans with us everything was as it should be. He did not release me as the ground shook or as we returned to the still darkened scene above us where we saw the sun, that had just been eclipsed, was hiding behind a bank of clouds. The scene felt strangely like twilight had fallen. He kept me firmly in his arms as he told everyone we would make our way to the Moon Temple and we began our short trek across the main plaza. There was the blaze of a bon fire that seemed to help the human warriors see what they were dealing with. As we neared our destination, a second explosion rocked a small stone home off to our south. It immediately burst into flames as the fuel inside the ammunition ignited. Even though my contractions were still ten minutes apart as we climbed the temple's stairs, Nahuel refused to let me go. I could hear his heart as it worked harder than usual. **

**As though sensing my thoughts he looked at me and grinned. "Humor me Darling; it isn't every day I get to sweep The Wolf Queen off her feet!" His comment left me rolling my eyes at the same time it had me biting back a small smile. Then the next contraction hit, wiping the smile off my face in an instant.**

July 15, 2010 Moon Temple Ceremony 4:00 pm  
Still Leah's POV

**We wasted no time as Nahuel led us through the outer doors of the smaller temple. The humans in our group seemed to balk as they entered the darkened interior. As my mother was one of those humans, I worried about her apprehension. I looked back at her from my vantage point at the front as my latest contraction finally subsided and found that Bella and Edward had both Charlie and my mom well in hand. Within minutes we were stopped in the small foyer of the inner chamber of the Moon Temple. Carmen Denali was handed the same diamond Tanya had used to open the tunnel chambers below Akakor. She pressed it into the indentation that matched the gems size and dimensions in exactness and there was a clicking sound as metal gears responded, unlocking and opening the door in front of us. They also turned on an ancient light source that had lain dormant for centuries. Nahuel announced this ceremony was for the women present before he led the way into the timeless chamber that was laid open before us. Each Moon Temple we opened had reflected the color of the gem used to open the chamber, and here, in Akakor with a brilliant clear diamond used as the key, the room glowed with a luminous white light. **

**He finally set me down from our spot at the front of the circular room. I noted that this Moon Temple had a much larger inner chamber than the other ones we'd visited. The numerous women who entered the room had looks of reverence and awe about them. I had seen it happen eleven times in eleven Moon Temples over the past year, and yet it still filled me with a sense of elation as I watched the others faces as they took in what no mortals had viewed for such a long time. It was especially exciting for me to watch my own mother become a part of the ritual. Charlie and Edward had been left in charge of the twins and she sat unburdened beside Bella. She grabbed Bella's hand and shared a moment of excitement with her before she turned her thrilled expression to me. Her eyes got bigger and then she winked. I winked back. After that I was glad Nahuel called the proceedings to order as it drew my mother's attention away from me just before the next painful contraction hit.**

**Nahuel moved from his place next to me with a final squeeze of my hand. "Hold on Sweetheart. You're doing great." He told me under his breath. It was heard by only the more sensitive ears in the room. He then moved towards the Keyport and with him, went the attention of the ladies present. I was grateful to have at least one contraction where I didn't have to attempt to keep the grimace off my face. I thought I'd felt pain before. When Jacob had taken the brunt of the newborn attack for me; I'd suffered right alongside him—along with everyone else in his pack. Why was this so different? I was a protector, a werewolf, a Clearwater. Why wasn't I impervious to this pain? Wasn't a strong constitution supposed to be part of my heritage? The contraction neared its peak as I thought through the pain**_**, 'Apparently not!'**_** I gritted my teeth as Kate Denali stepped forward and Nahuel handed her the same smaller diamond. She put it into the Keyport and instantly, it was locked into place. The room brightened as though the light setting had gone from the dimness of the stars to that of the moon. Then Nahuel returned to my side. The contraction had subsided and I knew I would be good for another nine minutes. He looked at me and smiled. To the others in the room it was a winning smile of The Jaguar King for his Wolf Queen, but I saw the tightening around the eyes that spoke volumes of his worry for me. I tried to give him my best smile to reassure him. It didn't work, so I rolled my eyes instead. That seemed to work more effectively than my attempt at happiness.**

**Nahuel held out his hand and helped me up before leading me to the Bar of Knowledge that rested just a foot away from where I sat. Every time I had rested my hands on the different bars I had the most peculiar sensation come over me. It was like being flooded with images, of people, places, and events. It seemed to fill up some of the unused portion of my brain with information. It usually left me dizzy and lightheaded for a few moments, and usually led into a profound spiritual experience with the others on the room. I had noticed that with each placement of my hands, I had mastered more of the dialects of the native Amazonians, both ancient and modern. I understood their customs, their legends, and their history. I understood them. I was truly becoming one of them.**

**I took a deep breath and placed my hands on the Bar of Knowledge at the same time as my husband did. As before, I was inundated with images and sounds, new understandings came to my mind. Then I saw something I'd not seen before. I saw the city of Akakor in the glory of days long past. It stood out from the Amazon heights. A city covered in Gold. Color was everywhere. Lush plants were cultivated on verandas and fountains graced the palace, the Sun and Moon Temples and the main plaza. There were so many people, all of them happy; all of them ancestors of those who lived in the Amazon today. They seemed to reach out to me and wave. They brought into my vantage point a chest of treasure and opened it. Inside rested my rare pink topaz wedding ring and hear-shaped necklace, my crown and the beautiful pink topaz gem that adorned my scepter. With a start I realized I was seeing the very people who had mined and crafted it for me. They were welcoming me to my new home—from the dust.**

**The room began to pulse with brighter and brighter shafts of white light until the room was bathed in white. As it grew in intensity, so did a bond between every woman in the room. We were one. I gazed around the room, connected to each woman around me. When I locked eyes with any one person, the connection between the two of us grew. When this happened with the young woman, Migina, who was some sort of a wolf, I was greeted with a memory. It was of an older beautiful woman with gently flowing ebony hair that hung past her shoulders. She had a kind and gentle face. She was at home with her children. Migina was there as an adolescent girl. Her father had been killed years earlier and they were having a celebration of some sort. **

**The girl lived in a family of 'Children of the Moon'. I wondered how that could be. Hadn't Edward explained to all of us that real werewolves only continued their species by biting and infecting others? Then I quickly revised that assumption as I remembered Edward and Bella's little 'vampire' surprise that rocked the vampire world and shook loose their own dogma. Why couldn't an infected mother pass along the ability to morph into something else to her children? Was it often tried? And apparently, in this girl's family, it was the girls as well as the boys who transformed. It was interesting indeed. **

**Suddenly the scene behind my eyes changed. There were vampires present and like my own reaction to the smell, Migina's nose wrinkled in distain. Before she had time to think through what that meant, the vampires were among them—slaughtering her family--her sister, her brothers and her mother; all gone…all except for one. Her eldest brother Shiloh, who took her with him as he escaped from the bloody scene of their home, had survived as well. **

**She had been hunted, along with her brother, by the vampires that sought to take their lives. I was surprised that one of the vampires from her memory was none other than Felix, who had wandered freely throughout the city. No wonder she was so wary of him. She didn't know of his transformation away from the Volturi. With the same silent communication, I explained about myself, my family and the events that led to the change in not just Felix but Demetri as well. The entire assemblage was privy to our silent exchange. Every woman saw the painful past this young woman bore.**

**Afterwards, I noticed her gaze shift to Bella and a wordless understanding of Migina's pain and Bella's trust passed between them as well. It repeated with each of the vampire women in the room. Surprisingly, all of this happened in less than ten minutes. I knew because I was hit with another contraction, this one even harder and more painful than the one before it. What I wasn't expecting was that this time, all of the women in the room turned to me in the instant the pain hit me. Their concern turned into something else as they seemed to somehow take a portion of my pain and share it between them, leaving me with a mild discomfort only.**

**When the contraction ended, so did the connection. The ceremonies at the Moon Temple were concluded. I knew that for the rest of my labor pains I would be on my own, but even that brief reprieve was a blessing to me. As if to accent our need for haste, there was another explosion heard from without. It shook the ground again. Alice's vision of heavy artillery was unfortunately dead accurate. **

July 15, 2010 Battle for Akakor 4:00 pm

Jasper's POV

**After Felix and Demetri beheaded two Volturi guards who'd jumped the main gate, we were inundated with flaming arrows from the west side of the walled city. Our human guards along that wall were well equipped with spears, arrows and blow darts of their own. They also had the additional protection of their shields and the wall itself. I knew for the moment they could fight off that attack. The biggest blessing for the vampires turned out to be a problem for the humans; the problem being the cloud cover that settled in at the close of the eclipse, leaving the sky as dark as twilight.**

**I wondered where the invisible warriors were the 'Monkey Hunter' had trained. Had they been successful in their missions? If so, had I miscalculated? The hostiles to the west had not disbanded and the militia to our south had not been stopped. An entire hour had passed**_**. 'Where the devil were they?'**_** I'd wondered in frustration realizing they might have gone invisible in more than one way. As if to punctuate my thoughts there was a barrage of machine gun fire to our south. It had been some time since the rocket came from them. There were sounds of screams as four of our human guards fell from the wall, the powerful bullets ripped through their shields as though they were mere paper.**

**I knew they would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later. Before I could address the problem I caught the unmistakable whiff of vampire from the other side of the gate. There were eight vampires and I could sense their indignation at our refusal to admit them entrance to our stronghold. Yes, Aro and Caius had definitely arrived.**

**From over the wall I could hear Caius's arrogant voice. "What do we have here? Aro, we've never had a wall stop our progress before. What could it mean? Do you think these are the vampires who have caused such harm to our Felix and Demetri that they could not even return to us?" His fury and disdain washed over me.**

"**Of course it is." Aro responded as though he were speaking excitedly to a three year old. "But our friends aren't far. I can smell them. They are just on the other side of this gate." His voice raised a notch. "Felix, Demetri, we have come to take you home. Open the gate and welcome us properly." It was harder to get a good read on Aro's feelings. He was more put out and disappointed than anything else.**

"**Do I also smell Cullens here?" Caius added with more venom in his voice. **

"**Cullens and werewolves. Yes, I smell a trap brother."**

"**I told you Aro, we couldn't trust anyone who consorted with those beasts." Caius snapped back.**

**I felt another's feelings as they sent out waves of suggestions; suggestions of loyalty. I realized it must have been coming from Chelsea using her gift to try to change our alliances. They should have guessed that we would be protected by Bella's shield and such efforts were a waste of their energy. They had not seen beyond the wall. They didn't know that Bella's gift had grown and she could now shield the entire city from mental attacks while she herself, also in the city, was participating in the Temple of the Moon ceremonies.**

**Emmett and I jumped on top of the ten foot wall as though it were a step ladder. **

"**Hello Aro," Emmett's booming voice called out cheerfully as he looked down on the Volturi leader who stood with his entourage outside the wall.**

"**Emmett Cullen and Jasper Hale, how nice to see you again." Aro said sounding delighted. "I didn't expect to see you this side of the equator. Is your entire coven moving into the jungle where you can have a larger vegetarian food selection?"**

"**No, but thanks for asking. I am touched by your concern for the welfare of me and my family." I replied in a sincere tone. I nearly choked on it. **

"**Yeah," Emmett added innocently, "Whoever it was that said you were a heartless monster must have been mistaken.**

"**Well, I guess some perceive me and mine as harsh. It can't be helped I suppose. The burden of the ruling class has left us so misunderstood." Aro templed his fingertips. He looked as though he wanted to reach out and grab hold of us to find out what he wanted to know directly. Fat chance we'd let him.**

"**What are the Volturi doing out in the jungle? Kind of hard to get lost in Italy and end up deep in the Amazon Rainforest." I prompted.**

"**Yeah, a little thing called the Atlantic Ocean would get you a little wet if you'd gone too far in the wrong direction." Emmett added sarcastically.**

"**My dear young friends, I did not get lost. I have come to hunt down my two guardsmen who seem to have become confused as to the direction Volterra is located..." Aro continued.**

"**Felix and Demetri," Caius added already tired of the charade. "Tell them we're here to collect them AND Aro's hybrid."**

"**I haven't seen either of them for weeks." Emmett replied without batting an eye. "I scared them off." He added in a stage whisper."**

"**What do you mean you scared them off?" Caius demanded. "I can smell their scent. Don't toy with us, you fool!"**

"**Well, it was worth a try." Emmett said with a shrug of his shoulders.**

"**Insolent!" Caius spat out as he lost all patience and jumped onto the wall himself. As he did so his three personal bodyguards jumped with him. It looked rather ridiculous as there was only room on the three foot width of the wall for one man to stand. Two were behind him and one in front. Then from his higher position he looked out into the city of Akakor and an involuntary gasp escaped him before he composed himself. Then he quickly looked down on the assembled vampires on the other side; quickly spotting Felix, Demetri and Mia. "There you are." He said in malevolent triumph. "Did you really think you could outsmart us? We who have trusted you, who have been your family? How could you give up a bond such as ours?" Then he returned his gaze to Aro on the other side. "They are here. Mia is with them. But there is no hybrid with them. And their…eyes." He added in revulsion. "Carlisle must've brainwashed them all."**

"**Ahhh," Aro replied again templing his fingers, "Our finest guardsmen have chosen to leave our service without so much as a thank you for all of the years we have invested in them. I see how it is. You cannot even come out and greet us as you leave our employ. It is…disappointing."**

"**Aro, Caius," Demetri said as he too jumped onto the top of the wall. "This is not how we wanted this to end, but our priorities have changed. I have Mia now and I have served you for over a millennia. I will not be cajoled into a liaison with another woman just to provide you with your cursed desire for a vampire hybrid of your own. It was unreasonable of you to ask it of me. You talk of loyalty and family. What kind of father, would ask his son to commit such a heinous act? My home is with Mia and I will not return."**

"**Well, I'm sorry you feel that way Demetri. I would be happy for both you and Mia to return to Volterra with us to your true home without requiring your stud services. I have an arrangement with Joham concerning my acquisition of a vampire hybrid. So if that was the main conflict you had with us, you may return. We can be very forgiving when love is involved. Remember Bella?"**

"**Yes, we remember Bella. We also remember Didyme as well." Felix shot back. He did not jump the fence but he looked directly at Caius as he spoke. Caius scowled back.**

"**What holds you here Felix?" Aro asked through the stone wall. "I get that Demetri has Mia now. But what holds you here? Were things really so bad with us? Did we not treat you with kindness and reward you often?" Aro's voice practically dripped with injured pride and hurt.**

"**Love holds me here as well." Felix responded as he looked deeply into Huilen's eyes. She smiled shyly back before looking down. "…Love and the thrill of adventure."**

"**You have found love as well." Aro sighed. "Well, as for the thrill of adventure…I can see that you have found in the Cullen family those who are of a like mind. Well, while you're all busy playing Robinson Crusoe, perhaps you'd like to explain what you have done to start a war deep in the Amazon jungle? Surely none of you have forgotten about our need to remain inconspicuous." Aro sounded disapproving now. His feelings were carefully hidden from me.**

"**This is not our war." I responded. "This is a power struggle in the jungle; nothing that will show up on the six o'clock news tonight."**

"**Is that so Jasper Hale?" Caius snarled at me as he jumped back down to land back beside Aro. He immediately gave him his hand as his guards leapt back to his other side. The exchange lasted an entire minute before Aro turned in my direction.**

"**Jasper, give my best to your lovely wife. Tell her I hope to see her soon in Volterra."**

**I nodded. It took all of my composure to stand there and not attack him and the threat implicit in his words.**

"**I would like to speak with Carlisle if I may." Aro continued in the same breath. "Surely he didn't stay behind in America with such an adventure taking place here?"**

"**No, he is here." I said cautiously. "But he is in the middle of something and will be unavailable to visit with you until after 7 pm tonight."**

"**What is more important than coming out to meet with us--his superiors?" Caius scoffed in outrage.**

**Aro seemed to take Caius hand again to silence him. "Patience brother, we can wait. They seem to have their hands full and I want to see if I can pick up Joham's scent in the meantime. His homeland was right over the Andes Mountains." Then Aro turned back to Demetri, Emmett and I. "We will return to speak with Carlisle within three hours. See that he is available. We won't be as accommodating next time."**

**They turned to leave but Aro paused again and turned to Demetri. "I don't suppose you could tell me which direction to go to find Joham's scent? For old time's sake?"**

"**Honestly Aro, I don't really feel much of a pull towards him at all. But there does seem to be something very faint to the north east of here." Demetri half-lied smoothly.**

**Aro gave him a wistful smile in response. "Ahh, I do hope you will reconsider your allegiance. Demetri, You will be sorely missed."**

**The group of now ten vampires disappeared quickly. That was when we saw a large group of over two hundred Amazon warriors being marched towards us surrounded by thirty of the Monkey Hunter's invisible warriors. It would seem as though they had taken out the leader of the rebel tribes and the rest had surrendered as I'd hoped.**

**We'd just gotten everyone safely inside when there was a second explosion from the rocket launcher. This one landed between the Sun Temple and the Temple of the Moon. It took out a newly restored spring fed fountain that was a source of drinking water for the humans in the city. It would take some time to restore and it soaked the surrounding grounds in seconds. **

**I watched as the group came out of the Temple of the Moon, their ceremony there completed. I shuddered to consider who might have been injured had that rocket hit just a few moments later.**


	72. Epilogue 1 Part 5: The Battle for Akakor

Epilogue One  
The Battle for Akakor –Part V

Nahuel's POV

**I knew today would come. It seemed that no matter how hard we tried to complete our temple openings early, we were met with unexpected challenges. Some of them had been as wondrous as they were surprising. I looked at my brave wife as she silently breathed through another contraction. This one had come only nine minutes after the previous one. I knew they were getting stronger too. And it wasn't just her death grip on my hand that let me know. I could tell it in her every breath, her heartbeats, her tensing muscles and the minute tightening of her jaw line that was largely unnoticed by most of our assembled guests.**

**So I put on my brave face, wiping it clean of worry and anxiety as Leah stared up at me and sighed in relief, her contraction finally over. I swept her into my arms again and, from my vantage point at the top of the stairs to the Moon Temple, gazed out to survey the damage. I could clearly see the smoldering ruins of the capped natural spring we had created to divert water for the inhabitants of Akakor. It looked like we'd be getting our feet wet from it as we traveled across the plaza to the Sun Temple--where the main ceremony, marking the completion of our assignment and 'defusing' the bombing mechanisms that lay hidden deep within the Amazon jungle, would be held. I quickly moved down the mountain of stairs towards the plaza, eager to get under cover of some sort before the guerrilla thugs found another working warhead and took out another chunk of our home.**

**Carlisle came along side me as I finished my descent. When I walked, five dozen people walked with me. The leaders of so many tribes watched to see how I would respond to the crisis about me, the ceremony, the battle, my wife; their eyes took in my every move as they made and revised their opinions. So much depended on me in that moment. It was hard to keep focused and keep my thinking clear. My sweet wife's breaths were shallow and quick. She needed my strength now too. It was hard to concentrate on the demands of my office when her need was so immediate and acute.**

"**Nahuel, I need to check Leah before we start the ceremonies in the Sun Temple." Carlisle's voice was quiet yet strong. He looked at me as though he knew the conflicting emotions I wrestled with. I knew he was right, but I couldn't think of where he would take her for the exam. "Allow me to take her ahead to the Sun Temple. Esme will come with us and we'll find an empty side room or hallway for a quick exam and then meet you back at the foyer to the inner chamber of the Sun Temple. "You have to stay here and lead the others, but we can assess Leah's labor quickly and see how she is progressing before you begin the proceedings."**

**I nodded to him and bent my head to kiss Leah softly on her forehead. "Leah sweetheart, I'm going to let Carlisle take you on ahead."**

"**I know Nahuel. I heard." She said, her condition made her tone sound irate. Only I knew better. My Leah was scared. She gave me a brave face and nodded once. She softened her tone. "Don't worry Nahuel; just hurry everybody up, okay?"**

**I felt strangely remote as I place her in Carlisle's arms, as though I were somehow abandoning her. For the first time I felt the burden of leadership as it took me away from my heart and bound me to work for the people of the land.**

**They were up the steps and into the halls of the Sun Temple before we'd made it half way across the soggy grounds of the courtyard. **

**I worried as I looked about me at how the blasts had reduced parts of our city to piles of rumble once again. The ancients had told us that today would be either a Day of Deliverance or a Day of Destruction. For the first time, I felt a nagging worry as I passed the ruins of our water source. It felt somehow as though it was an omen of things to follow. I shook that thought off and concentrated on remaining positive.**

**It took our group another fifteen minutes to climb up the many steps to the peak of the temple and locate the foyer to the inner chamber of the inner temple. True to his word, Carlisle waited there with Leah in his arms and Esme at his side, gently rubbing Leah's back as she worked through another contraction.**

"**Well Nahuel, you're going to be a father pretty soon now." He said with a small smile lighting his face. He did not give her back to me though. **

**I tried to take her but it was Leah who spoke, as yet another contraction subsided. "Let me stay with Carlisle and Esme for now." Her voice was breathless from the strain of speaking. It was as though all of her concentration was focused on not crying out from the pain of her ordeal. "You need to preside here. I'll be here too, just don't worry."**

"**But Leah," I protested. "I can do both!" And if I couldn't, I would have chosen her over the ceremony easily. We were having our firstborn son. That thought that had cheered me over the last few months was now tempered by my anxiety over Leah.**

"**The show must go on Nahuel," she said with a strained attempt at bravado. "I don't want to upstage you." She sighed and added, "Only, can we speed it up a little?"**

"**Yes, that is the best idea." Carlisle said. "We have to finish the ceremony. Too much depends on it. Your wife is 100% effaced and dilated to 7 cm. so we should have time if we proceed quickly."**

**Their words spurred me on and I turned to find Shiloh, 'The Man Who Straddles Two Worlds' already stood beside the Keyport ready to be handed the gem that would open the door and fulfill his assignment of opening the door to the inner chamber of the largest Sun Temple in the Amazon region.**

July 15, 2010 Sun Temple Ceremony 5:00 pm

Still Nahuel's POV

**I handed him the key to activate the door lock. It was a cut diamond large enough to rival a coconut. As he pressed it into the indentation beside the door, I heard the answering hum of gears as the door swung open and revealed the lit chamber. I barely registered him returning the gem key to me as I looked on in surprise at the light that emanated from the room beyond. It was unlike any lights I had seen in any of the previous eleven Sun Temples. The light beckoned to me with a soft golden glow and the scent that hit my nose was one of sun dried spices, ripe fruit and honey. I led our party into the inner chamber and for the briefest of moments I forgot my worries and drank in the beauties that were the Sun Temple in the ancient and great city of Akakor.**

**There were twelve huge columns that rang the circular room. These twelve columns were covered in gleaming sheets of gold. And gleaming they were because they were basking in sunlight from the windows at the top point of the pyramid. I wondered at how that could be since there was a storm brewing outside and nothing to sustain the gentle rays of light that shone through the glass. The stone walls behind them had been intricately carved, showing jaguar and wolf heads in relief. Each had been painted in various shades of gold, copper, silver and other metals. There were also other carved figures. I could make out the four heads of the perfected beings I had met a year ago and had occasion to speak to individually during each of the previous Sun Temple Ceremonies. From his prominent position in the drawings it was clear that Akakor was claimed by Llasa. There were also many carvings depicting elements of weather: wind, rain, sun, snow. I heard the gasps behind me as everyone entered the room. Even my lovely Leah was distracted from her labor pains as she took it all in. I was thankful for that. It was also just what I needed to break the hypnotic effect of the majesty around me and spur me on to complete my duty so I could take care of my heart; as that was what Leah was to me.**

**Everyone who had been asked to participate gathered around the sunstone mosaic in the center of the majestic room. Carlisle stood holding Leah in the circle. Esme stood to his one side. On his other side was an empty spot for me, as I was at the Keyport with my mother-in-law, Sue Clearwater in her role as 'Mother of the Wolves'. When everyone was quiet I began the ceremony. I welcomed everyone for the sacred service that had been last performed well over a century earlier. Then I presented the same large diamond to Sue that Shiloh had used to open the door. She slipped it into the Keyport and it locked into place. As it did so two things happened. First of all, the light that had started out as a light golden glowing became more vibrant and shone with more color throughout the chamber. Prisms began to shine against the walls. At first I thought it was from the vampires but when I gazed around me, none of the vampires shone at all. I silently wondered if Llasa had somehow blocked whatever it was in the rays of the sunlight that vampire skin reacted with from shining into the room. It certainly would fit with his personality. This was after all his show and he wouldn't want to be upstaged. The second thing that happened was a deep groaning of gears that seemed to extend from behind the Keyport lock and go straight under our feet into the ground itself. I wondered if they were the gears to start the defusing process that would save us from being destroyed.**

**With that done, I escorted Sue back to her spot in the circle next to Charlie. Once there I put a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "You're next." He nodded back to me, looking a little green.**

**I took my place next to Carlisle. I was facing due east as I had in the other ceremonies. Leah reached out from where she was held in his arms and grabbed my hand. I took it and kissed it softly. The sounds of the gears had hid her gasp of pain during her last contraction. I honestly didn't know if we'd get through the ceremony at that moment, but I kept it going all the same. I worried about whether the sounds of the gears I'd just heard was all that was needed to be done to stop the detonation or if it depended on our completion of the ceremonies. I couldn't chance it.**

**As though in response to my urgency, I heard once again the sound of rising rock as a chest rose in the floor directly behind Charlie. I nodded to him and he took a backward step out of the circle and almost fell over it.**

"**Oops," He muttered in a whisper under his breath as he looked to Sue, who smiled a tight smile. She was worried about Leah too. He tried to lift the great stone lid. It didn't want to budge. His face became red from the strain. This wasn't the first time it was too heavy for the bearer. Nessie was quickly at his side and together they lifted the lid and peered inside. He looked up to her with a question in his eye and a raised eyebrow. In response she gave him a wink. He removed a yellowed scroll with shaky hands and unrolled it carefully. His shaking made the paper rustle throughout the room. He looked around the room apprehensively. "I hope I can read this." His voice sounded unsure. He opened it up and looked at the writing for the first time. Then he brought it closer to his face and squinted before pulling it back and finally sighing in relief as he started to make out the words on the scroll.**

**Charlie cleared his throat and began. **_**"**__**In year zero the Former Masters left, but before they left there was War between the Gods--of good and evil. This war was terrible and devastating. Afterwards, the Former Masters left and a global catastrophe ensued. The Ugha Mongulala and the surrounding tribes lapsed into 6,000 years of barbarism.**_

_**In the year 13 (10,468 BC) the course of the rivers was altered, and the elevation of the mountains and the strength of the sun changed**_

_**During this time, "...Continents were flooded. The waters of the Great Lake flowed back into the oceans. The Great Amazon River was interrupted by a new mountain range and now flowed swiftly toward the east and into the Atlantic Ocean. Enormous forest grew on its banks. A humid heat spread over the easterly regions...In the west, where giant mountains had surged up, people froze in the bitter cold of the higher altitudes..." All this would be known as the "First Great Catastrophe."**_

_**After this first Great Catastrophe, the empire was set in ruins. Many of the passages that linked the borders of the empire were blocked; the mysterious light that illuminated the subterranean dwellings was extinguished; the twenty-six cities were destroyed by a tremendous flood; and "the sacred temple precincts of Salazere, Tiahunanaco, and Manoa lay in ruins, destroyed by the terrible fury of Gods."**_

_**This would NOT be the last**_**.**

_**Just after this 2nd catastrophe, the Gods returned to Akakor, but only a few. Their stay was short. Only two brothers stayed: Lhasa and Samon. Lhasa stayed with the Ugha Mongulala and Samon flew off to the east, first to Ofir and then to Akahim, where he assisted the maiden Amazon Warriors in their defense of the people.**_

Lhasa, now king of the Ugha Mongulala, fortified the kingdom and supposedly had Macchu Picchu built as an outpost of the empire. "Lhasa was the decisive innovator of the Ugha Mongulala empire. During the 300 years of his rule, he laid down the basis for a powerful empire. Then he returned to the Gods. He convened the elders of the people and the highest priests and passed his laws on to them. He ordered the people to live according to the Gods' bequest forever and to obey his commands." After establishing this powerful empire, "he ascended the Mountain of the Moon, which looms over Macchu Picchu, and in his flying disk forever withdrew from the humans."

**I was not surprised the magic that allowed him to read the language of the Ugha Mongulala also allowed him to tackle some of their harder vocabulary words. Finishing, he rolled the paper and replaced the scroll into the stone chest. Nessie helped him replace the lid and the chest retreated back into the floor.**

**Leah's grip on my hand tightened with such force it took me a second before I could ask for Seth to come and take 'The Morning Star Sapphire' into the center of the circle as 'The Wolf Protector'. He very quickly complied with a worried glance at his sister. As soon as he stepped onto the mosaic of the sun, the gem came to life and cast letters all around the room. Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri were ready to read, translate and recite to us what message the stone had for us to hear.**

**As they had in the past eleven Temple of the Sun ceremonies, Senna and Kachiri worked at the wall while Zafrina stood with her back to them and spoke the message reflected onto the walls. Usually they told about our instructions for the next ceremony. Since this was the last, I wondered at what information we were being given this time.**

"**Now that the great city of Akakor has been brought to light, it is to become a center for learning, for power, for kindness and sharing. It should also become a center for accumulating the knowledge contained within the Amazon basin and documented to help the sick and afflicted of the world. Each tribe should be represented at all centers of power, be it in the cabinet of Governing to assist the Jaguar King and Wolf Queen, or in the Center of Power as warriors to defend the land and keep it safe, or the Center of Knowledge and Learning to teach and instruct, to gather and preserve the ways of our people and pass them down to the next generation, while at the same time, preparing our people to survive in the modern world. Or even if it be the Center for kindness and sharing as ambassadors to reach out to those in need both those inside of the Amazon and those beyond our borders. Akakor is destined to become a diplomatic destination that will hold to the ancient ways, obeying the laws of the ancients and living in peace and happiness as true brothers and sisters to all."**

**As I heard those words, I had confirmed to me what I had suspected all along. Leah and I were only initiating what was to follow as we opened these twelve temples. Akakor was destined to return to greatness. It was destined to become a superpower. And my sweet wife and I had been hand selected to lead its citizens. Once again I was overwhelmed at the confidence that had been placed in our hands.**

**I then directed the Brazilian girl, Migina, to take her place next to the diamond where it sat, locked in place in the Keyport. .She'd been skittish until her experience in the Moon Temple. Now her fear was replaced with a peaceful confidence. Without any fanfare, she placed her hand directly over the massive gem and as she did, she closed her eyes and began to tell us in her fluid alto voice, what she saw from behind her lids. She spoke in Portuguese, but all present heard her words in their native tongue, just as they had for all of the ceremonies.**

"**There will be a space of nine years until the struggle between good and evil comes to a head. It will start in the heart of the kingdom of the Cold Ones and will spread out from there to encompass all who follow the Path of Darkness. The balance must be restored. If there is no free will, there is no choice and where there is no choice the Powers of Light are thwarted, mankind is oppressed and unable to chose their own way, thus they are enslaved and impoverished and hope is lost. All of mankind must also have the chance to correct wrong choices and still return to the path of Light of their own free will. It is evil to stifle this choice. The right to choose is the primary reason for existence. It is a tool to learn and to discover for oneself the beauty of eternal truths. Those who seek to take away choice must be stopped at all costs. Beware of those who seem reasonable but act to destroy free will."**

**I was about to proceed with the last part of the ceremony. Leah had her last contraction three minutes ago. I hoped that we would have another three and a half minutes to complete the last part that required Leah's participation. Apparently there was something else Migina saw because she suddenly started speaking again.**

"**Those among you who leave to return to the Path of Darkness will have their memories of the Path of Light protected so that they may not be wrested from them by those who would use that knowledge to destroy others and circumvent choice. Knowledge is an important thing, to share with some and to guard against from others. Usually the line is drawn very conveniently down the two paths; but some try to walk both paths. It is hard to understand where they stand until they fall off one or the other, sometimes even both."**

**As I waited this time to see if there would be more again, Leah curled into a ball in Carlisle's arms. I took her from him and this time he allowed it. We would need to perform the last step together at the Bar of Knowledge and it would have to wait for the minute to pass. I kissed her head and offered her my words of comfort.**

"**You are doing wonderfully Sweetheart. And your contractions are getting closer together. Do you know what that means?"**

**She glared at me as if to **_**say 'you've got to be kidding me? You want to have a conversation now?' **_** I couldn't help smiling a little bit. Even in pain her sarcasm was in fine form.**

"**That means you are about to become a mother. It's almost over! As soon as we finish here, I am going to find you a place to lie down and help you get as comfortable as possible. Our son is just getting a little claustrophobic in there that's all!" As her pain lost its intensity and passed, her breathing returned to a more regular rhythm. Not so for her heart that continued to pound furiously.**

"**Slow, deep breaths Leah." Carlisle told her in his calm unruffled tone. "You need to make sure the baby gets enough oxygen." Leah complied and her heart rate also returned to her regular steady beat.**

**I carefully set her on her feet. Carlisle took her one arm and I took her other as we turned around and walked to the wall behind us where sat the Bar of Knowledge. Leah gave me a weary look. I looked back at her. I understood what she could not say to me in our present company. I knew that this labor was harder than she had been expecting. Her contractions were powerful. My Leah was in pain and I could not take it away. We placed both of our hands on the Bar of Knowledge. It grew brighter and brighter in the room in a pulsing glow.**

**With each pulse of light, more knowledge was implanted in my brain. This time it was different though. This time it was more personal. This time I saw a young man who looked to be an older teenager. He had skin of a deep brown with a mop of curly chestnut brown hair and dark teak eyes that seemed to laugh with merriment. His limbs were strong and the curve of his face held the same features of my beloved Leah. We gasped in unison as we realized we were looking into the future of our son that was about to be born. He looked to be tracking as he hunted. He had developed a great deal of talent in his endeavor. It was clear to see as he examined the area around him. My heart swelled with pride and joy. **_**'My son!'**_** I thought and the sound was filled with a wonder at something I'd never even considered before I'd met my Leah. I heard Leah sob quietly at my side and I instinctively knew that this little glimpse of the future had given her the strength to hold on for just a little bit longer.**

"**Sammon," Leah breathed weakly, calling the vision of our oldest son, by his soon-to-be given name. Leah and I had decided to name him after the perfected being Samon, who'd given us our charge in Akahim and been instrumental in our gifts of each other and seeing our loved ones, Harry and Pierre.**

**The Bar of Knowledge pulsed again and I watched as my son called out to someone even though his voice was not present, then into view came two other youth. It was immediately apparent that they were twins and with a start, I realized that they looked very much like me although their faces also held Leah's chin and hairlines. They tracked with their slightly older brother. I looked through the vision to my wife to see tears streaming down her face now. Before our eyes, a crocodile reared up at them from the swamp floor. Their weapons glanced off its scaly back and suddenly the older curly headed teenager phased into a wolf and attacked the giant Caiman. The twins cheered him on. Later they brought the pelt from the giant beast back to Akakor and Leah, looking very much like she did today, came out to greet them. Her expression was one of pride and excitement. It was mirrored in the face of our oldest son. She hugged him fiercely and they shared a private moment of joy.**

**The bar pulsed again and trailing behind her was a young girl of about 9 years of age, came scampering out of the city gate to join them. She was the spitting image of Leah and her face was animated with mirth. As she twirled around I was struck with another sense of longing for what was to be my future. I would have a daughter too; A little Leah to share my heart with. I could hardly wait to let her wrap me around her little finger. Honestly, looking at my children in this future vision, I was already filled with a sense of love for each of them.**

**The bar pulsed again and this time I saw myself walk through the gate to join the reunion. I looked the same as I have for over 150 years but this time I held 2 toddlers in my arms; a boy and a girl. The older twins ran to me and hugged me while retrieving a sibling each. I let out a lone chuckle of delight. One thing was very apparent. Leah's belief that she was a dead end couldn't have been further from the truth.**

**The bar pulsed again, moving to another time frame. Our three older boys looked much the same as they did from the previous scene—perhaps a little older. There was a beautiful young woman with Sammon. Her back was to us as she gazed up at him and he looked at her as though he was a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. When she turned around I was surprised to see it was Migina. The younger children had grown to maturity and there were more little ones in the picture as well. It was unclear how many of them were our own children and how many were our grandchildren but we were definitely happy and surrounded by our posterity.**

**The Bar of Knowledge stopped pulsing and as we stepped back from it, the room was filled with brilliant light. Leah and I looked at each other in awe. I grabbed her and crushed her to me as carefully as possible. We turned around, facing the others, to find that somehow in the midst of the streaming brilliant white light, a rainbow had passed through the glass ceiling and ended in the center of our circle.. I silently laughed as I looked around me at the room covered in gold and thought about the pot of gold that was supposed to be at the end of the rainbow. **_**'Well at least its true today,'**_** I thought wryly.**

**We returned to the circle; when there I gathered my wife into my arms once more just as another contraction took her. "Hold on now Sweetheart. We're almost ready to find you some place to have our son. He is so perfect. He'll look just like you, so you know he'll be attractive. And he's a wolf too, so you know he'll be energetic and loyal." I rubbed her back with my free hand as she nodded while panting hard through the pain. **

July 15, 2010 The Battle For Akakor 5:00 pm

Jasper's POV

**I knew the Volturi would not be so easily deflected, but with them temporarily gone and the hostile troops subdued and agreeing to join with us in saving the city, we concentrated our efforts on the armed militia to the south of the city. My scouts returned and told me they had located an actual stockade on the other side of the city that was still sound. I was glad, as it would serve to keep the militia we captured alive and warm for Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri's meals for the next several months.**

**I was amazed at the trust the humans gave me and my fellow vampires. I noticed they kept their distance from the three Amazon vampires, yet they would interact with the rest of us when necessary and afforded us the utmost respect. From their feelings, I knew they held us in reverence. They were awed to be in our presence. They trusted us. **

**Perhaps they thought of us as a gift from the gods to help them with our superior strength and knowledge. I would have to ask Edward about that later. For now, we had a job to do.**

**I was about to send half of our forces out to join the invisible warriors we were already in place when yet another rocket soared over our heads and hit a portion of the outer wall of the city to the west. This had to stop. Who knew how many duds they had gone through before finding another working warhead.**

**Suddenly I heard two sounds almost simultaneously. One was the sound of a primal roar that rose out of the cover of trees in the western sky. At the sound of it, a flock of startled parrots took to the darkening sky, their vibrant colors stood out in sharp contrast to the angry grey clouds of the approaching storm. The other growl echoed the first and was closer. It was so sudden it made me jump almost as high as the birds. It was my massive brother Emmett; and was closely followed by his whoop as a course of action had just occurred to him.**

"**Aurora didn't like how close that blast was to her temporary lair. She wants me to help her take out the ammo." Emmett's face broke into a broad grin as he continued. "You know, fight fire with fire?"**

**As he spoke a new plan formed in my head. I would still send out the troops but have them wait to tighten the noose until after Emmett and Aurora left the attackers practically defenseless. I sent out the invisible warriors who had returned, to explain our plan to those already in place. They would then become the front line to stop any retreat. Another hundred warriors were sent out to form a larger ring around them.**

**Emmett was gone in a blur that left the humans believing even more we were gifted. Well, I guessed we were at that. In a matter of minutes we heard the batting of massive wings as Aurora took off with my crazy brother perched on her back. I doubted the humans could hear the words coming out of his mouth as they took off to fly the 'not-so-friendly' skies.**

"**Now we'll see who's high and mighty. We'll show these bad boys what happens to people who play with fire. Give 'em hell Aurora!"**

**As they circled to gain altitude, I noticed from my place on the wall that the guerillas had noticed the new threat approaching them and after their initial reactions of disbelief, were readying a response. Their three rocket launchers were turned to meet Emmitt's approach. I could only cross my fingers as I realized a direct hit from one of their rockets would be deadly to more than just Aurora. I worried that perhaps this was not such a great idea after all. Then I realized with their attention diverted perhaps some of their outer flanks could be apprehended without their notice.**

**As soon as I thought it, my sweet little Alice grinned up at me and told me it would work. She had me dispatch Felix, Demetri, Mia, Rosalie, Jacob, Quil, Embry and Huilen for the clandestine operation.**

**When they left, I turned my attention back to the counter offensive the hostiles were mounting. Two of the rockets had launched and nothing happened. There was cursing as they tried to re-load with what they hoped would be active rockets. The third one launched and the missile was sent skyward—straight at Aurora and Emmett. I gasped as I watched it speed towards them. Then Aurora suddenly turned on her tail and maneuvered out of the way as it harmlessly sailed by. I heaved a sigh of relief and was glad they weren't heat-seeking missiles. I could just imagine the heat a reptile of that size could produce. Then I remembered reptiles were cold-blooded and so was Emmett, so to speak. Either way, Emmett and Aurora continued their advance, angling down now in attack mode. The first launcher shot again and it was a good one. But the operator miscalculated his aim in his haste and it went harmlessly off its mark. Not so harmless in the destruction it caused when it landed back on the ground and left another burning pit in the main plaza. Aurora found the first main ammunition pallet and like a mighty flame thrower, she belched a stream of flame that erupted as it ignited the gunpowder and other explosives inside. The cacophony of sound that followed the explosion caused the human warriors to cover their ears. Several men along the closest section of wall were knocked from their positions, to the ground behind them. They were immediately moved and assessed as others moved to take their place. **

**The second rocket launcher fired on Aurora. It backfired, taking its operator out in another fiery burst. The third launcher fired and nothing happened. Aurora moved on the second pallet. Soon it was ablaze. She didn't wait for the blast and the militia from that section tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. They were unsuccessful in their attempts when the fire finally reached the explosive agents in the ammo that lied beneath. The explosion left them seared and unmoving in its wake. **

**The beautiful dragon was as red as the flames issuing forth from her massive jaw. She rose higher in the air as she searched for the next target. The two remaining rocket launchers reloaded and took aim. I saw that at the further distance, Aurora had time to maneuver around the two approaching projectiles with ease. Then she descended again. She looked fierce and terrifying as she shrieked in fury. Emmett on her back looked as though he was bull riding with one arm held out above his head as he whooped and hollered. A third pallet was soon engulfed in flames. There was a sputtering of machine gun fire. I was surprised to see as the rapid bullets were deflected by Aurora's scaly body. Emmett's chest also provided an ample target. And the militia had to know they'd hit their mark as Emmett's shirt was torn to shreds.**

"**Surprise Ladies!!!" Emmett bellowed at them as he and Aurora passed over their head before taking out the last pallet of ammo. "Didn't your mama's teach you it is bad manners to try to blow up dragons? It only makes them mad." He tsked as he shook his head in disappointment. They flew low letting the soldiers use up most of their bullets before the rocket launchers loaded once again. I began to wonder how many missiles they had on hand. The dragon flew so low though, that when the first soldier fired his launcher, it exploded in their own camp as Aurora flew harmlessly higher into the sky. **

**There was a column of smoke from the camp and coughing and sputtering. Clearly the smoke had confused them. Of course it would make it hard for our human forces on the ground as well. Not so for our elite vampire/werewolf force. Within moments, the first POW's were being ushered into the city walls by some of our human warriors. The prisoners were placed at my sweet little Alice's feet before our troops left to bring more back. The six men looked at Alice and laughed. I knew that was a mistake and chuckled to myself as Alice explained it to them by stringing them up and outmaneuvering them faster than their human eyes could follow. Their fists broke as they tried to attack her. Even though I knew she was in no real danger from the unarmed men, I wanted to rip their miserable heads off for their attempt. She was back for the arriving second group of hostiles, whose reaction to the sight of tiny Alice was much the same as the first. She wiped the grins right off their faces. She really was one scary monster**

**. Emmett's cheer got my attention again as Aurora started her final descent. It appeared her goal was to take out the missile launchers themselves. I supposed that, being a dragon, the smoke was no problem for her sharp eyes. She targeted them with deadly accuracy. Well, deadly for the first operator at least. The second one was able to jump out of the way as his weapon suddenly burst into flames. I watched as his spring landed him directly into Rosalie's capable hands. I saw his face change as he recognized the beautiful woman that held him before she knocked him senseless and passed his limp form off to our human forces before reaching for her next target.**

**Their forces were getting fewer in number too. They were confused and disorganized as they searched for their missing companions—only to turn back and be confronted with someone they couldn't escape. Alice had already moved four groups into the stockade and was back for the next. She seemed a little perturbed as she came into sight.**

"**What is the matter Darlin'? Did someone get your dander up?"**

**She looked up at me and huffed. It blew her bangs off her forehead and she put both hands on her hips as she looked up at me and practically barked, "That last group was so unruly. Oh, and I'm afraid that big man with the tattoo met with an unfortunate end."**

**I had to laugh as the next group was dropped at her feet. "What did you do to him, Alice?"**

"**I couldn't help it. He ripped my new ****Miu Miu ****belt with a dagger he had hidden in his boot. So I used it to snap his miserable neck."**

"**Well, it sounds like he had it coming to him then." I comforted her as I watched the disbelief of the men she was to take to the stockade next. They must've understood English. I hoped hearing Alice's flippant remark would spare them any 'unpleasantries' for themselves; at least for now. "He needed to learn how to treat a lady even if it killed him."**

**She harrumphed and nodded her head sharply in agreement. **

**I appeased her further. "Sounds like you're going to have to plan another shopping trip to find a new belt now, won't you sweetheart."**

"**I hadn't thought of that." She conceded with a grin. Then she looked at me almost apologetically and added. "You know, I didn't really kill him on purpose. He was trying to get away and I grabbed his foot after he ripped my belt, and he fell pretty hard and landed on some of the rubble their damn missiles created. That was what broke his neck."**

"**Well, that sounds like poetic justice to me." I told her with a wink as she herded the next batch to their new temporary home.**

**I looked back to the south and saw that the smoke had begun to dissipate. The remaining guerrillas were regrouping and assessing their position. The invisible warriors were closing their circle. The militia was starting to panic. This led them to make every stupid mistake in the book and they were quickly overcome.**

**Aurora and Emmett landed behind me in the main courtyard with a gleeful yell. "That was so excellent!" Emmett crowed as he hopped off Aurora's brilliant red and orange glistening body; the last remaining shreds of his shirt fell away leaving him shirtless and in heavy jeans full of pock marks. He rubbed his dragon's belly and then moved on to stand in front of her. "You were amazing Aurora! You outmaneuvered all of them. And you were so fast and graceful and strong! Just like me! I am so proud of you, Aurora"**

**With that pronouncement, the dragon lowered her head to nuzzle Emmett's face before she stood up and let out a mighty roar that blew the hair back from my face and I was a good twenty feet away from her. Then she lifted into the sky and returned to the west presumably to get some rest.**

**In no time at all, the stockades were loaded with some of the most vile and repulsive human monsters I'd ever run across in my existence. Feeling their negative emotions left me shaken to my core and I was glad to know they had been somewhat humbled by my tiny, sweet wife. She had them sized up quickly and knew exactly how to handle each group.**

**With the battle breaking up I started to worry about the fires that were quickly spreading into the jungles surrounding Akakor. That was when there was another rumble and a loud clash of thunder. Then the skies broke out into a pounding rain, putting an end to the fires quicker than anything I could have put together. The timing was so perfect I knew Llasa had to be behind it. This was after all, his city.**

July 15, 2010 Sun Temple 6:00 pm

Still Nahuel's POV

**I was so focused on Leah and her contraction that it took us both a moment to notice the room getting brighter and brighter, centering its intensity in the center until a familiar voice rumbled out from the pillar of light giving it a shape and substance.**

"**Don't worry everyone, Llasa is in the building." And with a small chuckle at his own joke, the perfected being stood and the light's brightness faded to that of the noon day sun. He was dressed in a simple white tunic with a golden robe that flowed to the floor. There were golden gauntlets at his wrists and waist. He looked as pleasant and unchanging as he had the last time I'd seen him during a temple ceremony three months ago.**

"**Did you see that Sue?" I heard Charlie whisper.**

"**Yes, I did." She whispered back. It seemed as though my hard-to-ruffle mother-in-law had just been ruffled.**

"**Well, I think it's about time we got this baby born. What do you think Leah?" Llasa's voice boomed from the light. It faded to reveal the perfected being that had a fondness for controlling the weather, known by so many as Poseidon. **

"**Finally," Leah replied. "Before the next contraction please."**

"**Ummm, you'll have to take that up with your son, Leah. He's in charge of his debut into mortality. But I can tell you that he's about had it with cramped dark places that seem to be caving in on him."**

**My wife nodded as Llasa gestured to the left and a door swung open. "I have set up my Drum Room to accommodate your delivery, Leah. Everything should be in order there. Would you like to have Dr. Cullen, Nahuel, Sue, Charlie, Seth, Ava and Esme attend you in your delivery suite?"**

"**Charlie?" She asked Llasa in confusion. "Why would Charlie want to be there?"**

**Llasa gave her a patient look. Then in my mind I was party to a silent communication between the two of them. **_**'Trust me. You will want Charlie in there. While you and Nahuel were busy preparing for today, he went to every Lamaze class with your mother and was a great coach. It has taken every ounce of his control to have kept his place in the circle instead of helping you through your contractions so far.'**_

"**Okay then. But can I add one more person?"**

**Llasa looked puzzled. "Can Bella be there too?" Leah added with a look over to her step sister where she stood in the circle with Edward as they held the sleeping twins. Her face lit up to know that, even in pain, Leah had wanted to include her in such a personal, family event.**

"**Well, I think that is a lovely idea," Llasa added with a smile. "Especially since her own experience was kind of ruined by dying and everything." **

**Bella passed the sleeping Naomi off to Carmen who took her in hand expertly and immediately started rocking the tiny infant.**

**As our smaller family group moved towards the open door to the left, Llasa's voice continued from behind us and I saw another door open up on the wall to our right.**

"**If everyone else would mind waiting for us," Llasa offered cordially to the rest of the attendees, "You can make yourselves comfortable in my Home Room. There is some food in there as well. It should be pretty good." He added in pleasant humor.**

**There was a murmur of thank you's from behind us. I looked at Migina as she walked silently with her brother towards Llasa's home room. She was a beautiful young woman who was apparently some kind of wolf and it seemed as though my son Sammon would imprint on her some day, making her my daughter-in-law. I mused at the improbability of seeing your soul mate as a newborn in the mortal world. The constraints of time to mortals really limited the possibilities. I roamed the earth for over 140 years before I found Leah.**

**And speaking of time and Leah, as we entered Llasa's Drum Room, she was taken by another contraction. This one was only three minutes after the previous one. They were coming closer together much faster. This one was stronger too. She gasped in pain. With all of the ultra sensitive hearing in the room, I wasn't the only one that heard the 'pop' and slosh as amniotic fluid got us both wet.**

"**The contraction broke her water." Carlisle said as he motioned me to put her on the bed Llasa had provided. "It shouldn't be long now. It's a relief that the amniotic sac broke on its own. It was thicker than a normal human one." The room looked as though we'd just stepped into a fancy birthing room in a modern hospital. It had the beauty of a top rate hotel with all of the equipment and set up needed to deliver a baby.**

**Carlisle opened a cabinet, found a hospital gown and left with everyone. I helped Leah change and get comfortable in the bed. Then he returned by himself and examined her before everyone returned. She was already 9 ½ centimeters dilated.**

"**You see Leah, Llasa was right. It will only be a short time now." I told her as I kissed her forehead. It was slick with sweat. I dampened a cloth in a sink against one wall and dabbed at her face as Carlisle listened carefully to the baby's heart rate. He said it was faster than a normal human baby but probably normal for our baby.**

**Everyone came back in and I was surprised to see that when the next contraction hit about thirty seconds later, Charlie went right beside her across the bed from me and after getting her attention, started breathing with her in a practiced way through the contraction. At first I wasn't sure it did any good. She still seemed to be hurting but it did give her something else to concentrate on besides how bad the pain was. I had to revise my assessment when she called for him to breathe with her when the next one came. And every one of them that followed.**

"**You'd better be paying attention to what Charlie is doing Nahuel." Llasa said in his happy tone.**

"**Why?" I asked, not sure where he was going with the comment. **

"**Because, next time you'll be on your own as Leah's coach. Charlie will be home in Forks." He replied with a grin.**

**After a good thirty minutes of contractions, I sensed someone else had entered the room. Though his entry was silent, everyone turned in welcome to Samon. But before anyone could greet him, Llasa saw him as he stood by the door.**

"**Samon," He said with a roll of his eyes. "Why are you here early? You know this is my temple opening. You're not trying to upstage me are you?" It was hard to imagine Llasa actually mad at Samon. He was such a kidder, I was almost positive this was just another playful exchange for him.**

"**Hello Llasa, and 'No' I am not trying to upstage you at all." Samon said with his gentle smile and eyes that seemed to twinkle with excitement. "I just couldn't wait when Leah and Nahuel are having their baby that is my name's sake. You don't mind that they are naming their first son after me do you?" That consideration gave me a worry. It was unnecessary.**

"**Nah, I'll wait a year for the arrival of the Jaguar Twins." Llasa responded with great aplomb.**

"**Please forgive me brother, I just got impatient." Samon walked into the room. He patted Bella on the back and gave her a huge grin as he passed her to sit at the foot of Leah's bed. "Hello Leah, you only have a few more minutes left and then it will be baby time. You have really done well with this happening during the temple ceremonies. It must be a wolf thing."**

"**Oh, I don't know about that," A female voice said from the doorway. I turned with a smile on my face as Chandra stepped inside the door. "I think it may be more of a Clearwater thing."**

"**Chandra," Llasa's tone was slightly exasperated. "Why are YOU here early? Are you trying to steal my thunder?" At the mention of thunder there was a boom that echoed from outside, which I hoped was just that and not another explosion.**

"**I don't need to steal your thunder Llasa." She replied easily with an eyebrow raised. "I can make my own noise."**

"**They aren't naming this baby after you. What is your excuse for coming early?"**

"**I don't need an excuse." Chandra replied unruffled. "I just wanted to be here.**

"**I suppose Dagda is coming early as well." Llasa practically pouted.**

"**Not exactly, he's over in your Home Room chatting with Renesmee, Edward and Elizabeth." Samon added before returning his attention to Leah.**

"**I know you are getting ready to have another contraction so I'll be brief." Samon said quietly as he spoke to my sweet wife but glanced up at me often to let me know his words were for both of us. "This new little one will be a special individual who will bridge three species. His children will span four. Your son will be a blessing in your lives and in the lives of all the people in the Amazon. He will be a tracker who will have his gift supernaturally enhanced by his vampiric nature. When he matures enough to phase, this gift will get an additional boost of power that will make it stronger than any tracker that has lived before him. Make sure you teach him everything you can about the land he lives in. He will be an alpha wolf someday who will lead his own pack here in the Amazon area and he will be a great agent for the Powers of Light." **

**Leah was positively glowing as she listened to Samon talk about her son. She was minutes away from becoming a mom and she already had the mother's pride figured out.**

**Llasa turned to Carlisle and nodded. "It's time everyone. We should back up and give the doctor some space to work in." At Llasa's words everyone backed up and Carlisle got busy arranging things and calling Bella and Sue to assist him. Soon the bed had transformed into a birthing bed and it was turned so that everyone was around her head.**

**Charlie continued to breathe through Leah's contractions with her until Carlisle finally told her that with the next one she was to start pushing. I'd thought one push would do it but I was mistaken. It took four before the baby's head crowned and with the next one he was out. **

**Bella was ready with a suction bulb and before I knew it I was listening to the most beautiful sound in the world.**

**It was the sound of my son's cry and I was unprepared for the emotion it pulled out of me. I was instantly transformed into a father with that cry and a feeling of love overpowered me. The feelings that exploded inside of me bound me to the tiny creature who was quickly wrapped by Esme and placed in Leah's arms. There were tears in her eyes.**

"**My baby! My baby! Hello little one. Welcome to the world." Leah said. Her voice, though tinged with exhaustion, was also exuberant. "Nahuel, our baby is here!" She added as she gazed up into my eyes. It was hard to see her beautiful face and it took a moment for me to realize it was because there were tears in mine as well.**

"**I know. You were great sweetheart." I kissed her on the lips. They tasted of salt and sweat but they had never been sweeter to me than they were in that moment. My sweet wife had just given me the greatest gift I had ever been given--a son. She had once again enlarged my heart to include a new place for this tiny bundle in her arms who eyed her with a focused gaze. I looked down at his eyes that looked so much as they had in the vision. He turned his attention to me and I could almost hear him saying 'hello' to me. Without realizing it I was smiling down at him as well. I was overcome with such intense emotions of awe and love as I told him in a choked voice, "Hello little Sammon. I'm your daddy ."**

***

[A/N: The words I had Charlie speak from the ancient scroll were text I found from the internet that were supposedly from the ancient writings of the Ugha Mongulala. And of course, as you know, anything found on the internet has to be 100% accurate and truthful. ***GRIN***]

One more part to the first epilogue. I hope you enjoyed this part of the Battle/Temple Ceremonies. Thanks for reading and commenting!

Tami


	73. Epilogue 1 Part 6: The Battle for Akakor

Epilogue One  
The Battle for Akakor-Part VI

Carlisle's POV

July 15, 2010 Sun Temple after Ceremony 6:40 pm

**The greatest moments I have enjoyed in my occupation have included attending the birth of a baby. There was something about participating in the miracle of new life that had always made me, a vampire, feel closer to God. It was no different when I delivered Leah and Nahuel's son, Sammon. Perhaps that closeness to God was enhanced by the presence of my new siblings, Samon, Chandra and Llasa. (Elizabeth and Dagda were apparently visiting with Edward and Renesmee along with the other guests in Llasa's Home Room.) It was wondrous and joyful. When that tiny little baby drew in his first startled breath of life, he let go with a holler that sounded like music as it echoed and bounced off the stone walls of the Sun Temple. There had been a collective sigh from everyone in attendance and then we heard hands clapping from the home room and an unfamiliar melody rose up from beyond the room as the native guests sang a song of welcome to the newborn baby. Interestingly enough, Sammon was distracted by the melody and quickly quieted as the voices continued the song to its conclusion.**

**I remembered Leah and Nahuel speaking to me on ****Zafrina****, Senna and Kachiri's riverboat a year previously, about whether or not I thought they would be able to conceive. It looked as though I'd guessed right. As I looked at Leah holding her baby close, even with her hair damp from sweat and her posture one of exhaustion, I marveled. Nahuel leaned in and kissed her tenderly and they shared a look that was full of exuberance yet loving. Sammon found his thumb against his fisted hand and drew it into his mouth beginning to suck. The action caused both his parents to gush with wonder. It was a piece of heaven when someone brand new to mortality came to us from God, pure and innocent. Sammon looked absolutely perfect. His heartbeat ran as fast as his parents and his body temperature was hotter than that of a mere mortal.**

**I worked to remove the placenta and prepared Leah for introduction to her son. As I performed my task, I realized the birth of Sammon wasn't the only miracle to have happened in the lives of Leah and Nahuel. Leah had undergone a transformation since meeting Nahuel last summer. Where once she was consumed by bitterness, there was now a loving serenity, filled with a peacefulness. Where once she hated vampires with a passion that blazed with its fierceness, she was now married to one. Well, okay a hybrid, but she had thought of Nahuel as being one before her imprinting. Where once she felt shame at her apparent barreness, there was now happiness so intense it was euphoric. Also, where there had once been a profound sadness, a hurt so deep she had built fortress walls of protection around her heart to keep it from being further trampled. The problem with the walls she'd erected was that no one could get in to love her either. But with the magic of imprinting, those walls had crumbled to dust and her heart was made whole through love; a love that overpowered the hurt from the past; a love that came with a future; a love that burned through her resentments and prejudices and helped her find herself again. Leah had come home, full circle.**

**Nahuel had transformed as well. When I'd first met him on the 'battlefield' during our conflict with the Volturi, he had seemed quiet and reserved. Of course, he was also walking into a field of angry vampires, but he was lonely. He had his aunt, but was estranged from his father and his three sisters. For over one hundred and fifty years, he had not really found companionship of close friends or peers, let alone love. Now, having found that love in Leah, his heart had opened up and his entire countenance had changed. His face, once pensive, was now often stretched out into a wide grin. His countenance once grave, believing that he was evil no matter what he did because he had 'killed' his mother at birth, was now renewed by the understanding he was not to blame for that death. Since his mother had come to him last summer, he had been able to heal that painful misconception of himself. I was sure Leah had a hand in helping him as he'd worked through that heartache. Leah had been good for Nahuel. She had given him strength and self confidence. I firmly believed that behind every good man was a good woman. When I looked at Nahuel and Leah, that belief was reaffirmed. They really did compliment and complete each other. And now they were parents.**

**With the help of Esme and Bella, We quickly had Leah's delivery finished up and adjusted her blankets so everyone could meet the newest Clearwater. Sue was the first to embrace Nahuel and Leah before she took the baby from Leah's arms and rocked him gently. Charlie hovered over her shoulder and asked how it was possible that this baby had gotten the 'Charlie Swan' curls--a remark that had gotten a laugh. Sue and Leah were both smiling brightly while silent tears streamed down their cheeks. Seth was next to take Sammon into his arms. The baby yawned so widely it brought about chuckles as well. Leah told him her son was pretty perceptive to know his Uncle Seth would 'put him to sleep' immediately. Of course, she was just teasing her kid brother and he knew it. He'd told her in reply he just had that affect on babies for some reason. Naomi had thrown up on him just yesterday. There were more chuckles to this remark. Leah made sure Bella got to hold the baby next. It was evidence of yet another relationship that had changed for Leah. She was making every effort to include Bella in her special moments. Leah used to pride herself in intimidating Bella. I had to say, I really liked the new Leah. Few people actually broke out of their old conformities and embraced a different path. Usually, sooner or later, they reverted back to their original behavior. Leah had really 'become' a queen in every sense of the word. Perhaps she was returning to her original behavior, before life had beat her up so badly. Either way, the woman I saw in Leah right then was the true Leah.**

**It was as we turned the bed around to face the rest of the room, we felt a rumble under our feet as ancient gears ground into place. I knew in that instant we had reached the 7pm deadline and the danger had passed, defusing the hidden explosives and ensuring the safety of the inhabitants of the Amazon region.**

**Chandra was holding the newborn Sammon, when Dagda, Elizabeth, Edward and Renesmee came in the door. Everyone was looking at the baby. Charlie with his limited mortal senses had not noticed the new arrivals. He looked up at Chandra and asked, "I'm sorry, you look so familiar to me. I know I've seen you and these other two men somewhere before but still I don't think we've met. I am…"**

**Before he could finish Chandra finished for him. "…Charlie Swan, Police Chief for Forks, Washington. You are also father to Bella Cullen and now Nathan and Naomi Swan. You're the step father of Leah and Seth Clearwater. You are the father-in-law of Edward Cullen and the step Father-in-Law of Nahuel Clearwater. You are the grandfather of Renesmee Cullen and now of Sammon Clearwater as well. And you are the husband of Sue Swan." Chandra smiled at the shocked look on Charlie's face. "You're also the man that Felix Volturi regards as the man he'd like to emulate as a father figure. Honestly, I'm positive if Felix could find a way, you'd be his adopted father." There was muffled laughter before Chandra continued, her eyes sparkling. "You are very practical and down-to-earth and you're pretty good with 'weird'! You are also very loving and protective. You are loyal and true. You are a man who doesn't need fan fare or high drama. You are as humble as you are genuine. You are a man worthy of the many blessings you have found yourself surrounded by." She passed the baby off to Llasa who seemed to be excited by the prospect of holding someone so tiny, before she returned her gaze to Charlie.**

"**Well, I don't know about all the compliments but I am very lucky." Charlie had a look of embarrassment that turned to consternation on his face. "But how did you know so much about me? Was it Bella? If it was, you should take it with a grain of salt. Bella has always had a higher opinion of me than I deserved."**

"**It must be a daughter thing." Edward said as he came up behind Charlie carrying Naomi in his arms while her twin brother was brought in by Renesmee at his heels. "Nessie is always doing the same thing to me. It is at times embarrassing."**

"**Hello Edward. Thanks for keeping an eye on the babies for me." Charlie said by way of greeting as he gathered Nathan from Nessie's arms. I wondered if he were worried she might drop him. But Nessie would never have done so, even accidentally. She looked as though she was ten but she had the grace of a butterfly and the strength to defeat a grizzly. Either way, she didn't look worried as she handed him to Charlie. She even winked at him and kissed his cheek.**

"**Charlie, I am Chandra." She said as she extended her slim hand towards him. After shaking his hand she put hers on his shoulder before moving on to Sue and Seth with a similar greeting. After she was done with that she stood before them with her brothers behind her. "As I mentioned my name is Chandra, and this is my husband, Dagda" He stepped forward and greeted the three of them in a similar personal way, adding personal antidotes to each. "And these are my brothers Llasa and Samon." Again the introductions went around to the three individuals in the room who had not been previously introduced to the perfected beings. "There used to be only the four of us but now we have a new sister, Elizabeth," She gestured to behind Nessie where Elizabeth stood smiling.**

"**Hello! Charlie Swan, it is so nice to finally get a chance to meet you officially." She said as she beamed from ear to ear. Charlie about did a double take as his eyes went from Elizabeth's face to Edward's, down to his granddaughter's and then back to the woman addressing him. "Of course, being the fine police officer you are, I can see you're quick to pick up on the family resemblance. Yes, I am Edward's mother."**

**Charlie smiled slowly at her and it wasn't hard to see him trying to work out the improbabilities inside his mind. "I'm sorry; Edward had told me his parents had died of the Spanish Influenza in 1917." He blinked once and then added somewhat softer, "Are you a vampire, too?"**

"**Oh no Charlie, I am not a vampire. I did die in 1917. But that was, of course, just the death of my mortal human life. I have been kept busy since then. When your daughter Bella was born, I became her guardian angel." Elizabeth's voice was sweet and musical.**

"**You're a guardian angel?" He asked his eyes going wider in surprise. He looked to Sue as though she would confirm or deny Elizabeth's claim.**

"**Charlie," Sue said quietly to Charlie, for everyone to hear. "Please don't tell me that you can believe in vampires and werewolves, but angels are too far out there to believe in. From what you understand now, angels should be a piece of cake. Right?"**

"**Well, I guess I see what you mean." Charlie admitted sheepishly. He turned back to Edward's mother. "Sorry, Elizabeth was it?"**

"**Yes, and there's no need to apologize. It is a lot to take in." Elizabeth added easily. "All mortals are assigned a guardian angel at birth. So when Bella became a vampire, I was jobless so-to-speak, until I was assigned to become Renesmee's." She added looking down warmly at her granddaughter as she spoke.**

"**Edward, you're mother is an angel." Charlie said to Edward over his shoulder. His words brought about another round of soft laughter. Charlie was using humor to deflect his anxiety. His heart rate was slightly elevated and his face had flushed with a slightly pink undertone.**

"**That she certainly is. Although I've always thought she was an angel." Edward said unruffled. "Even when I was a little boy, I always thought of my mother that way."**

**Elizabeth looked over to her son fondly. "Thank you Edward. Your words are high praise for me. I suppose it was the same for you and me as it was for Bella and Charlie and Nessie and you, Edward. Children often see their parents as all wise and knowing."**

"**We're standing here speaking with an actual angel. I'm sorry if this is rude to ask, but you're not a ghost right?" Charlie added in sudden alarm. Elizabeth simply shook her head slowly once and Charlie relaxed again. "Angels! This is unbelievable."**

"**It's cool alright!" Seth joined in at his side. "Are all of you angels?" Seth seemed to skip entirely over the disbelief Charlie seemed to have struggled with.**

**Samon answered him smoothly. "In a sense we are. Some of our assignments are classified as angel assignments." Charlie seemed to mull that over in his head for a moment. **

**Hey, I remember where I have seen all of you before." Charlie sounded as though a light bulb had just gone off in his head. "You were in a picture from Bella and Edward's wedding." He turned to his daughter and added, "You know, the one you had over the Cullen's fireplace in the living room." Bella nodded in affirmation. A grin flashed across her face. Charlie was still putting the puzzle pieces together. "Wait a minute. Chandra, you said there were only six of you but Elizabeth, you said every mortal had a guardian angel assigned to them. Those numbers are WAY off."**

**It was Llasa who answered. "Allow me to explain. This is my temple opening after all." He said with a playful smirk in Chandra's direction. "There are many guardian angels called into assignments. Often they have a biological tie to their charge. However, there are many levels of beings in the grand scheme of things. There are many different kinds of assignments and many different levels of progression. We are six brothers and sisters that exist as perfected beings. The four of us," He gestured to him and Dagda, Samon and Chandra. "…are advanced perfected beings. Our parents used to be as well, though they have advanced beyond us in their own progression. Elizabeth and Carlisle are so young to this life that they are still very much in the process of becoming."**

"**OUR Carlisle?" Charlie sputtered. While I was mildly amused as Charlie processed all of this new information, I was gratified he thought of myself in a possessive group way. His use of the word 'our' made me feel connected to him as a friend and family, more than just peers from the small town of Forks. I had feared I would lose that closeness with him when he learned what myself and my family were.**

**Llasa's look was knowing and amused. "Of course! The good Doctor is above reproach; leading his family, deserting his natural instincts and choosing a better way while fighting to save human lives."**

"**Sorry, of course I do agree with you." Charlie said abashed. "It's just that he IS a vampire." He continued under his breath.**

"**Correction," Llasa added. "He WAS a vampire. And while he still is mostly a vampire, special changes have begun already. He is becoming something more."**

**Charlie looked directly at me. His expression became somewhat sheepish. "Sorry Carlisle. You are probably the best man I know, even if you really are a vampire. But to go from being a vampire to an angel—well, that's really somethin'."**

"**You're right Charlie." I told him as sincerely as I could. "It is beyond rational belief."**

"**He's right about more than just that," Dagda put in. "He was right about Carlisle being the best man/vampire he'd ever met. That was right as well. Most individuals go through their entire life without meeting someone of the caliber of our newest brother, Carlisle." His praise was embarrassing me while it touched me deeply at the same time.**

"**Of course he's not exactly becoming an angel, he's kind of passing that level, having completed those requirements during his long existence here on the earth." Samon added. That had even surprised me. I had not realized that. Esme looked at me with sheer happiness. She loved having my deeds praised. Her look was shared by Edward and Bella too. Charlie looked impressed. I began to feel a bit uncomfortable with the attention.**

"**It is a lot to process at once, isn't it Charlie?" I said. "Don't worry though; we all know how you're feeling. We went through the learning process last summer."**

"**How about that, Carlisle is going to be a high angel." Charlie mused. He spoke to me again. "Well, you've already saved my family how many times already?" He smiled at me. It was a little nervous but his heart rate had returned to normal and I was glad for that. He unconsciously rubbed his chin as he put more puzzle pieces into place. He swung back around to Llasa and asked. "Now, if guardian angels are assigned at birth, then does this newborn already have one?" He asked pointedly.**

"**Of course he does. He's already here. And he wanted to say 'hi' to his son."**

"**His son?" Charlie's tone was perplexed.**

**The answering voice was not Llasa's. But it was one Charlie recognized at once."Yes, my son, and the rest of my family too. I guess I can count you in on that one now, cant I?" **

**Charlie spun around to see as his old friend Harry Clearwater appeared out of thin air. "Harry?" He sputtered before he almost passed out. I was prepared to hold him up in the event that he did and Bella immediately took Naomi out of his arms.**

"**Dad!" Seth breathed at almost the same time Charlie spoke. He ran and threw his arms around his father's still materializing form.**

July 15, 2010 The Battle For Akakor 7:00 pm

Jasper's POV

**I was surprised when the storm system that saturated the ground with pelting rain, left as quickly as it had arrived. In the stillness following, I surveyed the damage we had sustained. There was one section of the wall that would need to be repaired and four homes had been completely destroyed. The palace itself had sustained minimal roof damage where an incoming missile had grazed it. Most of the damage centered around the Sun Temple, though it had miraculously been left untouched. I wondered if that was due to unseen protection. The water reservoir would need attention, and at the request of 'The Monkey Hunter', leader of 'The Invisible Warriors', I'd walked personally to the main courtyard to inspect deep pits that had opened up during the fight.**

**As I approached, I was surprised to notice the pits before me were not from the ravages of war, but were square and man-made. There were hidden gears that had been used to unearth large cavernous areas below. As I looked down into one of the darkened pits, I could easily see there were huge plates of Gold inside. They looked to be the size of large windows. As I puzzled over what they could be for, I gasped aloud. I turned to look over at the Sun Temple and started to look more intently at what was in that pit, sizing up the dimensions of the hidden treasure. It seemed as though the gold was sheeting for the temple. But it wasn't enough to cover the entire temple. I realized as I walked around the entire pyramid, that there were several opened pits and each contained more of the gold plating. I was told the pits had opened at 7 pm, the deadline for the ceremonies to be completed. I gazed up at the temple and wondered what was happening now. **

**We had lost three of our human warriors during the battle and a dozen more were severely injured. The city's healers were working with them now and I knew Carlisle would add his expertise to their own when he became available. All in all, I was very satisfied with our defense of the city. I knew it could have been much worse.**

**Still, we weren't exactly out of the jungle yet—no pun intended. The Volturi had promised to return—tonight—now, in fact. I hadn't even been able to get word to Carlisle. I knew it was likely the perfected beings had nullified Edward's gift inside the temple again so that option was out as well. As I thought through what we would say to the mighty Volturi, I noticed Alice as she approached me faster than a human's eye could see, though in the gathering darkness I doubted anyone would have noticed.**

"**Aro and Caius are coming Jasper." She said quickly. I was surprised that though her voice sounded urgent, she was calm. I could sense no worry about her. I sensed…relief?**

"**What do you see and when will they get here?" I asked her as I gathered her in my arms. After the last few hours I felt a sudden need to hold her close and reaffirm she was still with me. I would have died a thousand deaths if anything had happened to her. She was my life. It could have happened as easily as being in the wrong place at the wrong time with all of those missiles exploding. Even with her gift, if she'd been distracted and had not seen… I'd shaken my head and breathed slowly to cover the shudder that ran through me at the thought. Her words brought me back from my disturbing conjectures.**

"**They are coming and he will demand an audience with Carlisle. They will be here in fifteen minutes and Carlisle will not emerge from the temple for another thirty minutes. Aro will demand to wait in the palace. I see us taking them to the main room, where they will speak with Demetri, Felix and Mia and try to persuade them to return to Italy. This conversation will occupy them until Carlisle arrives with Edward, Bella, Zafrina, Senna, Kachiri and Eliazar. Everyone else will enter the palace through a side entrance and take Leah and her new baby upstairs to her quarters without the Volturi being any the wiser." Then her expression became somewhat perplexed. "The thing is, there is a woman with them--a woman who looks like a beautiful local woman from one of the many tribes around here. She is the reason Aro is in a good mood. I can't see anything about her though." She looked up at me and a small smile of apology played across her lips; as if her information wasn't valuable because it wasn't complete somehow. She was the most valuable person of my entire existence. And if it played out this way, perhaps we'd get off better than we dared to dream.**

"**I hope you're right." I told her. "Aro is never more dangerous than when he is pleasant and polite. He truly is 'The Two-Faced Man'. I guess the question really is**_**, 'How do you keep a two-faced man happy?'**_**" I added with a sigh before I cradled her to me and bent to explain without words how important she was to me.**

**We stood and held each other for a moment longer before I knew I had to prepare for the Volturi's arrival. The fewer humans around the better and I felt the hidden citizens of Akakor who remained in the bunker would be safest left there for the time being. I instructed the human defenders who were not upstairs injured, or caring for the injured to join the others in the bunker before I allowed Alice to explain her vision to our vampire-shape shifter elite forces, consisting of: Emmett, Rosalie, Huilen, Felix, Demetri, Mia, Jacob, Embry, Quil and of course, Alice and myself. As she spoke, I could see how it would play out in my mind. And I explained an idea I had to the others when she finished. When I was through, Alice smiled absently for a moment before announcing that my ruse would work.**

**We didn't want Aro to understand much about what was happening here in the Amazon. Aro liked to collect things and while he didn't care much for human politics, he might be of another persuasion if he felt it was a vampire hybrid and a Quileute werewolf coming into power. We felt it would be best if Huilen were to assume the role as hostess when the Volturi arrived. She was from the area and Akakor was now her home. She could suggest to Aro she had planted the thought in the heads of the human men around her to defend her home from the militia and then sent them back to their families. Her story would conclude by explaining that Zafrina, Senna and Kachiri had arrived with the Cullens to say 'hello' to her nephew before they headed back to the States.**

**We had all agreed on our roles when we became aware of the swift yet silent approach of Italian vampires.**

"**They are here." Demetri said as he pointed directly to the front city gate.**

"**If 'they' means 'us', your true family Demetri, then 'yes', 'they' are here." Aro's voice said quietly into the night.**

"**Are you going to leave us standing out here in the dark of night talking to a wooden door? I expected to be treated with more courtesy than that." Caius spat out.**

**I took a deep breath and prepared to settle into a calm and peaceful state that I could send out as needed. Caius would be a handful in that department. Already furious indignation rolled off him and hit me like a tidal wave. I had more to concentrate on than just Caius and his terminally cranky disposition. I knew I would have to keep close tabs on all of them. I signaled to Felix and Emmett who opened the massive wooden gate from the two sides and Huilen took over as lead.**

**Her English had improved greatly in the last few years and with it came confidence as she spoke.**

"**Hello Volturi leaders and welcome to my homeland. Won't you come in?"**

"**Well, finally someone with manners." Aro said in delight as Huilen ushered them inside the city proper. Aro looked around at the bonfires and smoking piles of rubble that littered areas of his view. **

"**Sorry about the mess. We weren't expecting company. If we'd known of your arrival, I'd have scheduled my war at another time." Huilen said with wry humor.**

"**War is an ugly business." Aro agreed amiably. **

**As we walked towards the palace with the company of Volturi and the strange woman with a fast beating heart, I began to wonder what they had done to scare her so badly. Also I noticed Huilen's emotions of animosity that she struggled to keep under tight control as she looked to the lady. It was clear she knew her as well…and didn't like her.**

**After arriving at the palace and settling into the main room, Aro was delighted to take in the refinement he was surrounded by. "This place is absolutely enchanting. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was the lost city of Akakor."**

"**You've heard of Akakor from your castle in Italy?" Huilen asked without a hint of the irritation I sensed building inside of her.**

"**Ahh yes! Of course I am well read in all the legends around the world, since I am essentially the President of the mythological world. All that is mysterious arouses my…curiosity." Aro said as he took a seat in a chair like a king sitting upon his throne. His pompous arrogance exuded from him with an air of self-importance. I worked to control it and settled back into a tranquil calm which I sent out again in the strongest wave I could. **

**Instantly I noticed Huilen's ire fade. And though Caius' mood seemed to settle a bit as well, his face remained set in a permanent scowl. I realized this was his relaxed facial expression after centuries of glowers and frowns. He eased himself gracefully into a chair beside his brother and looked disdainfully at the assemblage of 'subjects' before him.**

"**Huilen, where is Carlisle? We requested he be prepared to receive us upon arrival. His insolence will not be tolerated! We demand that you bring him at once. And we want to speak to your nephew, Nahuel as well." Caius barked out as though a command. **

**I was struck by the interplay between the two Volturi leaders. While they were both in complete control of their emotional state, they were essentially playing the roles of 'good cop'—'bad cop'. Aro behaved himself as the diplomat, while Caius' disposition lent well as the Gestapo. With Marcus gone, there was no sense of mercy between them just cold, calculating malice.**

"**I am sorry that Carlisle wasn't here to greet you personally. As it happens, our battle ceased just before your arrival and no one was able to be spared to inform him of your impending arrival or your request. He is being located as we speak. As for my nephew," Huilen said as she shot a quick glance at the dark skinned woman, "He is with Carlisle."**

"**Well, now that that is cleared up," Aro said as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation as though a game show host. "We can visit with our sons Demetri and Felix."**

**I felt a tremble of anger shoot through both of the mentioned vampires. I was sure it was in reaction to the use of the word 'sons'. Demetri tightened his arms around Mia's waist in what looked like a move to calm himself. I sent another wave of calm his way. He took a breath and regained his composure. I wasn't the only one to catch his minute movements.**

"**Oh Mia, how lovely to see you again dear," Aro said in his saccharin sweet voice. "And you are such a beautiful vampire; a beautiful Italian vampire. You will of course be welcomed back home in Volterra as Demetri's mate. Allow me to express my condolences over the loss of your baby. That was so sad, but your efforts were still appreciated."**

"**Hello Aro," Her tone was brisk. She hadn't been a vampire long enough to have learned better control of her anger. It had taken my focused effort on her alone to help her gain control enough for that clipped response. I didn't have to be a mind reader to guess at the response she wanted to give. I already knew she was furious at Aro for ordering Demetri to mate with another female to produce a hybrid for Aro to study. This had been one of the straws that had broken the proverbial camel's back and cemented Demetri's decision to leave the Volturi for good.**

"**Well, well, well," Aro's tone was almost distracted as he processed Mia's reply. He then turned to Demetri. "You are well aware it is almost time for your return to Volterra. I offered you a year to help Mia gain control of herself. She seems to be doing fine, even if the two of you have decided to become vegetarians." He said the word as though it left a sour taste in his mouth. **

"**Utter foolishness!" Caius interjected vehemently. His dander was up again.**

"**No Aro, Mia and I will not be returning to Volterra." Demetri responded slowly. "We have decided to make a home for ourselves without the demands my job description has placed on me in Italy." I thought he had put it very diplomatically.**

"**Ahh," Aro said with sudden understanding. "Perhaps I could rescind my recent request; in light of your new relationship with Mia."**

**Demetri wasn't fooled for a minute. He had already been married to Mia when Aro had issued his order in the first place. "No thank you Aro. Mia and I have other plans."**

"**But you are the best tracker in the world! How dare you withhold your talents from us, you insolent fool. After all that we have offered you. This is reprehensible." Caius tone was scathing.**

**Aro looked between Caius and Demetri, then to Mia. He templed his hands for a moment and then with a quick glance in Chelsea's direction his face turned from calculating to pleasant. "Patience brother, all children get to a point where they feel the need for independence." As he spoke, I could feel a change in mood around Demetri and Mia. They suddenly wanted to return to Volterra. It was almost a melancholy. I knew it was the influence of Chelsea's gift that had created this new feeling. I worried it would overpower them. The Volturi were under the bubble of Bella's shield.**

**Aro continued to speak, this time turning his attention back to Demetri. "Of course, you may leave us for a time. We are still family though. Once you are Volturi, it is always your true home." His eyes took on a sad cast.**

'_**Right,'**_** I'd thought**_**. 'Just like it has been for Eliazar. That must be why he was one of the key targets they had singled out to destroy in their plans to attack and kill my family.'**_

"**You know you will be welcomed back with open arms, both of you, whenever you are ready to settle down and join with us again. We will keep your room ready for such a day. We would even be willing to accommodate your new diet. You remember how tolerant we were of Carlisle during his stay with us over this very issue. Please think about it Demetri and Mia. You will be sorely missed." Aro said sighing in resignation.**

**And as he spoke I felt the feelings of Demetri and Mia both change as they resisted the pull of Chelsea's gift. They became a barrier that reflected back to Aro turning his into a melancholy mood of longing.**

"**We will bear that in mind." Demetri said stone faced as he met Aro's gaze head on.**

**After a moment of uncomfortable silence that I worked through, relieving the tension in the air, Aro turned his attention to Felix. I felt his discomfort grow. He knew how Aro and Caius manipulated those around them. He would have to be on his guard.**

"**Felix, surely you will be returning to Volterra with us?" Aro asked; his sad tone becoming almost happy with the prospect. "I believe Afton has been itching for a wrestling rematch with you and Caius has new guards waiting for you to train…" He left the thought hanging in the air as though to tempt him with them.**

"**Aro, Caius, I have been very happy serving you in Volterra. You have been my family for so long now that I have all but forgotten the brutality of my human life. However, I have a compulsion to 'expand my horizons' you might say. I am seeing for the first time another way to live and I need to explore it more fully. I guess you could say that I am seeking to find myself—my own independence." Felix said in what was probably the kindest tone I'd ever heard him use. Felix looked between Aro and Caius as he spoke. At the end of his speech, he cast a glance in Huilen's direction. Aro didn't miss that either. Even as he spoke I could feel emotional confusion rise inside of Felix. Chelsea had apparently turned her attentions to him.**

"**Am I to guess some of your exploration might involve those of a romantic nature?" Aro asked in surprise with a raised eyebrow. "Perhaps I should allow you to pursue such interests—encourage it even." Aro said as he eyed Huilen, who returned his gaze with a pointed stare. Then he looked around him at the opulence of the palace where she lived and it seemed as though his mistaken belief it was hers had his devious mind boggled with the possibilities. It wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking. He was thinking he could expand his power base through Felix into the Amazon and gain a stronghold on the American Continent in the process. "Let us part company as gentlemen, Felix. I am sure that you will be with us again. We are after all, family. Perhaps, it will even be that there will be a new Volturi arriving with you." Aro said as he cast a nod in Huilen's direction. Then he extended his hand to Felix. A gesture that had it been anyone else, would've been a form of salutation. But with Aro, it always entailed so much more than that. I worried about how Aro reading the new information in Felix's mind right now would affect the outcome of our gathering. Just the thought that he and Demetri had deceived him about the existence of Ava would be enough to incite the Volturi leaders.**

**Felix realized he was backed into a corner but I sensed the approach of the party from the temple. I sent a message to Edward to tell Bella to cover Felix immediately. I knew he was close enough to receive my thought. I only hoped he was listening. Finally Felix sighed and shook Aro's hand. Aro grasped it tightly and intently peered over it. After a brief moment he released it with a look of disappointment. "Bella," he muttered under his breath and I let out an internal sigh of my own.**

"**He has more than a skirt on his mind." Caius retorted in distain. "You can see his eyes as clearly as I can. The red is no more. He has been brainwashed by Carlisle as well. And speaking of Carlisle, where the devil is he? Surely he's been located by now!" **

"**I'm right here," came the familiar voice of my father and I let out another sigh of relief before renewing my efforts to maintain a certain level of calm around me and those in the rest of the room as I turned to the sound of Carlisle's voice in time to see him, Edward, Bella, and Eliazar enter the palace sitting room.**

July 15, 2010 The Palace at Akakor 7:30 pm  
Carlisle's POV

"**Carlisle, it is so good of you to finally join us. And good evening to the rest of you as well; Eleazar, Edward, Bella," Aro said regaining his diplomatic composure as each new arrival nodded perfunctorily in his direction. "And how is your enchanting daughter Renesmee?"**

"**She is fine Aro." Edward replied without further comment.**

"**Please don't tell me you have entangled yourself and your coven so completely in the affairs of humans that you are now waging their wars for them." Caius' tone was incredulous. **

**I hated leaving the sanctity and reverence of being with my new siblings; torn from the presence of a newborn baby, the miracle of birth, being surrounded by light and peace, to having to deal with Aro and Caius and all their dark conniving ways. Still, Aro believed himself to be correct. I had to remind myself they truly believed that if they didn't maintain order in our world, it would collapse. I looked at him intently with my new sight and was shocked to see how dark black his aura was. Caius' was if possible, even blacker. They were covered in dark beings, who clung desperately to them as though they were holding on for dear life, so uncomfortable to be out of their element and perhaps in my presence as well. **

'_**Well, perhaps it would give me the home court advantage.'**_** I thought wryly as I tried to ignore the vile, dark attachments the Volturi had picked up. "Good evening Aro, Caius." I inclined my heads to each of them in turn. "And to answer your question, 'no', I was not involved in the war. I was delivering a baby and tending to the injured. I can assure you, I came as soon as I learned of your arrival." Well, that much had been true. Llasa waited to tell me until after they were through with their visit though. I was grateful for that.**

"**Still involved with the affairs of mortals," Caius' sour voice matched his expression.**

"**Guilty as charged." I was surprised how easy it was to ignore his perpetual bad mood.**

"**Well, hopefully this delivery ended better than poor Mia's did." Aro added in resignation.**

"**Yes, it did. And I am so glad to see your concern for Mia's welfare." I replied amiably. I knew he cared nothing for Demetri's mate. Mia would be dead if it'd been left up to him. I was glad he was still unaware that their baby was alive and well. Seth had taken her up the backstairs along with everyone else in Leah's family, Esme, Shiloh, Migina and most of the Denali vampires.**

"**Yes, well, I have found another way to study the vampire hybrid breed, so I will be leaving Demetri and Mia here for a time." Aro said as though it was his choice to allow them to stay. I nodded my head in acknowledgment. I wondered what he was referring to when he spoke of the 'new way' he had found to study them. Did he know about Joham? I felt as though he didn't. Perhaps Aro meant to locate him before returning to Volterra.**

**Aro continued to speak, drawing me out of my thoughts. "And Felix will be staying here for a time as well. He will be acting as my ambassador to the people of the Amazon." I knew Aro was putting the best face he could on losing two of his upper guardsmen. He had his 'black hat' on as Stephen and Vladimir were so keen to call it.**

'**We should leave brother," Caius suddenly said. He knew there was nothing more to say that wouldn't involve them appearing stymied. "It is clear that we are not truly welcome here."**

"**Nonsense brother." Aro said in a wide smile. "We were invited."**

**I felt Nahuel's presence as he entered the room from behind me.**

"**Invited?" Caius spat out. "I'd hardly consider Jasper Hale telling us to come back later an invitation, Aro."**

"**Oh, I wasn't speaking of Carlisle's rude son. No, I was speaking of the invitation we received from this enchanting young woman here."**

**That was when Nahuel calmly came to stand right before the young woman who stood to the far left of the group from Volterra. She was an Indian woman who was beautiful and with a start I realized who and what she was.**

"**Matcha, what are you doing here?" he whispered urgently.**

"**Nahuel, hello it is good to see you too." She said with a grimace. **

"**Where are Tuia and ****Mandu?" Nahuel added with worry on his face****.**

"**Oh, they're fine. As usual, you are most worried about them. Oh, and I am fine as well. Thanks for asking." The hostility coming off the young woman was very evident. **

"**Yes," Aro said interrupting the confrontation. "We were out looking for Joham and were quite surprised to happen across Nahuel's sisters. After a fascinating visit with them, we were able to convince Matcha here, to return to Volterra with us for an extended visit."**

"**Yes Tuia and Mandu weren't interested in seeing Italy," She said addressing her remarks to Nahuel. "But you know me brother; I grow tired of seeing the same green jungle for the last three hundred years. Aro wanted to study hybrids and I wanted to study abroad. It was a case of perfect timing." She added with a shrug. Her tone was still defiant, challenging.**

"**Matcha, are you sure you want to leave just now?" Nahuel's voice took on a tone of reconciliation. "I haven't seen you in over ten years. You could stay and we could have a nice visit."**

**Matcha rolled her eyes and sounded almost bored as she responded, "Tempting, but I think I'll pass. But I know you'll have a very nice visit with Tuia and Mandu. They were going to finish their hunting trip and stop by for a visit soon." **

"**Well," Aro said as he stood signaling the end of the conversation. "I guess we'd better get going before we get put to work rebuilding this wondrous city." His said with a chuckle. "It is always a pleasure to see you Carlisle, Eliazar."**

**As they departed the palace, Matcha looked back at Nahuel and said, "Oh, and if you happen to see Father, tell him I said 'hello'."**

**That reminded Caius as well and he added, "And that he'd better get in touch with us at once."**

**It was with that parting remark, the Volturi 'guests' left the palace and the city.**

**It was then that we were finally able to let out a final sigh of relief. I went at once to tend to the injured from the battle. As I cared for them, I marveled once again at the events that had played out that day. The most remarkable had revolved around the birth of Sammon, son of Leah and Nahuel Clearwater. **

**Harry appeared and had a joyful reunion with Seth and Leah. He gave his blessings to Sue and Charlie before announcing excitedly that he was to be the guardian angel for the newborn baby. **

**Another surprise had been Migina, who had, along with her brother Shiloh, had her true heritage revealed; a heritage that tied the two of them to much more than just the 'Children of the Moon'. I knew Billy and Jacob were in for a surprise. When Migina finally had an opportunity to hold Leah and Nahuel's baby, she'd imprinted on him. I had to admit, that had been unexpected.**

**Even Tanya and Kate were told by Llasa the circumstances surrounding their mother's creation of the immortal child. It was clear, as they listened to the unbiased account, their long held belief of their mother's blatant disregard for the law was altered. She had acted to save a young child whose parents had been killed in a mudslide. She'd heard the rumbling on the mountain and had tried to get to the little family to warn them in time, but she was too late. When she'd dug the three of them out, she discovered the parents were already dead but the little boy's heart still beat faintly. She knew Aro, Caius and Marcus and believed that their opinions concerning immortal children were flawed from the start and that with the proper guidance; she would succeed where they had not.**

**I was amazed later that evening as I looked around at my friends and family and realized once again just how richly my life had been blessed. Charlie wasn't the only one who had to make adjustments to what his understanding of reality was, we all had. The world operated on so many more levels than I'd ever dreamed and our eyes were only now being opened up to them. I was grateful I had made the effort to not let the circumstances of my reality, of being a vampire, change the foundation of my belief of good and evil. That had made all of the difference. **

**It didn't take long after the Volturi left, for the palace to settle into a peaceful, joyful state. Leah and Nahuel sat in chairs in the main room with their new baby. The local citizens were released from the bunker and they filed by to greet the new arrival before they returned to their homes for the evening. Tomorrow they would start the chore of rebuilding and repair. They would have a great future here in Akakor. It would be a truly great center for culture, learning and so much more.**

**I thought of how this had all come about. How we had planned an innocent visit to the Amazon last summer. Then Leah had needed an escape to come to terms with her feelings surrounding Sam and Emily's wedding. Of course, then Nahuel arrived on the scene with his jaguars. Bella and Edward found the 'Lost Treasure of Akahim' which Emmett inadvertently activated, which led to our knowledge of higher beings and the world around us got a little bigger. I had been shocked to learn of how my family had been hand selected to bring Renesmee into the world. And of course, I had been given a choice. And my world has opened up again as a result. Demetri and Felix had chosen to walk the 'path of light' and had been richly blessed as a result The Volturi and their dark ways had left once again in shame, unable to stand in the light. Even Seth had his sweet little Ava now to protect and watch over. And now, Akakor was being restored. This day had turned into one of deliverance instead of destruction. Leah, who had believed herself barren, had brought forth a son who, according to my new siblings, would be a legend in his own time. Yes, life had been good indeed…so far.**

***

This is the traditional end to the Twilight fan fiction, 'Indian Summer'.

A/N: There really will be a total solar eclipse in July of 2010. However, it will be on the 11th not the 15th and to get the complete effect of it, you have to be further south than Brazil. (Argentina or Brazil…or some south pacific islands :)

I have links on my profile page to the story, 'Returning Moon—a Story about the Children of the Moon'. It is where I got the characters of Migina and Shiloh from. It is currently a work-in-progress on TTS. I also have new pictures up on my picture site of Leah and Nahuel's vision of their future family.

I really appreciate everyone taking the time out of their busy schedule to read my extremely long fan fiction! I was approached by some other authors about combining 'Indian Summer' with their own fan fictions and bringing the plot into the future ten more years. That story is called 'All Worlds Collide'. We are almost done with it. If we decide to post it here at fanfiction, I will have to post my second Epilogue that takes Felix and Demetri out of their happy jungle home and back working for Aro. Since when I started writing 'Indian Summer' that was never my intent, I will only post that epilogue if 'All Worlds Collide' posts here. Then you can decide whether or not to read it, starting with my second epilogue!

Thank you for all your wonderful comments and support!

Tami


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